Abstract
This present chapter first describes the current STEM learning initiatives in the United Stated (U.S.) to address the challenge the nation is facing to develop a future workforce that is creative, innovative, and technology proficient. The chapter next introduces the Fostering Interest in Information Technology (FI3T) project, which emphasizes information technology (IT) integration and collaborative strategies in STEM learning. FI3T created a design community where high school students, high school STEM teachers, undergraduate/graduate student assistants, post-secondary STEM content experts, and partners from industry worked together in order for high school students to learn about, experience, and use IT within the context of STEM and explore related career and educational pathways. Following the project design strategies, the chapter describes project events and activities in detail. FI3T concentrated on all four areas of STEM, creating four project-based design teams to address IT use in science, engineering, technology, and mathematics. The project sponsored two cohort groups, each participating for two consecutive years with several year-round activities for students to gain IT enrichment experiences within the context of STEM, followed by alumni and follow-up activities. The chapter ends by reporting on the FI3T project research findings. Overall findings indicated that STEM learning experiences supported through technology enhanced, inquiry- and design-based collaborative learning strategies have significant impact on urban high school students’ STEM learning and critical thinking skills. Some degree of impact on attitude changes toward STEM and career aspirations in these fields was also in evidence.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Barab SA, Duffy TM (2000) From practice fields to communities of practice. In: Jonassen D, Land S (eds) Theoretical foundation of learning environments. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, New Jersey, pp 25–56
Brown JS, Collins A, Duguid P (1989) Situated cognition and the culture of learning. Educ Res 18(1):32–42
Bruce BC (ed) (2003) Literacy in the information age: inquiries into meaning making with new technologies. International Reading Association, Delaware
Business Roundtable (2005) Tapping America’s potential: the education for innovation initiative. Business Roundtable. https://www.aau.edu/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=6434. Accessed 18 May 2015
Cole M (1996) Cultural psychology: a once and future discipline. Harvard University Press, Cambridge
Committee on Prospering in the Global Economy of the 21st Century and Committee on Science Engineering and Public Policy (2007) Rising above the gathering storm. https://www.nsf.gov/attachments/105652/public/NAS-Gathering-Storm-11463.pdf. Accessed 18 May 2015
Congressional Commission on the Advancement of Women and Minorities in Science, Engineering and Technology Development (2000) Land of plenty: diversity as America’s competitive edge in science, engineering and technology. http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2000/cawmset0409/cawmset_0409.pdf. Accessed 22 May 2015
Dawsey CP (October 20, 2011). Detroit public schools hits enrollment goal. Detroit Free Press, Detroit
Domestic Policy Council Office of Science and Technology Policy (2006) American competitiveness initiative. http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/stateoftheunion/2006/aci/aci06-booklet.pdf. Accessed 18 May 2015
Duran M, Şendag S (2012) A preliminary investigation into critical thinking skills of urban high school students: role of an IT/STEM program. Creative Educ 3(2):241–250
Duran M, Hoft M, Lawson DB, Medjahed B, Orady EA (2014) Urban high school students’ IT/STEM learning: findings from a collaborative inquiry- and design-based afterschool program. J Sci Educ Technol 23(1):116–137
Edelson DC (2001) Learning-for-use: a framework for the design of technology-supported inquiry activities. J Res Sci Teach 38(3):355–385
Education Development Center (2015) STEM Learning and Research Center (STELAR). http://stelar.edc.org/projects. Accessed 12 May 2015
Habley W (2005) Why bother with academic advising? Paper presented at the Graduation Rates Conference, University of Texas System, Dallas, Texas, 30 Sept 2005
Insight Assessment (2010a) Report results, TER, The Test of Everyday Reasoning, University of Michigan-Dearborn, Author, Dearborn, MI
Insight Assessment (2010b) Cap score results. University of Michigan-Dearborn, Author, Dearborn, MI
Insight Assessment (2015) The test of everyday reasoning (TER). http://www.insightassessment.com/Products/Products-Summary/Critical-Thinking-Skills-Tests/Test-of-Everyday-Reasoning-TER. Accessed 19 May 2015
