Quí-Bot-H2O challenge: integration of computational thinking with chemical experimentation and robotics through a web-based platform for early ages including gender, inclusive and diversity patterns

Quí-Bot-H2O is a research project in teaching innovation and scientific dissemination that joins two disciplines with high potential and demand of professionals in our society: chemistry and programming. The project includes the design of a set of activities with robots to solve several chemical experiences and programming challenges adapted to the Spanish academic curriculum of early childhood education according to ORDER ECI/3960/2007. The Quí-Bot-H2O Project has been included in the gender equality lines of action of the two reference territorial public administrations for UPC in Manresa (Bages County Council and the Manresa City Council). The Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad supports the Quí-Bot-H2O challenge under Grant FECYT2021-15626, Line of action 2. Education and scientific vocations (2nd place out of 63 awarded and 150 denied).The Quí-Bot-H2O challenge is supported by the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad under Grant FECYT2021-15626, Line of action 2. Education and scientific vocations.Peer ReviewedObjectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::5 - Igualtat de GènereObjectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::9 - Indústria, Innovació i InfraestructuraObjectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::10 - Reducció de les DesigualtatsObjectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::4 - Educació de QualitatPostprint (author's final draft

An ROI Comparison of Initiatives Designed to Attract Diverse Students to Technology Careers

This study examines two alternative interventions designed to attract diverse students to pursue information technology or, more generally, STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) careers from a Return on Investment (ROI) perspective. More specifically, this study examines the effectiveness and efficiency of single-day and multi-day program formats by comparing students’ propensity to pursue computer information systems and technology related careers. Using an ROI perspective of comparing relative costs to students’ perceived outcomes, our findings suggest that the single-day model is equally effective as the multi-day model at moving students’ propensity to pursue information technology careers, albeit at a lower cost. This suggests that the single day model is a better choice from an ROI perspective and offers the best investment opportunity for choosing which program format to use for future interventions. These findings, while specific to a single comparison of two alternative information technology interventions, are useful as they contribute valuable knowledge and may be applicable to the design and evaluation of other STEM-influencing programs

A Case Study: Motivational Attributes of 4-H participants engaged in Robotics

Robotics has gained a great deal of popularity across the United States as a means to engage youth in science, technology, engineering, and math. Understanding what motivates youth and adults to participate in a robotics project is critical to understanding how to engage others. By developing a robotics program built on a proper understanding of the motivational influences, the program can be built on a foundation that addresses these influences. By engaging more youth in the robotics program, they will be able to envision a future for themselves as a high-school or college graduate, in addition to a viable employee with marketable skills in tough economy. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the underlying motivational attributes or factors that influenced 4-H youth, parents, volunteers, and agents to participate in the Mississippi 4-H robotics project. Specifically, this research focuses on two unique counties in Mississippi with very diverse populations. Interviews with participants, observation, and document analysis which took place occurred over the course of a robotics year – October to July. This study sought to identify motivational attributes of participants in the robotics project. Once identified these attributes could be used when developing new program curricula or expanding into new counties in Mississippi. Data analysis revealed that there are many unique motivational factors that influence participants. Among these factors, (1) the desire to build and construct a robot, (2) competition and recognition, (3) desire for future success and security, (4) safe place to participate and build relationships, (5) teamwork, (6) positive role models, and (7) encouragement

Selected NSF projects of interest to K-12 engineering and technology education

The National Science Foundation (NSF) portfolio addressing K-12 engineering and technology education includes initiatives supported by a number of programs. This list includes projects identified by searching lists of awards in the respective NSF programs as well as projects suggested for inclusion by researchers, practitioners, and program officers. The list includes projects concerned with standards in technology education, teacher professional development, centers for learning and teaching, preparation of instructional materials, digital libraries, and technological activities in informal settings, as well as small numbers of projects in several other areas. This compilation provides current information on projects of interest to educators, instructional designers, consultants, and researchers who are concerned with the development, delivery, and evaluation of instruction to develop technological literacy, particularly in K-12 engineering and technology education. Projects are grouped under headings for each program providing primary funding. Within each program, the award numbers determine the order of listing, with the most recent awards at the beginning of the list. Each award entry includes the project title, NSF award number, funding program, amount of the award to date, starting and ending dates, the principal investigator (PI), the grantee institution, PI contact information, the url of the project Web site, a description of the project’s activities and accomplishments, relevant previous awards to the PI, products developed by the project, and information on the availability of those products

The Impact of Collaboration, Problem Solving, and Creativity on Computer Programming Education for Middle School Girls

