Learning Opportunities 2019/2020

The graduation requirements of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy are established by the IMSA Board of Trustees. Each semester students must take a minimum of five academic courses (2.5 credits) for a letter grade (not Pass/Fail) not including Fine Arts, Wellness, SIR, Internship, and Independent Study. Students may enroll in a maximum of nine courses each semester including academic courses, Fine Arts,Wellness, SIR, Internship, and Independent Study. Only courses taken for a letter grade will count towards graduation credit

Learning Opportunities 2020/2021

The graduation requirements of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy are established by the IMSA Board of Trustees. Each semester students must take a minimum of five academic courses (2.5 credits) for a letter grade (not Pass/Fail) not including Fine Arts,Wellness, SIR, Internship, and Independent Study. Students may enroll in a maximum of nine courses each semester including academic courses, Fine Arts, Wellness, SIR, Internship, and Independent Study. The College and Academic Counselor approves enrollment for students in all courses and experiences. Only courses taken for a letter grade will count towards graduation credit

Learning Opportunities 2024/2025

The graduation requirements of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy are established by the IMSA Board of Trustees. Each semester students must take a minimum of five academic courses (2.5 credits) for a letter grade (not Pass/Fail) not including Fine Arts, Wellness, SIR, Internship, and Independent Study. Students may enroll in a maximum of eight courses each semester including academic courses, Fine Arts, Wellness, SIR, Internship, and Independent Study. The College and Academic Counselor approves enrollment for students in all courses and experiences. Only courses taken for a letter grade will count toward graduation credit

Learning Opportunities 2022/2023

The graduation requirements of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy are established by the IMSA Board of Trustees. Each semester students must take a minimum of five academic courses (2.5 credits) for a letter grade (not Pass/Fail) not including Fine Arts, Wellness, SIR, Internship, and Independent Study. Students may enroll in a maximum of nine courses each semester including academic courses, Fine Arts, Wellness, SIR, Internship, and Independent Study. The College and Academic Counselor approves enrollment for students in all courses and experiences. Only courses taken for a letter grade will count towards graduation credit

Learning Opportunities 2021/2022

The graduation requirements of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy are established by the IMSA Board of Trustees. Each semester students must take a minimum of five academic courses (2.5 credits) for a letter grade (not Pass/Fail) not including Fine Arts, Wellness, SIR, Internship, and Independent Study. Students may enroll in a maximum of nine courses each semester including academic courses, Fine Arts, Wellness, SIR, Internship, and Independent Study. The College and Academic Counselor approves enrollment for students in all courses and experiences. Only courses taken for a letter grade will count towards graduation credit

Gaming and computer science: Bridging the gender-gap

>Magister Scientiae - MScAccording to the literature, women are still unrepresented in the field of information technology. Although many women study computer science at first year level, the dropout rate for women—before they graduate—is high, and if they graduate many decide neither to continue with their studies nor to work in the field of information technology. Research has shown that women who have been exposed to computing at some point during their school career or early in their lives, tend to be more open to choosing a career in computer science and are in many cases successful at it. The aim of this research is to understand what factors influence women to choose a career within computer science and to consider whether gaming would encourage young women to enter the field. Design Science Research was the methodology employed. It was chosen since an artefact was developed. For each of the five steps of this methodology a different method was chosen to address the research question. Surveys were administered to first year computer science students and both IT high school teachers and computer science honours students were interviewed. Non-computer science students were involved in the participatory design process

Cognitive and affective perspectives on immersive technology in education

This research explains the rationale behind the utilization of mobile learning technologies. It involves a qualitative study among children to better understand their opinions and perceptions toward the use of educational applications (apps) that are available on their mobile devices, including smartphones and tablets. The researchers organized semi-structured, face-to-face interview sessions with primary school students who were using mobile technologies at their primary school. The students reported that their engagement with the educational apps has improved their competencies. They acquired relational and communicative skills as they collaborated in teams. On the other hand, there were a few students who were not perceiving the usefulness and the ease of use of the educational apps on their mobile device. This study indicates that the research participants had different skillsets as they exhibited different learning abilities. In conclusion, this contribution opens-up avenues for future research in this promising field of study.peer-reviewe

Design and development EduPocket A+

The objective of  Science, Technology, and Engineering Mathematics (STEM), is not only focused on scientific knowledge and concepts but 21st century skills such as collaborative skills, communication, critical thinking, creativity and computational thinking should be emphasized in science learning. This concept paper discusses how to develop the EduPocket A+ and this application features easy-to-grasp notes and animations to present the Physics syllabus in a simple manner. EduPocket A+ is an (Android APK) application where individuals are able to access notes) through interactive means as well as prep individuals to answer essay questions for the SPM Physics Paper 2. A review of the literature shows that educational games can improve student academic achievement. In addition, this learning approaches provide a fun learning environment, increasing active engagement students in learning, and increase students ’interest and motivation in STEM education. However, studies on game-based learning involving students as educational games designers or inventors are still lacking in Malaysia, especially at the secondary school. Furthermore, relatively little research has focused on the development of Edu-PocketA+  as effectiveness of educational games mastery of 21st century skills in STEM. Therefore, this concept paper discusses the development of EduPocketA+ that involving students in making games in learning, facilitating strategies in physics learning concepts and improve 21st century skills among students

Inside the Box: A Case Study of How Spatial Rhetoric in High School Computer Science Curricula Inhibited the Acquisition of Technology Competence

More rhetorical skills are now required to navigate critically and productively in technological spaces; that means that one must possess a specific type of literacy, called technology competence, which enables one to understand the evolution of technology, the nature and design of technology, and its rhetorical effects on people and society. Initially envisioned as a multi-case study across school districts, this project changed to a single case study pilot project because the COVID-19 pandemic restricted access to classrooms in multiple school districts for observations, thus significantly reducing the sample size in the data set. Through a mixed methods case study of an introductory course in a majority-minority urban high school, this dissertation explored how students’ acquisition of technology competence was supported by the technology curricula offered in high schools and how the rhetoric in this technological space, the introductory course, affected students’ abilities to acquire technological competence that would enable them to extend their knowledge beyond access, to actively producing technology. Data collection included publicly available curricula and syllabi from local school districts, the state’s information technology curriculum, surveys from teachers and students, classroom observations, samples of lesson plans, student work, and interviews with teachers and students. The computer science pathways in the curriculum, spaces in which students could acquire technology literacy and develop technology competence, were severely restricted due to geography and local school zones, the level and quality of the computer science curriculum offered by the school and district, staffing and master scheduling, and teacher effectiveness. These findings indicated a need for a more standardized curriculum and instructional units for one introductory class that feeds multiple information technology pathways or specialized introductory classes for each separate pathway. To promote equity in access to the curriculum for all students, districts and schools should prioritize the state’s computer science curriculum in staffing, scheduling, and funding, to ensure that students in all zoned schools in the district have access to more of the computer science courses in the state’s curriculum