ERI2023 Pre-Recorded Virtual Presentations

Coding and Robotics

67999 | Investigating the Impact of Educational Robotics on Underserved Students’ Career Interests

Rachel Van Campenhout, VEX Robotics, United States

Jessica Debruyn, Sister Thea Bowman Catholic Academy, United States

Lauren Harter, VEX Robotics, United States

Among its many benefits, educational robotics has been found to increase in student completion of STEM degrees and interest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers. Given the national and international demand for a workforce trained in STEM areas, increasing student attitudes toward STEM and interest in careers in STEM areas is critical. Educational robotics provides students with an authentic, hands-on way to experience interdisciplinary STEM learning, which increases positive perceptions of these disciplines as well as interest in related careers. Yet the benefits of educational robotics are not always equally distributed for students, and therefore the impact of this curriculum is not well understood for underserved communities. In this study, an educational robotics curriculum was implemented in an urban private school that serves primarily minority students. The students at this school—ranging from third to eighth grade—had no prior experience with robotics, and little to no experience with construction-type toys or programming applications. A pre-survey was administered prior to a 12 week robotics curriculum (differentiated by age group), followed by a postsurvey. The survey results on how student interest in STEM careers changed will be discussed. This research project aims to create a small window into the impact a robotics program could have on underserved students in particular to engage and prepare them for a future in STEM.

Community-based Education

70489 | The Survey on Online Learning for Secondary School Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Qi Zhu, University of Houston - Victoria, United States

Joyce Zhu, Awty International School, United States

COVID-19 has forced nearly all students including K-12 into online education during pandemic time. This study explores how students at the secondary school reacted to the full-time online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. A survey has been carried out in Fort Bend and nearby counties, Texas to compare students’ online learning conditions, experiences, and expectations. Some implications were made to advise the related policy makers and schools on improving for the future online learning into the secondary school students. The survey and this study aimed to examine the online learning for the feedbacks from the secondary school students and could provide some potential actions to improve the future online education. Formally, there are three research questions for students during online learning compared to face-to-face education:

- What learning conditions were experienced by students? - What benefits and obstacles were received by the students? - What expectations do students have for future online learning education?

The survey was conducted from September 2022 to December 2022, targeting secondary school students, from grade 9 to grade 12. A total of 180 students completed the survey. For question 1, we surveyed the teaching platform, delivery methodology, learning tools, and what factors interrupt the classes. For question 2, we asked the students to compare online learning with face-to-face learning in accessing materials, spending time, teaching materials, communication with teacher, participation, teacher response, online support, workload, bonding with peers, and grade. Finally, we have a few open questions for research topic 3.

Emerging Philosophical Perspectives on Learning & Education

67752 | Remembering the Future: Making Art & Design Education Relevant in a Decolonizing, Globalizing Pakistan

Sadia Kamran, Ruman Art Initiative, Pakistan

At the dawn of 21st century the idea of decolonization was getting stronghold in every field of life. The concept was considered to be an essential integer for global harmony. In Pakistan, it took around two more decades to create awareness and to popularize the notion in a way that engaged the thinkers, academics, policy makers and other stakeholders in making conscious efforts to decolonize the society. The need to reevaluate the strategies for a more comprehensive and result oriented approach in art and design education is realized today. This study while looking at the conceptual challenges relocates the compass on imminent socio-political, economic and environmental issues of global nature then merely reiterating the cause and effect of being a former colony. It proposes contextually-engaged learning and systems of knowledge production as a promising approach towards a more stabilized society that is eager to create an impact on the global horizon. A recent group show (Sep, 22) at Pakistan National Council of Arts (PNCA) Islamabad titled Remembering the Future-Decolonizing Creative Spaces is taken up as a case study that exemplify the creative responses of such a mindset. The background of three participating artists, alumnae of the National College of Arts, Lahore (the only British established art school in the region that came to be Pakistan after independence) with their local and diasporic experiences make the show most relevant in physically, intellectually and conceptually processing the present frameworks and envisioning the future for art and design education in the Global South.