Abstract:

A small midwestern university received grants to offer afterschool programs and summer camps (Amazing Science Summer Programs - ASSP) beginning in 2012 that focused on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). Working with corporate and nonprofit partners, local school districts, and the university, STEM programming was developed to teach primarily 3rd-8th grade students about STEM content using active learning and inquiry-based techniques. One goal was to teach this content in a manner so students would enjoy learning about STEM, and would encourage them to continue studying STEM throughout their high school and college years.

Each stakeholder assisted with the development of the programming by determining the content focus and what activities would be used in teaching. Content was delivered by university faculty, partners, and professional educators from local school districts, and was facilitated by student leaders from the university. Content areas covered from the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) included Structure and Function, Adaptations and Ecosystems, Forces and Motion, and Matter and Energy. Furthermore, collaboration was used in the evaluation process where faculty and students from the Schools of Social Work, Education, and Arts and Sciences evaluated which aspects of the program most facilitated understanding and enthusiasm for the content. This process encouraged faculty and students from various areas of the university to come together and share their expertise in order to develop the most effective programming, which in turn provided the best education to the students.

The evaluation process was comprehensive as it included assessments to measure content knowledge, surveys to measure student attitudes and satisfaction with the programming, and focus groups with university faculty, local school district teachers, and undergraduate students who assisted and implemented the curriculum.

This focus on collaboration was also seen in the development of a STEM School. The university created a partnership school with four local school districts and corporate sponsors, where they implemented a STEM School on the university campus for students in grades 3th thru 8th. Due to collaboration from staff at the STEM School, and those involved in the afterschool/summer program, the evaluation process was circular, meaning data from the afterschool programs and the Amazing Science Summer programs were used when implementing educational activities into the STEM School and vice versa. This process created a feedback loop where all programming was evaluated for its effectiveness, and the aspects that were the most successful were used in future programming.

Data from the afterschool and Amazing Science Summer Programs showed similar results. In terms of content, students showed statistically significant change from pretest to posttest. Second, students reported high satisfaction with the active learning model. They reported both quantitatively and qualitatively that they enjoyed the “hands-on” approach to learning the concepts/material. Lastly, in terms of attitude, we often did not see as much statistical significance as most of the students chose the programs as they were already interested in STEM. They reported increases in the following: learning about STEM is fun, wanting learn more about STEM, and seeing themselves in STEM careers.

Keywords:

Collaboration, STEM, University-Industry Collaboration.