Gamification in higher education and stem : a systematic review of literature

In recent years, gamification, the use of game elements in non-game contexts, has drawn the attention of educators due to the possibility of making learning more motivating and engaging; this led to an increase of research in the field. Despite the availability of literature reviews about gamification and its effects, no work to this date has focused exclusively on Higher Education (HE). Next, worldwide there is an increasing demand for skilled Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) professionals that meet the challenges related to scientific and technological innovations of the 21st Century. This lead to the need of strengthening STEM Higher Education. This brings us to the purpose of this work: presenting a systematic literature review of empirical studies about gamification STEM related Higher Education. This review study started from a systematic mapping design of 'Web of Science' articles, with following inclusion criteria: empirical gamification studies set up in HE, published between 2000 and 2016; focusing on undergraduate or graduate students; in the STEM knowledge field, and set up in authentic settings. An initial search resulted in 562 potentially relevant articles. After applying all selection criteria, only 18 studies could be retained. 12 additional articles were included by analyzing references from earlier literature reviews, resulting in 30 studies to be included. Analysis results show how a combination of game elements (e.g. leaderboards, badges, points and other combinations) positively affects students' performance, attendance, goal orientation and attitude towards mostly computer science related subjects. The analysis results also point at a lack of studies in certain STEM areas, a lack of studies that identify the particular game element associated with the positive differential impact on student performance; a lack of validated psychometric measurements, and lack of focus on student variables that could/should be taken into account as mediating/moderating variables clarifying the impact of gamification in the HE focus on STEM learning and teaching

STEM Enhancement Programs: The National Context

We present findings from a review of the scholarly literature and Web survey that were undertaken to develop a catalogue of STEM enhancement programs. Our research revealed that 42 states have developed such programs, 30 of which focus specifically on P-16 STEM education. This session will discuss our findings and report on other programs comparable to the USG STEM Initiative

The Big Why of Implementing Computational Thinking In STEM Education: A Systematic Literature Review

Computational Thinking (CT) has been increasingly embraced as a reformation in STEM education. This paper discusses why the implementation of CT would have a considerable effect on STEM education. The first objective of this systematic literature review is to identify the subjects that incorporate the most elements of CT in STEM education. Secondly, it aims to provide an overview of CT practices in the classrooms. Finally, the major findings of this study seek to discuss the benefits and challenges of the use of CT in STEM education. Fifteen articles were methodically selected from Scopus, Web of Science, Dimensions, and Google Scholar databases as the relevant studies to be discussed in this systematic study, based on the PRISMA Statement (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis) review technique. This review identifies current research gaps and directions for the practice and implementation of CT in STEM education. Further analysis of the articles has contributed to a conclusion that CT has become more widespread and multi-disciplinary and seems to have propagated improvements in STEM education. Still, a new study is required, especially on long-term implications

Perceptions Of The Indonesia National Curriculum In Relation To Integrated Stem Education At The High School Level

High school students need 21st-century skills to be competitive in the global economy. STEM education, coupled with problem-solving, critical thinking, innovation, and written and oral communication skills are essential for high school students. In Indonesia, STEM education is not as common as in the United States; some teachers in Indonesia use STEM as a learning method, but it is not included as a major component in the Indonesian curriculum. This study aimed to analyze (a) how teachers implement STEM-based lessons, including hands-on activities and project-based learning in relation to the Indonesian National Curriculum and (b) teachers’ prior knowledge about integrating STEM education into the National Curriculum. A descriptive methodology was utilized for this study; purposive sampling was implemented. The participants were 123 high school STEM-based teachers in West Java, Indonesia. The primary instrument used in this research was a web-based questionnaire, coupled with in-depth interviews. The researcher found that most participants (60.16%) utilize project-based learning and use hands-on activities in 25% of their courses. In addition, most participants provide a problem in their lesson design to improve students’ problem-solving skills. Findings from this study also indicated that most of the participants utilize authentic assessments, such as portfolios in their classes. Statistical analysis of the research instrument used in this study indicated that high school STEM-based teachers know what STEM is and implement some STEM-based instruction as part of the Indonesian National Curriculum, and the research participants mentioned that the Indonesian government has already integrated STEM education into the National curriculum, but the details of implementation were not explicit. There is needed to develop the existing National Curriculum that integrates STEM education

Addressing the Gender Gap: Women’s Perceived Barriers to Pursuing STEM Careers

This national study used the Delphi method to identify perceived barriers women face in the pursuit of STEM careers. The study used a series of three web-based questionnaires. The first round of the study used a questionnaire with an open-ended question to facilitate the generation of a wide array of response categories. In round two, respondents were asked to rate the 24 perceived barriers from round one on a Likert-type scale and to make changes as necessary. In round three, respondents were asked to provide a dichotomous indication of whether they agreed or disagreed with each of the items. Consensus on 22 perceived barriers was reached after three rounds. The major barriers identified by the respondents were: male domination of STEM careers, lack of awareness of educational and career opportunities, STEM education and toys directed at boys, a lack of female mentors/role models, minimization of barriers, personal expectations, the time required to become proficient in a STEM field, lack of encouragement from men, and the perceived glass ceiling of women in STEM careers. It is recommended that future research focus on the efficacy of formal, informal, and non-formal education models toward increasing awareness of educational and career opportunities in STEM. Researching effective methods to recruit and retain females in STEM degree programs is also suggested

