A Systematic Review of Studies on Educational Robotics

There has been a steady increase in the number of studies investigating educational robotics and its impact on academic and social skills of young learners. Educational robots are used both in and out of school environments to enhance K–12 students’ interest, engagement, and academic achievement in various fields of STEM education. Some prior studies show evidence for the general benefits of educational robotics as being effective in providing impactful learning experiences. However, there appears to be a need to determine the specific benefits which have been achieved through robotics implementation in K–12 formal and informal learning settings. In this study, we present a systematic review of the literature on K–12 educational robotics. Based on our review process with specific inclusion and exclusion criteria, and a repeatable method of systematic review, we found 147 studies published from the years 2000 to 2018. We classified these studies under five themes: (1) general effectiveness of educational robotics; (2) students’ learning and transfer skills; (3) creativity and motivation; (4) diversity and broadening participation; and (5) teachers’ professional development. The study outlines the research questions, presents the synthesis of literature, and discusses findings across themes. It also provides guidelines for educators, practitioners, and researchers in areas of educational robotics and STEM education, and presents dimensions of future research

A Study Of Urban Principals’ Perceptions Of Technology Implementation And STEM Program Sustainability

STEM careers are becoming more prominent in today’s workforce. The platform of today’s industries derives from science, technology, engineering, and math, the study of which ultimately provides students and stakeholders with the foundation to function in a globally diverse society. Due to the recent budget shortfalls, the existence of STEM programs within this Texas Urban School District was threatened. District principals were directed to review their respective budgets to determine where potential cuts could be made. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to describe the perceptions of urban district principals regarding technology implementation and identify recommendations for the sustainability of STEM programs within this Texas Urban School District. This research study consisted of six STEM principals, with two of each representing the elementary, middle, and high school levels. The research questions that guide this study are: (1) What are the perceptions of principals regarding the implementation of technology within urban schools? (2) What are the perceptions of principals regarding the sustainability of STEM programs within urban schools? (3) How do urban principals develop knowledge about STEM education? (4) What are the perceptions of principals regarding barriers to learning for STEM students? The results of this study revealed that technology implementation is indeed a vital component in urban education. Collectively, implementation of the technology needed for STEM learning apparently cannot be fully realized if principals lack access due to funding or other circumstances that repress its utilization. Technology implementation and STEM program sustainability can be increased through programs and businesses that consistently provide STEM resources, higher education contacts, and career pathway opportunities. Continuous professional development and training is needed for STEM instructors, as they educate students as technology evolves and as they strive to support a growing workforce. This study found that STEM learning and teachers’ technology implementation are interwoven and work together to build a bridge to prepare students for today’s workforce

Something to Say: Success Principles for Afterschool Arts Programs From Urban Youth and Other Experts

Engagement in the arts can help youth in myriad ways: as a vehicle for self expression, acquiring skills, and developing focus and teamwork. Unfortunately, with the develine of arts education in public schools, few urban, low-income young people have high-quality engaging art experiences at school. Alternatives outside of school, such as private lessons or arts camps, are typically limited to children of families with the resources and savvy to get access to them. What narrow arts experiences low-income youth have are often dull arts and crafts projects where they are instructed to follow a prototype, rather than create something from their own imagination. Consequently, many urban, low-income youth grow up without even a cursory understanding of what high-quality arts programs are like, or what benefits may accrue from participation. Even when there is awareness or interest in out-of-school time (OST) arts programs, many young people choose other activities for a variety of reasons. Further, community groups often report a steep drop-off in teen OST engagement and participation. That finding points to the importance of captivating young people's interest prior to the teen years when, as tweens, they are more willing to try new OST experiences. This report attempts to answer the following questions: How can urban, low-income tweens and teens gain equal access to high quality arts experiences? Is there a model of practices that could provide a blueprint for community based organizations to emulate, so that proven approaches could be deployed in more places, more often? Is there a way to approach the analysis of these problems that respects and honors the young people as consumers who make informed choices? and how do the insights of what tweens and teens want align with what other experts say they need

A QUALITATIVE UNDERSTANDING OF GENDER-RESPONSIVE YOUTH PROGRAMMING WITHIN THE GIRLS ROCK CAMP ALLIANCE

This study documented the gender-responsive youth programing strategies within Girls Rock camps using grounded theory methodology. Experiencing gender oppression is a stressor that creates an increased risk for mental and physical health concerns for gender-marginalized people. The risks for mental illnesses, because of gender-based oppression, is compounded when an individual holds additional marginalized statuses (e.g., age, race, ethnicity, social class, sexual orientation, ability status, etc.; APA, 2007). Gender bias has also been shown to negatively impact young people’s self-esteem, academic achievement, and vocational aspirations (Kamsler, 1992). Given this negative impact of gender bias, it is important to address gender related discrimination early in adolescents’ lives to mitigate the harmful ramifications of living in a sexist society. Gender-responsive youth programs are extracurricular, community-based organizations that incorporate the specific concerns of girls and gender non-conforming youth into organizational policies, practices, and activities. Girls Rock is a music-based, gender-responsive youth program that teaches young people empowerment through music. The resulting grounded theory model of the Girls Rock Camp Alliance positions authentic relationships as the active ingredient that makes Girls Rock camps effective worldwide. This model can be used to understand the components of a successful Girls Rock camp and can be adapted to gender-responsive youth programs of any discipline

