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The Urban STEM Collaboratory is a five-year project sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF) that addresses challenges to student success in STEM disciplines through a multi-institutional collaboration via the University of Memphis (UofM), University of Colorado Denver (CU Denver), and Indiana University--Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). Study groups, tutoring, peer and faculty mentoring, and career exploration programs are being used across the three campuses to increase the participants' commitment to a STEM field. Innovative features from CourseNetworking (CN) software are being deployed to provide scholars with evidence of their learning journey while expanding a meaningful academic cloud-based social network. This paper extends a previous introductory ASEE conference paper titled: "Launching the Urban STEM Collaboratory," (Goodman et al., 2020), which outlined the initial efforts of the tri-campus collaboration. The purpose of the present paper is to summarize the impact of the project, including data analysis of effectiveness, for Year 1: 2019-2020 and Year 2: 2020-2021. Although still in progress, with the longitudinal efficacy of several of the project's components undetermined, the project's organizational structure, activities, and findings to date should be of value to others conducting or proposing projects with similar goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of virtual design studios (VDS) in practice-based STEM education is increasing but requires further research to inform understanding of student learning and success. This paper presents a longitudinal, large-scale study (3 years, 3000 students) of student behaviour in an online design studio used as part of a distance learning Design and Innovation qualification, within the School of Engineering and Innovation at The Open University (UK). The sample size and time period of the study is unprecedented and provides unique insights into student behaviours. Moderate correlations between overall VDS use and student success were identified in early stages of study but were weaker in later stages. Detailed results identify specific behaviour correlations, such as 'listening-in' (viewing other students' work) and student success, as well as behaviour shifts from 'passive' to 'active' engagement. Strong intrinsic motivations for engagement were observed throughout and selected social learning mechanisms are presented to explain the empirical results, specifically: social comparison, presence, and communities of practice. The contribution of this paper is the framing of these mechanisms as steps in the longitudinal development of design students in a distance setting, providing an informed basis for the understanding, design, and application of virtual design studios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The integration of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education has received increased attention in the last decade. This is in part because of the need for students to increase in their STEM knowledge and competencies. Research is still needed to determine effective implementation models and curriculum for integrated STEM. Mathematics in particular has not received the focus it deserves with STEM integration. This paper discusses integration of STEM subjects that has a focus on mathematics (integrated steM); including summarizing and analyzing research done in the last ten years. A s.t.e.m. (Support, Topics, Emphasis, and Mathematical content) model for integrated steM research is presented to guide future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contribution: This paper provides evidence that computational creativity exercises (CCEs) can increase engineering students’ learning in introductory computer science (CS1) courses. Its main contribution is its more rigorous treatment/control group research design that allows testing for causal influences of CCEs on student learning and performance. Background: Computer science (CS) courses are critical foundational courses for engineering students. CCEs that merge computational and creative thinking have been shown to increase achievement and learning of engineering and nonengineering students in CS1 courses, but previous research has used quasi- and non-experimental designs. Intended Outcomes: CCEs are intended to improve students’ learning of CS1 content and problem-solving ability by fostering computational creativity. Application Design: CCEs can improve student learning and can be used to supplement other evidence-based instructional practices. Findings: Propensity score matching was used to create equivalent treatment and control groups; results show that students in the CCE implementation section had higher scores on a CS knowledge test than students in the control section, but not higher self-efficacy for their CS knowledge. Focus group and open-ended survey questions indicated that students had mixed reactions to the CCEs, with about half the students seeing them as improving their learning, understanding, and ability to apply CS in their engineering field. Responses also reinforced the importance of fully incorporating CCEs in courses and aligning them with course topics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A strong STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) workforce is central to economic growth and development. To build such a workforce, there is need to promote STEM disciplines. This paper describes the use of a portable electrical engineering outreach toolkit that targets primary and secondary students. The Outreach Toolkit contains 1) a Van De Graff Generator, 2) Tesla Coil, 3) Joule Thief and 4) a Combinatorial Logic Designer Board. Based on the electrical engineering theory and principles as required by the primary and secondary school curricula, live demonstrations are to be conducted using these devices. Complemented with the Toolkit, there are user manuals and a suite of videos that describe various experiments, safety precautions and maintenance requirements. For evaluating the efficacy of the toolkit, a group of 1 primary and 1 secondary schools from the South Eastern Education District of Trinidad and Tobago was based, and their students and teachers were invited to participate a demonstration of the toolkit. Results showed that majority of the secondary school students (90%) indicated that the use of the toolkit could increase their interests in studying science. Some 95% of students indicated that the toolkit made learning science more fun and motivational, and would like to have the device equipped at their school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the twenty-first century, meeting our technological challenges demands educational excellence, a skilled populace that is ready for the critical challenges society faces. There is widespread consensus, however, that education systems are failing to adequately prepare all students with the essential twenty-first century knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in life, career, and citizenship. The purpose of this paper is to understand how twenty-first century knowledge and skills can be appropriately embedded in engineering education finalised to innovative product development by using additive manufacturing (AM). The study designs a learning model by which to achieve effective AM education to address the requirements of twenty-first century and to offer students the occasion to experiment with STEM (Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) concepts. The study is conducted using the quality function deployment (QFD) methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Active learning (AL) requires students to do more than just listen and take notes. AL is important because of its positive impact on learning, and should be used to some degree in STEM courses. Fortunately, AL can be incorporated into a course in numerous ways, from the simple to the complex. Simple approaches, such as think-pair-share (TPS), often require little or no preparation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes a role-playing game developed by faculty and students at Worcester Polytechnic Institute to teach engineering within a rich cultural and historical context. Based on the successful Reacting to the Past series of role-playing games developed for humanities courses, this game differs in that its focus is engineering (a nineteenth-century sewerage project in Worcester, MA) and it is designed to include science experiments (water sampling), original research using nineteenth-century technical and historical/cultural material, data analysis (geospatial mapping of nineteenth-century data on pollutants, populations, and sewerage overflows), arguments from data, and cross-cultural communication. Developed in a humanities department with undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students and later expanded in collaboration with research librarians and engineering faculty, the course is intended to engage students deeply in engineering issues – including offering a design project – while also immersing them in the cultural, historical, economic, and social conditions that influence engineering decisions. Ultimately, the goal of the game is to allow students to experience the world of engineering as a complicated, challenging, and satisfying enterprise that requires and rewards not only technical expertise, but also sensitivity to human contexts and diverse points of view. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]