Projects

This project helps teachers learn to use NSDL resources in ways that meaningfully affect their practice in STEM content areas while increasing their skills as designers of learning activities. The objectives of this three-year project are to: design and implement a teacher development model and STEM content development model; contribute teacher-designed learning activities to NSDL; and use evaluation and research to measure impact on teaching.

This study investigates the impact of the wireless environment on high school science using a purposeful sampling of schools with high implementers. Five schools will be examined and extensive data in multiple forms will be collected on each. The project uses in-depth case studies to examine context factors and critical interactions that may influence science instructional practice in wireless high school science classrooms. The study will result in an evidence-based and theoretically-grounded professional development model.

This project is developing lessons to engage students in grades 1-5 in engineering activities integrated with their science lessons. The project addresses the need to develop a broad understanding of what engineers do and the uses and implications of the technologies they create. The goals of the project are to increase the technological literacy of the students and to increase elementary teacher’s understanding of technology and engineering, to enable them to teach these subjects.

This is a project to develop a learning community model that spans the educational continuum. It connects teacher research participation experience (TRE) projects and science, technology, and mathematics (STM) industry and university scientists/professionals to research the factors that contribute to the success of such a model. It will mine both the Principal Investigator's and TRE projects, education and industry partnership immersion projects, and provide new education/workplace experiences for STM participants.

Project staff are developing modular instructional materials for students. The materials are designed to increase the awareness of and interest in career opportunities in engineering and technology. The modules use authentic, real-world engineering applications and hands-on experiences to build problem-solving skills and contribute to the technological literacy of secondary students. The modules specifically target the ITEA Content Standards for Technological Literacy and related benchmarks.