Abstract:

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education is a field in which schools and other educational institutions invest considerable resources and time to bring innovative solutions within their curricula. At the same time, Augmented and Mixed reality (AR and MR) are emerging technologies in the Immersive Learning Landscape. Inspired by these two dimensions, the recently EU-funded project Enlivened Laboratories in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (EL-STEM) aims to introduce a new approach, combining AR/MR technologies with Remote and/or Local Laboratories, for encouraging 12-18 year-old students’ STEM engagement. Within EL-STEM an innovative in-service teacher training program will be developed, pilot tested, and implemented, that will offer EU lower and upper secondary education STEM teachers with high quality professional development on how to effectively embed AR and MR technologies into instruction. The program will provide an innovative Methodological Framework and related AR/MR Learning Resources, which will equip teachers with a wealth of practical experiences and methods that can help foster students’ learning and motivation towards STEM-related studies and careers. This paper describes the methodological and Pedagogical frameworks which will guide the design of the in-service teacher training program.

Keywords:

Augmented Reality, Mixed Reality, Teacher Training, STEM, Pedagogical Approaches.