Laorenza EA, Pacheco M, Shah H (2012). STEM inequity: New England’s ethnic, poverty, and ELL achievement gaps. http://www.brown.edu/initiatives/new-england-equity-assistance-center/sites/brown.edu.initiatives.new-england-equity-assistance-center/files/uploads/STEM%20Data%20Brief_111112-4.pdf. Accessed 22 May 2015
Lave J, Wegner E (1991) Situated learning: legitimate peripheral participation. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
Levy F, Murnane RJ (2005) The new division of labor: how computers are creating the next job market. Princeton University Press, Princeton
Mishra P, Koehler MJ, Zhao Y (2006) Communities of designers: a brief history and introduction. In: Mishra P, Koehler MJ, Zhao Y (eds) Faculty development by design: integrating technology in higher education. Information Age Publishing, North Carolina, pp 1–22
Mrozowski J (June 4, 2008). Report: Detroit’s graduation rate ranks last among big cities. The Detroit News, Detroit
National Center for Women in Information Technology (2007) NCWIT scorecard: a report on the status of women in information technology. http://www.ncwit.org/sites/default/files/resources/scorecard2010_printversion_web.pdf. Accessed 22 May 2015
National Center for Women in Information Technology (2009) Women in IT: the facts. http://www.ncwit.org/sites/default/files/resources/ncwit_thefacts_rev2010.pdf. Accessed 22 May 2015
National Governors Association and Council for Competitiveness (2007) Innovation America: a partnership. http://www.nga.org/files/live/sites/NGA/files/pdf/0702INNOVATIONPARTNERSHIP.PDF. Accessed 01 May 2007
National Research Council (2011) Successful K-12 STEM education: identifying effective approaches in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The National Academies Press, Washington
National Science Board (2010) Preparing the next generation of STEM innovators: identifying and developing our nation’s human capital. http://www.nsf.gov/nsb/publications/2010/nsb1033.pdf. Accessed 23 May 2015
National Science Foundation (2007) Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) Program Solicitation 07-514. http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2007/nsf07514/nsf07514.htm. Accessed 13 May 2015
National Science Foundation (2013) Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) Program Solicitation 14-512. http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2014/nsf14512/nsf14512.pdf. Accessed 12 May 2015
Office of Science and Technology Policy Executive Office of the President (2007) The American competitiveness initiative: research and development funding in the President’s 2007 budget. (2007) https://www.whitehouse.gov/files/documents/ostp/pdf/1pger_aci.pdf. Accessed 23 May 2015
Parker C, Malyn-Smith J, Reynolds-Alpert S, Bredin S (2010) The Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) program: teachers developing the next generation of STEM talent. J Technol Teach Educ 18(2):187–201
Partnership for 21st Century Skills (2008) Transition brief: policy recommendations on preparing Americans for the global skills race. http://www.elsegundomiddleschool.org/ourpages/auto/2011/9/2/46739993/Preparing%20Americans%20for%20the%20Global%20Skills%20Race.pdf. Accessed 13 May 2015
Pollock L, McCoy K, Carberry S, Hundigopal N, You X (2004) Increasing high school girls’ self confidence and awareness of CS through a positive summer experience. In: Proceedings of the 35th SIGCSE technical symposium on computer science education, Norfolk, 03–07 March 2004. http://doi.acm.org/10.1145/971300.971369. Accessed 3 Jan 2013
Sandler PM, Sonnert G, Hazari Z, Tai R (2012) Stability and volatility of STEM career interest in high school: a gender study. Sci Educ 96(3):411–427
Scott C (2012) An investigation of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) focused high schools in the U.S. J STEM Educ 13(5):30–39
Songer N, Lee H, Kam R (2002) Technology-rich inquiry science in urban classrooms: what are the barriers to inquiry pedagogy? J Res Sci Teach 39:129–143
Vygotsky LS (1978) Mind in society: the development of higher psychological processes. Harvard University Press, Cambridge
Acknowledgments
The Fostering Interest in Information Technology (FI3T) project reported in this chapter is funded by the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) program (Project Award #: 0737326).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Duran, M. (2016). The FI3T Project. In: Duran, M., Höft, M., Medjahed, B., Lawson, D., Orady, E. (eds) STEM Learning. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-26179-9_2
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-26179-9_2
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-26177-5
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-26179-9
eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)