Academic Feminist Activism on a Traditional STEM Campus: The Case of a Feminist Newspaper at MTU

This study addresses the problem of gender hostility on a STEM-focused university campus. I engage with current debates over the definition and purpose of feminism, in order to argue for the necessity of feminist activism in engineering education, with a particular focus on applications for Michigan Tech. Theoretically, I locate gender hostility in a long-running rejection of “the feminine” in STEM-based ways of knowing, curricula, and academic institutions. Drawing on Dorothy Smith’s conceptualization of “ruling relations,” I trace the discursive construction of femininity and the masculine/feminine dichotomy as seen in institutional forms, web pages, and student writing on social media. I consider the efficacy of undergraduate student activism on STEM-focused campuses in countering hostility toward the feminine. Specifically, in this project, I focus on the founding and accomplishments of a Michigan Tech feminist student newspaper: Beyond the Glass Ceiling. I set this newspaper within a history of student-initiated feminist publications at Michigan Tech, including The Technobabe Times and UNDER_WIRE. In chronicling the experiences of the students who wrote, designed, and edited the eponymous newspaper, I analyze how they understood and responded to institutionally embedded, textual, and contextual discourses about gender and feminism. My analysis admits the limitations but asserts the potential of undergraduate women’s counter-hegemonic struggle against the gendered ruling relations governing a STEM education. In the conclusion, I argue for Martha Nussbaum’s philosophical articulation of justice and gender as a useful platform for developing strategies to address gender hostility in STEM education for the good of all students

Scientific Performance and Mapping of the Term STEM in Education on the Web of Science

Technological progress is causing terms such as “STEM”, an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, to burst into the educational arena, marking a new era in the application of innovative and motivating teaching and learning processes. The objective of this research is to analyze the trajectory and the transcendence of the “STEM” concept in the educational field, having as reference the reported literature of Web of Science. The methodology applied in this research is based on bibliometrics, analyzing both the performance and the structural and dynamic development of the concept through a co-word analysis. The total number of documents analyzed is 4390. The results show that the scientific community mainly uses English and research papers to present their results. From 2015 onwards, the main lines of research are beginning to be established, which focus on “women” and “science”. It can be concluded that the term “STEM” in education is beginning to have a greater incidence and impact on the processes of teaching and learning, especially in the field of science, although there are currently discrepancies between men and women in its use

Simple Strategies for Broadcasting Repository Resources

4th International Conference on Open RepositoriesThis presentation was part of the session : Conference PostersNSDL's data repository for STEM education is designed to provide organized access to digital educational materials through its online portal, NSDL.org. The resources held within the NSDL data repository along with their associated metadata can also be found through partner and external portals, often with high quality, pedagogical contextual information intact. Repositories are not, however, usually described as web broadcast devices for their holdings. Providing multiple contextual views of educational resources where users look for them underscores the idea that digital repositories can be systems for the management, preservation, discovery and reuse of rich resources within a domain that can also be pushed out from a repository into homes and classrooms through multiple channels. This presentation reviews two interrelated methods and usage data that support the concept of â resource broadcastingâ from the NSDL data repository as a method that takes advantage of the natural context of resources to encourage their additional use as stand-alone objects outside of specific discipline-oriented portals.National Science Foundatio

Using collaborative web-based maps to promote geography teaching and learning

Many education reforms are being driven by technological advancements, particularly the use of web-based maps. Nonetheless, these unprecedented changes have not been accompanied by teacher education and practice. It fails to bridge the gap between traditional resources and "digital natives" students. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are utilized by various areas in geography, particularly web mapping applications, which are rapidly developing. GIS is recognized as a powerful technology for Geography teaching and learning, as well as for promoting interdisciplinary learning. It is essential to work with spatial representations and dimensions rather than simply using information and communication technology (ICT). GIS Mapping is an instructive opportunity.The findings of this study stem from the use of Web Mapping in a master class of elementary and secondary teachers' formation. With a long history of incorporating Web Mapping technology into the teaching and learning process, this case study stems from apedagogical style designed to foster collaborative learning. Students began by writing an individual scientific paper on a sustainability topic, which led to the eventual publication of a book, and the results were presented in a collective Story Map application. The technique encouraged pupils to learn, boosted creativity, and encouraged the acquisition of skills. Keywords: GIS, Story Map, Web Map, Geography, Interdisciplinarit