Education Commons^™

Knitting Code: Examining The Relationship Between Knitting And Computational Thinking Skills Using The Nexus Of Practice, Emily Rose Dodson-Snowden

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

Due to the rise of careers in STEM-related fields, there is a growing need for schools to produce people to fill these positions. One area of STEM that is growing is computer science/coding. Due to this demand, schools need to be intentional about exposing students to computer science/coding. There are a variety of new tools to introduce students to this field. One growing belief is that knitting can teach computer science/coding to students.

The goal of this study was to see if knitting can serve as an introduction to teach students computation skills. Kitting has historically been used to code …

Assessing The Effects Of An Authentic Project-Based Intervention On Secondary Students’ Understanding Of Ecosystems And Their Attitudes Toward And Interests In Stem, Kenneth Rolland Thompson

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

There is a need for secondary schools to provide more authentic, hands-on experiences in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), and specifically, project-based investigation (PBI) environments in the classroom that focus on real-world problems relevant to students’ experiences, interest, and lives that manifest the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) following practices they prescribe. This study investigated how, to what extent, a contextualized aquaponics PBI (APBI) 10-week model unit affected high school students’ attitudes toward STEM in general, and aquaculture and aquaponics in particular, and interests in future STEM-related disciplines and/or STEM career pathways. This study also measured changes in students’ …

Improving Retention And Degree Attainment For Underrepresented Students In Stem: Is Experiential Learning The Solution?, Cori Henderson

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

Experiential learning opportunities, such as undergraduate research, are found to be useful in promoting retention and graduation in STEM majors, and specifically for underrepresented student populations. These opportunities are being implemented throughout the United Stated as a means to improve student learning and persistence. In Kentucky’s strategic plan, experiential learning activities are seen as an avenue to help students persist in college and are key components in helping the commonwealth reach their goal of sixty-percent of adult Kentuckians earning a college credential by 2030.

Mirroring the commonwealth’s strategic plan, Northern Kentucky University (NKU) emphasized the importance for experiential learning opportunities …

A Low-Intensity, Hybrid Design Between A "Traditional" And A "Course-Based" Research Experience Yields Positive Outcomes For Science Undergraduate Freshmen And Shows Potential For Large-Scale Application, Thushani Rodrigo-Peiris, Lin Xiang, Vincent M. Cassone

Biology Faculty Publications

Based on positive student outcomes, providing research experiences from early undergraduate years is recommended for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors. To this end, we designed a novel research experience called the “STEMCats Research Experience” (SRE) for a cohort of 119 second-semester freshmen with diverse college preparatory levels, demographics, and academic majors. The SRE targeted student outcomes of enhancing retention in STEM majors, STEM competency development, and STEM academic performance. It was designed as a hybrid of features from apprenticeship-based traditional undergraduate research experience and course-based undergraduate research experience designs, considering five factors: 1) an authentic research experience, 2) …

Technology In A Gifted And Talented Math Classroom: How It Impacts Students' Problem Solving And Mathematical Learning, Brandon H. French

Theses and Dissertations--Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education

Technology has advanced greatly over the past few decades and the surge in the industry has impacted the workplace. As a result, K-12 education has worked to integrate 21^st century skills into curriculum. Many times this is through STEM classes. This study examined the impact technology had on gifted and talented students’ achievement and creative construction. During a unit on Transformations, a control group received traditional instruction, while an experimental group received traditional instruction with an added technology component. A pre and posttest were given to both groups to measure student success with the geometry content. Results indicated that …

Measuring Post-Secondary Stem Majors' Engagement In Sustainability: The Creation, Assessment, And Validation Of An Instrument For Sustainability Curricula Evaluation, David L. Little Ii

Theses and Dissertations--Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education

Ongoing changes in values, pedagogy, and curriculum concerning sustainability education necessitate that strong curricular elements are identified in sustainability education. However, quantitative research in sustainability education is largely undeveloped or relies on outdated instruments. In part, this is because no widespread quantitative instrument for measuring related educational outcomes has been developed for the field, though their development is pivotal for future efforts in sustainability education related to STEM majors.

This research study details the creation, evaluation, and validation of an instrument – the STEM Sustainability Engagement Instrument (STEMSEI) – designed to measure sustainability engagement in post-secondary STEM majors. The study …

Status Of Credit For Prior Learning (Cpl) At The University Of Kentucky For 2008 & 2009 Official Cohorts, Randolph Hollingsworth

Undergraduate Education White Papers

This paper explores the college readiness levels of University of Kentucky's incoming first-year students, especially in preparation for success in UK's STEM majors. Attention is paid to the statewide standards using ACT sub-scores in English, Reading and Mathematics, as well as the students’ scores from nationally recognized assessments (e.g., Advanced Placement scores). Evidence regarding a significant number of our entering cohorts for 2008 and 2009 (first time first-year, full-time, degree-seeking) who bring in credit for prior learning (CPL) is examined, and the paper discusses briefly how CPL affects their placement in their fall semester courses.