In this article the authors discuss the importance of the use of natural instincts in teaching and studying science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses in U.S. middle and high schools. They present information on the Maker Movement, a campaign associated with the Maker Faire festivals and "Make" magazine, which encourages the use of creativity in STEM fields. Other topics include the importance of natural curiosity, building, and inventions in science education.
The article discusses the Maker Faires, a hybrid of science fairs, craft shows, and county fairs where people come to display what they have created and talk about what they learned. The faires are designed for people who work in places such as shops, garages, kitchen tables, schools, or science clubs, while they invent and innovate with new technologies, science, engineering, art performance and various crafts. The events' impact on economic development and education is mentioned.
The article focuses on the uTEC Maker Model, a maker education model that aims to help adults recognize behaviors they may only usually see in spurs. Topics discussed include using the item as intended by the inventor whose creative approach we trust, repurposing an item to use it in a different way than the inventor intended, and experimenting with an idea, invention, musical sound or video technique.
The article presents a brief overview of the Maker Movement and its connections to public libraries, focusing on the experiences of the Louisville Free Public Library of Louisville, Kentucky. Introductory details are given describing the movement, linking it to the expansion of community work spaces equipped with advanced machinery such as robotics tools and 3D printers. Several examples of maker-based organizations, subcultures, and resources are then given.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Nicole DixonMichael WardEric Phetteplace
Amusement parks offer rich possibilities for physics learning, through observations and experiments that illustrate important physical principles and often involve the whole body. Amusement parks are also among the most popular school excursions, but very often the learning possibilities are underused. In this work we have studied different teacher roles and discuss how universities, parks or event managers can encourage and support teachers and schools in their efforts to make amusement park visits true learning experiences for their students.
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National Resource Center for Physics EducationAnn-Marie PendrillCecilia KozmaAndreas Theve
Interactive surfaces are increasingly common in museums and other informal learning environments where they are seen as a medium for promoting social engagement. However, despite their increasing prevalence, we know very little about factors that contribute to collaboration and learning around interactive surfaces. In this paper we present analyses of visitor engagement around several multi-touch tabletop science exhibits. Observations of 629 visitors were collected through two widely used techniques: video study and shadowing. We make four contributions: 1) we present an algorithm for
In order to attract and retain underrepresented student groups (USGs) who aspire to major in STEM fields, educators recognize that science and math instruction must improve and also develop students’ non-cognitive and social-emotional skills. Foremost in that effort is Xavier University of Louisiana, a historically black and Catholic university located in the heart of New Orleans. Throughout the past thirty years, Xavier compiled an extraordinary record as a top producer of African Americans who receive bachelor’s degrees in biology, chemistry, and physics. Although Xavier enrolls only
The World Biotech Tour (WBT) is a multi-year initiative that will bring biotechnology to life at select science centers and museums worldwide. The program, supported by the Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC) and Biogen Foundation, is scheduled to run from 2015-2017, with the 2015 cohort in Belgium, Japan, and Portugal. The WBT will increase the impact and visibility of biotechnology among youth and the general public through hands-on and discussion-led learning opportunities. Applications are now open for the 2016 cohort! Learn more and submit an application at http://www.worldbiotechtour.org/become-a-stop
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Association of Science-Technology CentersCarlin Hsueh
Increasing numbers of museums and galleries worldwide have developed an array of working practices that might be termed 'participatory' or 'co-creative', which seek to involve visitors, non-visitors, community and interest groups with diverse forms of expertise and perspective in their activities. Frequently the central aim of such practices has been to strengthen relationships between a museum and its audiences through projects that are jointly conceived and developed with local communities. However, relatively little attention has been given to participatory practice within the work of
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Katy BunningJen KavanaghKayte McSweeneyRichard Sandell
This paper examines the approach of a major new gallery on information and communication technologies in the Science Museum, situating it in the context of current ideas around the history of technology and exploring the way the curatorial team addressed the challenges of display and interpretation. As a short discussion piece it looks at four broad questions: How has the concept of information, and more importantly an ‘Information Age’ been conceived across differing disciplines? What opportunities can user focused histories present to a gallery on information and communication technologies
Worldwide growth in use of mobile phones has fostered the emergence of mobile learning. Mobile technologies are used both in classrooms to support instruction (safe) and as tools that significantly change instructional activities, learner roles, and learning location (disruptive). Learners become less consumers of information and more collaborators, researchers, and publishers on-the-go (Stead, 2006). Scholarship in m-learning is scarce and lacks rigor (McNeal & van't Hooft, 2006). Even with increasing numbers of investigative studies there are still significant gaps in the literature
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Tiffany KoszalkaG.S. Ntloedibe-Kuswani
This volume explores how technology-supported learning environments can incorporate physical activity and interactive experiences in formal and informal education. It presents cutting-edge research and design work on a new generation of "body-centric" technologies such as wearable body sensors, GPS tracking devices, interactive display surfaces, video game controller devices, and humanlike avatars. Contributors discuss how and why each of these technologies can be used in service of learning within K-12 classrooms and at home, in museums and online. Citing examples of empirical evidence and