The Enhancing STEM Achievement project sought to increase elementary and high school students’ STEM learning experiences using a transmedia book. School librarians exposed their students to a storyline where a newly graduated engineer seeks to help a former middle school classmate to save a family farm. The book utilized project-based learning to enhance the skills needed to be an engineer. The book incorporated QR codes and links to web resources that served as extenders to explore various aspects of STEM careers.
Digital fabrication is cited as a technology that will provide future employment opportunities. Activities that utilize fabrication with 2D and 3D printers are integrated into the book’s content. A companion website provided resources that incorporated history and art into the unit. As such, the project activities included exploring ancient irrigation practices and cisterns and objects of art with a utilitarian purpose. A quasi- experimental design utilized co pre-tests and post- tests to investigate the impact of the project. Constructs that will be measured included changes in attitudes towards STEM and STEM knowledge.
This research was funded by the American Association of School Libraries and a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Science, #RE-00-15-0114-15. It is also acknowledged the following precursor research projects: FAB @ School Classroom, National Science Foundation (NSF) ITEST # 1030865 (2010-2015), STEM Pre-Academy, The Research Corporation of the University of Hawaii # 68482 (2014-2016), and Going Green! MSOSW, NSF ITEST # 1312168.
Papers
Smith, D. L., & Tyler-Wood, T. L.# (Accepted). The results of a STEM intervention with elementary students. Library Hi Tech. Retrieved from https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/LHT-07-2019-0147/full/html.
Smith, D., Tyler-Wood, T. & Milburn, S. (2019). Scientists Make a Difference: The Results of a STEM Intervention with Elementary Students. In K. Graziano (Ed.), Proceedings of Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference (pp. 1255-1259). Las Vegas, NV, United States: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE). Retrieved from https://www.learntechlib.org/primary/p/207804/.