Learning in the STEAM Room

• In Event: 30.034 - The Ecology of Citizen Science: An Opportunity for Learning

Abstract

Objectives
This poster focuses on scientists as learners in the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics) Room. We aim to understand: school students’ learning in informal maker-spaces; preservice teachers’ self-efficacy in relation to teaching and guiding inquiry; and STEAM experts’ communication and collaboration skills. In the following, we present our conceptual model of the research.

Perspectives
We use a combined design approach (Thompson, Gouvea & Habron, 2016) that applies design based research (Sandoval, 2014) to the study of design for learning (Carvalho & Goodyear, 2014). By isolating aspects of task design, social interactions, and the learning environment, we can examine their effects on activity during learn-time, and use conjecture mapping to identify testable assumptions about design elements and theory. Using multimodal learning analytics (Blikstein, 2014), we provide an explanation of the activity of learners and instructors.

Approach and Data Sources
The STEAM Room is an informal learning environment, at a university, in which school students work on STEAM projects outside normal school hours. Our research focuses on school students (12-16 years); preservice teachers; and STEAM experts. Multiple sources of data will be collected to examine movement, discourse, and artefact creation (Thompson et al., 2013), in order to understand the integration of knowledge processes, collaboration, and tool use.

Results
Analysis of the initial iteration of the STEAM Room showed that training in inquiry skills combined with application had a significant effect on core aspects of self-efficacy. Also, academics were used successfully as STEM experts, and to investigate this further, four changes were made to the research design (Figure 3). The definition of “learners” was expanded to include STEAM experts (SE), and school students. Constructionism (Papert, 1980) and interdisciplinary problem-solving (Pennington et al., 2016) are considered core to the processes of knowledge construction. The learning environment now includes tools commonly aligned with makerspaces (Rosenfeld-Halverson & Sheridan, 2014). The focus of our analysis is now on the activity of the learners.

Figure 3: Iteration 2 of the STEAM Room

Design (D1-D4) and theoretical (T1-T3) conjectures are identified relating to the role of SEs. The design conjectures are that: SEs will collaborate with other learners to help identify appropriate methods of inquiry; SCs will collaborate with SEs to help communicate concepts and methods of inquiry to school students; the expanded physical environment will provide opportunities for new ways of explaining; and the interdisciplinary approach will facilitate collaboration between learners. The theoretical conjectures are that: training and its application will improve communication skills for SEs in the public dissemination of their work; the interdisciplinary approach will improve SEs’ collaboration skills; and SEs’ mentoring skills will improve.

Significance
By considering how STEAM experts learn through their interactions with school students and preservice teachers, we can begin to understand the advantages of citizen science beyond the collection of data, to the translation of science concepts and methods to the public.

Authors

• Kate Thompson, Griffith University

• Harry Kanasa, Griffith University