5.1.5 STEMulate Engineering Academy: Authentic Learning Opportunities in STEM for Low-Income and Diverse Learners

Rationale Informal learning opportunities offer alternative means to overcome the limits of school curricula, provide a fun, challenging experience for learners, and serve as a vehicle to employ authentic engineering design experiences that engage students in scientific research and investigation to find evidence-based solutions to real world questions. Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate efforts of a local university in providing students opportunities to attend a summer engineering enrichment camp. The 4-day camp was designed to provide children (Grades 3-6) opportunities to engage in engineering with peers, teachers, and local professional engineers. This paper reports the impacts made from the camp on student recognition of the roles of engineers, interest in engineering, and use of the engineering design process. Intervention There were three instructors for each grade level including seven teachers seeking a license in gifted and talented education and two hired teachers. The camp served as a practicum course for teachers seeking a license in gifted and talented education. Engineers from a local manufacturing company worked with students on their design challenges each day. Students participated in open-ended activities, investigated real world problems, explored advanced content in the field, and developed authentic products related to the theme, Inventions. The focus of the camp was the design, creation, and improvement of an invention to solve an open-ended problem. Students engaged in multiple iterations where they designed, created, tested, and refined their solution until they met the required specifications. Methods A single group pre-post test design was used to examine changes in the participants. We also used student video reflections to provide insight into students’ design thinking. Results On the a measure of engineering design process skills, statistically significant differences were found between the pre-post assessment with a moderate effect size, t(73) = 3.99, p <.001, d = .61. Video reflections indicated that students frequently used and reflected on the engineering design process as they designed and created solutions to address the real-world problems. Conclusions and Scholarly Significance Providing opportunities such as STEMulate Engineering Academy can encourage underserved students to develop interest and confidence in pursuing STEM advanced courses and programs. By providing engineering-focused informal learning opportunities to underserved high-potential students, the number of highly capable students who have knowledge of engineering design practices, skills in using engineering design practices and technology applications can help address our STEM workforce shortage.

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