Despite high scores and abilities, girls lose interest in science and math throughout middle school. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs in the computer science research field will grow 19% by 2026; however, only 18% of the bachelor’s degrees in computer science are earned by women in the United States (ComputerScience.org, 2021). New technology and inventions are being created without the benefit of more diverse perspectives and input from females. There is a need to engage girls and maintain their interest throughout middle school and beyond. Additional research needs to be conducted about the impact and best practices used during out-of-school time programs to encourage and motivate girls to stay engaged in STEM, including computer programming (Koch, 2014). This study investigated the relationship between middle school girls’ interest in computer programming and the opportunities to collaborate, solve problems, and use their creativity while participating in computer programming activities led by female role models during the 4-H Girls Tech Challenge, an informal education program. Research questions are the following: 1) In what ways did the 4-H Girls Tech Challenge experience, which included components of problem solving, collaboration, creativity and female role models, affect the attitudes of middle school girls towards computer programming? 2) To what extent did the 4-H Girls Tech Challenge experience affect the attitude of middle school girls towards potentially pursuing careers related to computer science and technology? Evidenced by other studies, experiences in which collaboration, problem solving, and creativity are present have been shown to increase knowledge about computer programming and engagement in STEM (Cooper & Heaverlo, 2013; Wu-Rorrer, 2019; Hayden et al., 2011). A qualitative study employing interviews with previous participants was utilized to determine how the components of collaboration, problem solving, and creativity of the 4-H Girls Tech Challenge affected the attitudes of middle school girls towards computer programming and careers in computer science. Educators will benefit from learning more about best practices that engage, motivate, and retain more girls in STEM. An increase in the number of women in the STEM workforce will maximize innovation, creativity, and competitiveness (Hill et al., 2010)

Engineering for Sustainable Energy Education within Urban Secondary Schools

In regards to mitigating global climate change it is evident that the transition to sustainable technologies is critical. Integrating sustainable energy engineering (SEE) within secondary school curriculum can have many lasting advantages for the future of global sustainability. There are numerous studies relating to aspects within SEE, not to mention the different demographics of secondary schools of which they are implemented. Our work focuses with the urban secondary school demographic. We use quantitative and qualitative research methods throughout our research to assess student\u27s hope for sustainable development and interest in engineering after engaging with SEE problem-based curricula

Where are the STEM Girls: The effects of Gender Equitable Teaching Strategies on the enrollment of female students in STEM courses?

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact that Gender Equitable Teaching Strategies (GETS) has on young women and their interest in pursuing STEM electives and career pathways at our high school. The research was conducted in an eighth grade STEM course called Automation and Robotics and with a focus group of six female students at the high school in grades 9-12. All 65 eighth grade students received GETS interventions throughout the study, but data was analyzed for the 30 female students only. Data was also gathered from the discussion with the six girls that participated in the focus group discussion. Classroom scheduling was modified to include opportunities for students to meet and interact with female STEM role models. The use of GETS was mindfully implemented in daily instruction with the eighth grade students throughout the nine week study by utilizing open-ended project based problem solving activities, teaching a growth mindset, aligning projects with communal goals, allowing collaborative efforts and multiple attempts to make their solutions work. The effectiveness of these strategies were measured with a STEM attitudes survey, thank you letters written to role models, analysis of data from a focus group discussion recording, and enrollment data. The results indicate positive outcomes for girl’s stem identities and their desire to further investigate STEM electives and careers

Ciencia, Tecnología, Ingeniería y Matemática STEM como Método de Enseñanza en Ingeniería

