Building ArtBots to attract students into STEM learning

There is an increasing worldwide demand for people educated into science and technology. Unfortunately, girls and underprivileged students are often underrepresented in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education programs. We believe that by inclusion of art in these programs, educational activities might become more attractive to a broader audience. In this work we present an example of such an educational activity: an international robotics and art week for secondary school students. This educational activity builds up on the project-based and inquiry learning framework. This article is intended as a brief manual to help others organise such an activity. It also gives insights in how we led a highly heterogeneous group of students into learning STEM and becoming science and technology ambassadors for their peers

‘In the game’? Embodied subjectivity in gaming environments

Human-computer interactions are increasingly using more (or all) of the body as a control device. We identify a convergence between everyday bodily actions and activity within digital environments, and a trend towards incorporating natural or mimetic form of movement into gaming devices. We go on to reflect on the nature of player ‘embodiment’ in digital gaming environments by applying insights from the phenomenology of Maurice Merleau-Ponty. Three conditions for digital embodiment are proposed, with implications for Calleja’s (2011) Player Involvement Model (PIM) of gaming discussed

Investigating an ‘institutional partnership’ collaborating to develop a funded project into a sustainable work-integration social enterprise (WISE)

This paper reports a research study that examined a partnership between a regional social enterprise development agency and a university as they collaborated to develop a work-integration social enterprise (WISE) in the UK. Participants were members of the board of directors, steering group and the programme delivery and administration staff. The research elicited participant perceptions of the development of the partnership and the WISE over a period of eighteen months. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants in three phases: ‘early’, ‘middle’ and ‘late’. Results revealed the problems experienced by the partnership, which ultimately inhibited the development of a sustainable WIS

Designing and Delivering Staff Training for New Student Advisors: A Residential ESL Pathway School in Massachusetts

This capstone master’s thesis explains the comprehensive 100-hour training program for a team of new student advisors at Massachusetts International Academy. The training was designed and delivered in May-August 2014 for the 2014-2015 academic year. The school, in a partnership with the University of Massachusetts, provides English as a second language (ESL) instruction exclusively to the increasing numbers of Chinese students seeking undergraduate and graduates degrees in the United States. The school is in eastern Massachusetts and was developed by the China Education and Research Network. The academy is a residential ESL pathways program that prepares students for undergraduate and graduate study by offering English classes, a structured residential environment and a supportive advising program. Student advisors are a core foundation of the Chinese student experience at the academy. They provide academic advising, develop cultural programming, and maintain a safe living environment for students. A talented and well-trained student advising team is critical for positive student outcomes and the future success of the school. This paper explains how student advisors were hired and trained using a new training curriculum in August 2014. The paper then evaluates the delivery of the two-week training program and discusses best practices for training a team of six new student advisors. Keywords: Chinese international students, ESL, staff training, training design, student advisor, RAs, training evaluation, pathways program, Massachusetts International Academy, UMass, China Education and Research Network

Leading from the engine room

© Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature 2018. This paper explores relationships and challenges facing teams creating simulation-based learning environments. Drawing on our experience of governance within Australian Indigenous cultures and specific work incidents as case studies, we explore tensions, triumphs and insights occurring during collaborative ventures intended to produce online learning activities. Our view is ‘from the engine room’ - at that point where technology and design expertise reframe creative ‘story boards’ into ‘interactive learning experiences’ requiring productive harnessing of diversity. Creation of scenario-based learning environments requires an understanding of specific content, along with the array of available learning pathways. Appreciating pitfalls likely to hinder the design process is vital. Scenarios use specific, and specialized artefacts and technologies to create interactive learning environments; computer-based technologies make the process even more complex, requiring highly specialized skills to contribute particular elements. More and more people are involved, and a greater number of specializations contribute to the final product. We draw on Human Computer Interaction practices to explore designer - developer interfaces and explore what may be involved in developing aware, conscious leadership of this emergent complexity. Words penned by Harrison (1967) aptly encapsulate our theme - “We were talking about the space between us all”

Cultivating Positive Project Teams: Accelerating Time to Team Formation

High technology project teams must form, innovate, execute and deliver complex solutions at continually increasing speeds to meet market demands. This paper explores how building team positivity, connectedness and efficacy can accelerate team formation and establish an expansive environment for ongoing collaboration and innovation. A program framework for forming positive project teams utilizing empirically-based positive interventions and appreciative inquiry theory is presented. By using appreciative inquiry as a team-development intervention we can help new teams create generative images for themselves based on an affirmative understanding of their past. Team members come together in a safe and encouraging space and get to know each others’ strengths, passions, experience and styles while building a vision and action plan for their most positive future. By investing in building positive project teams during team formation, businesses can accelerate team formation, achieve greater team satisfaction and increase overall performance outcomes

Exploring Prior Work History within Software Project Teams

Software project management is challenging not only due to the technical requirements associated with creating software, but also in dealing with interpersonal issues that arise during the course of a project. One interpersonal dynamic within software project teams that is rarely discussed is the interaction among the team members themselves. Using social identity theory as a lens, this research explores how subgroups based on individuals’ prior work history could impact the project team. These prior working relationships could be a benefit to the team, or alternatively, could create favoritism among some members of the team. We explore the phenomenon of how prior work history affects the project team’s dynamic in the context of a massive multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG). Using the results, we offer suggestions for future research and practice to consider the impact of social identity within software project teams

Building Community in Refugee Youth Mentoring Programs at Partnership for the Advancement and Immersion of Refugees

ABSTRACT Building community in youth programs is a necessary and effective way to support the human developmental needs of refugee and immigrant youth by way of facilitating cultural integration. The intentional processes of building community in the after school mentoring programs for refugee and immigrant high school students at Partnership for the Advancement and Immersion of Refugees (PAIR) in Houston, Texas are essential to the program’s overall success and mission fulfillment. Specific methodologies of building community include activities such as icebreakers, name games, teambuilders, and unstructured relationship building time. Crucial factors that a facilitator should be cognizant of when implementing community building strategies in PAIR programs, are: What to expect in the stages of group development and minimizing the potential disruptiveness of integrating new students, the barriers to cultural integration refugee youth face, patriarchal values inherent in many refugees’ cultures due to war time exacerbation that starkly contrasts community building theory and practices, and the logistical challenges and derailment of community building efforts of PAIR staff due to lack of organizational support. Additionally, to serve as also a practical guide for similar program structures serving similar populations, the methods of addressing these factors are discussed, including previous successful implementation of community building tactics in PAIR programming