Service-Learning and Creating Zones of Proximal Development in STEM Learning

• In Event: Expanding Cultural-Historical Activity Theory Methodologies for the Study of Classroom Practices

Abstract

Academic faculty and staff of a small private university in New York City worked with undergraduate engineering students and public school teachers in Harlem to: learn about community needs; raise awareness about a challenging learning environment shaped by segregation and poverty; and to bridge the gap between the STEM (Science, Technology Engineering and Math) focused k-5 elementary school curriculum and the actual practices and dispositions of undergraduate engineering students. The project impacted on the learning culture of the university students and the elementary school by developing a sustainable model of intervention through the use of service learning volunteerism and a Vygotskian, model of collaborative learning. This pilot outlines an innovative model of service learning for University-public school partnerships.

Author

• Jaime E. Martinez, New York Institute of Technology