In this NSF-funded project, we developed and tested a model for urban place-based learning with the goal of motivating and helping to prepare minority middle-grade students to pursue STEM education and career pathways. As part of the project, we are pursuing five research questions:
- Does participation in the program produce an increase in students’ abilities to express understandings and perceptions of community from various perspectives?
- Does participation in the program produce an increase in student STEM self-efficacy and produce an increase in student competence using specialized technology tools?
- Does participation in the program increase student awareness of the diversity of IT and computing careers?
- Does participation in the program increase students’ experimentation with digital humanities programs?
- Does participation in the program motivate students to make decisions supporting successful entry into STEM education pathways (e.g., to participate in STEM courses or informal learning)?
You can read more about this program and research findings here.
Collaborators: SIUE IRIS Center, SIUE Dept. of English