Improving girls’ perception of computer science as a viable career option through game playing and design: Lessons from a systematic literature review

The objective of exposing girls to Computer Science as a career option has led to research directed towards gaming activities for girls. These activities include both game play and game design. Research about gaming activities for increasing girls’ interest in computer science has gained much attention over the past few years and has resulted in a number of contributions. We follow up with an overview of the status of research through a Systematic Literature Review. We investigate the relation between the various game playing or designing activities and their impact on girls’ perception of Computer Science as a career choice. We further present the design consideration for the games and related activities to potentially improve the perception of girls towards a Computer Science career. The applied method is a Systematic Literature Review through which we investigate which contributions were made, which knowledge areas were most explored, and which research facets have been used. We identify 25 papers to distill a common understanding of the state-of-the-art. Specifically, we investigate the effects that the game play/design activities had on girls’ perception about Computer Science; and what are the key design factors to be kept in mind while designing a serious game to improve girls’ perception about Computer Science. The results of this systematic literature review show that game playing or designing could indeed improve how girls perceive having a career in CS. The key aspects that such activities require are personalizing, opportunity for collaboration and the presence of a female lead characterThis work has been done during the tenure of an ERCIM Alain Bensoussan fellowshi

Ideabook: Libraries for Families

The IDEABOOK is a research-based framework to guide and broaden family engagement in libraries.The framework helps libraries move beyond thinking of family engagement as random, individual activities or programs, but rather as a system where library leadership, activities, and resources that are linked to goals. The framework represents a theory of change that begins with a set of elements—leadership, engagement, and support services—that build a pathway for meaningful family engagement beginning in the early childhood years and extending through young adulthood.This IDEABOOK was developed for anyone who works in a library setting—from library directors and children's and youth librarians, to volunteers and support staff—and shares many innovative ways that libraries support and guide families in children's learning and development

This is What Stem Looks Like! How to Get and Keep Girls Engaged in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math

Nationally, and in Colorado, the demand for a skilled STEM workforce is growing and STEM jobs offer higher salaries than non-STEM jobs. Women working in STEM jobs earn, on average, 33 percent more than those in other fields, yet women account for only 29 percent of the STEM workforce.  In Colorado, women earn more than 50 percent of two-year and four-year degrees, but less than a third of Colorado graduates in STEM are women.  Women's under-representation in STEM fields starts early, with gender gaps in STEM interests beginning in middle school and growing throughout high school, college, and career. Far too many girls and women are discouraged from pursuing success in STEM fields.We've created this guide to introduce parents, caregivers, and educators to the many opportunities that STEM can provide for girls and women. You'll find resources to help girls explore and prepare for those opportunities and tools to inspire, motivate, and prepare young women to thrive in STEM careers. In addition to tools for creating exciting, hands-on learning experiences, the guide includes: an overview of the status of girls and women in STEM in Colorado, definitions of STEM-related terms, and a call to action. Each chapter includes strategies that are specific to a certain age group, as well as benchmarks to strive for in each stage of girls' lives to prepare them for future STEM opportunities. You might also see some repetition in concepts as they are relevant for girls of many ages. We've included a sampling of the many STEM resources available locally, statewide, and from across the nation

Women in STEM: Female Role Models and Gender Equitable Teaching Strategies

This action research project examines what impacts, if any, increased use of gender equitable teaching strategies (GETS)--with an emphasis on the use of female role models—has on young women’s interest in STEM education and career pathways. The research was conducted in elective secondary (9-12) STEM courses in a large suburban high school. All 89 enrolled in the courses received access to the education enrichments provided in this study. Data was collected from 18 young women in class as well as 12 additional girls who participated in a focus group. Students were given the opportunity to engage with women employed in a variety of STEM fields. Additionally, the classroom instruction and curriculum were modified to include more of the seven strategies identified as being critically important to achieve gender equitable outcomes in STEM courses (TPT, 2013) including: collaboration, student-focused instruction, growth mindset, culturally responsive pedagogy, and creative problem solving. The impact of these educational enrichments was measured through the use of: a STEM-identity survey; enrollment data; participant rankings of the effectiveness of instructional strategies used, role model feedback responses, and analysis of data recorded in a Women in STEM focus group. The results indicate that exposure to female role models and gender equitable teaching strategies were positive as evidenced in three important areas. Notably, female student’s attitudes towards STEM improved; more female students elected to take advanced STEM courses than had in the previous two years; and, participants expressed increased confidence and interest in a future STEM pathway

Exciting Young Students In Grades K-8 About STEM Through An Afterschool Robotics Challenge

In this paper, we describe the successful implementation of an afterschool LEGO robotics program for elementary and middle school students that is annually offered by the Whitacre College of Engineering at Texas Tech University. Three events are held on campus: the kickoff, a trial run, and the competition, spread over a period of eight weeks. In between the events, participants design their LEGO robots at the school, mostly during afterschool clubs. Through our program, we broaden the participation in hands-on robotics tasks which apply STEM concepts to groups that otherwise might not have the opportunity. Success factors of our implementation are the flexibility of the implementation at the local level, the inclusion of engineering students as mentors and volunteers, and the low cost for organizers and participants. We provide evidence that we have reached a diverse student population in grades K-8 and positively changed their attitudes toward STEM, then we report the benefits that teachers see in regular participation in the event. Finally, we describe the benefit of involving engineering undergraduate students as mentors and volunteers.