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) is used to describe the study of four of the major areas of scientific knowledge. STEM is an initiative that was born around the 90's, and was created by the United States government agency known as the National Science Foundation (NFC) which is dedicated to advances in research and education in all fields (not dedicated to medicine) related to science and engineering. STEM education is a strategy that covers the different disciplines of scientific research related to the areas of knowledge declared by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and focuses its efforts on preparing the professionals of tomorrow, who will be responsible for providing the necessary knowledge transfer for future fields of action that are positioned within the so-called industry 4.0. The study of this technique or methodology focuses on the investigation of different strategies implemented to carry out the effective learning of students in specific topics of science and engineering, as well as to show the fields of action that have the insertion of STEM within its curriculum as a methodological tool when educating trainees in topics related to mobile applications, Arduino, Aeronautics, Biotechnology, Software Engineering, Control Engineering, Transmission Lines, Robotics among others, demonstrating how beneficial it has been for the recruitment of new students in scientific career fields and the acquisition of specific competences and skills of the students.La Ciencia, Tecnología, Ingeniería y Matemáticas STEM por sus siglas en ingles se utiliza para describir el estudio de cuatro de las grandes áreas del conocimiento científico, el STEM es una iniciativa que nace alrededor de los años 90, y fue creada por la agencia gubernamental de los estados unidos conocida como  National Science Foundation NFC la cual se dedica a los avances en investigación y educación en todos los campos (no dedicados a la medicina), relacionados con la ciencia e ingeniería. La educación STEM es una estrategia que abarca las diferentes disciplinas de la investigación científica relacionada con las áreas del conocimiento declaradas por la Organización para la Cooperación y el Desarrollo Económico OCDE y enfoca sus esfuerzos en preparar a los profesionales del mañana, los cuales se encargaran de aportar la transferencia de conocimiento necesaria para los campos de acción futuros que se posicionan dentro de la llamada industria 4.0. El estudio de esta técnica o metodología se centra en la investigación de diferentes estrategias implementadas para llevar a cabo el aprendizaje efectivo de los alumnos en temas específicos de las ciencias y la ingeniería, como también en mostrar los campos de acción que cuentan con la inserción del STEM dentro de su currículo como herramienta metodológica a la hora de educar a los aprendices en temas relacionados con las Aplicaciones móviles, Arduino, Aeronáutica, Biotecnología, Ingeniería de Software, ingeniería de control, líneas de transmisión, robótica entre otras, demostrando cuan beneficioso ha sido para el reclutamiento de nuevos estudiantes en campos de carreras profesionales científicas y la adquisición de competencias y habilidades específicas de los estudiantes &nbsp

The Experiences of Female High School Students and Interest in STEM: Factors Leading to the Selection of an Engineering or Computer Science Major

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education creates critical thinkers, increases science literacy, and enables the next generation of innovators, which leads to new products and processes that sustain our economy (Hossain & Robinson, 2012). We have been hearing the warnings for several years, that there simply are not enough young scientists entering into the STEM professional pathways to replace all of the retiring professionals (Brown, Brown, Reardon, & Merrill, 2011; Harsh, Maltese, & Tai, 2012; Heilbronner, 2011; Scott, 2012). The problem is not necessarily due to a lack of STEM skills and concept proficiency. There also appears to be a lack of interest in these fields. Recent evidence suggests that many of the most proficient students, especially minority students and women, have been gravitating away from science and engineering toward other professions. (President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, 2010). The purpose of this qualitative research study was an attempt to determine how high schools can best prepare and encourage young women for a career in engineering or computer science. This was accomplished by interviewing a pool of 21 women, 5 recent high school graduates planning to major in STEM, 5 college students who had completed at least one full year of coursework in an engineering or computer science major and 11 professional women who had been employed as an engineer or computer scientist for at least one full year. These women were asked to share the high school courses, activities, and experiences that best prepared them to pursue an engineering or computer science major. Five central themes emerged from this study; coursework in physics and calculus, promotion of STEM camps and clubs, teacher encouragement of STEM capabilities and careers, problem solving, critical thinking and confidence building activities in the classroom, and allowing students the opportunity to fail and ask questions in a safe environment. These themes may be implemented by any instructor, in any course, who wishes to provide students with the means to success in their quest for a STEM career

Qualitative analysis of experience, beliefs, and attitudes of primary school children towards a STEM intervention programme: how to understand outcome and plan future STEM intervention

There is an increasing number of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) interventions within the education system, and the question of their effectiveness as well as the optimal ways to determine their effectiveness are a growing subject of interest. This study qualitatively evaluates a two-year STEM intervention programme to gain a deeper insight into the students’ perception and understanding of a STEM intervention. The second aim was to provide some recommendations for planning future interventions in STEM, understanding a provided reason behind students’ satisfaction. Four focus group discussions were conducted with students in 4th through 6th grades ( N = 24) in 2016 and four focus groups with students in the 5th through 7th grades ( N = 34) in 2017. The use of a qualitative approach in the evaluation of the STEM intervention programme proved to be a good choice. The outcome of the analysis shows that such a STEM programme could be effective if we maintain the recency effect and interest in the activity, provide as many hands-on activities as possible, increase the sense of autonomy in students, develop collaborative learning, and put emphasis on robot-assisted learning and learning through play. Also, it is important to carry out early STEM interventions, emphasizing the importance and usefulness of the activities for everyday lives of students, and that, during the course of the programme, materials and resources are provided for out-of-school STEM activities (especially for students of lower SES)