Search

This research paper investigates the intersection of the maker movement and educational innovation, using the China-U.S. Young Maker Competition as a foundational example. It examines how maker education, fueled by hands-on learning and a curiosity-driven approach, can evolve and influence. The study explores the roles and impacts of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Design-Driven Innovation (DDI), and Cross-Cultural Perspectives (CCP) within maker education. It highlights HCI's connection of technology with learning, DDI's focus on user-centered solutions, and the significance of CCP in enhancing cultural collaboration, vital for fostering an innovative and creative future. This paper offers a detailed perspective on the current state and future potential of maker education. It proposes a roadmap for the coming decade, emphasizing collaborative learning and creative endeavors, all set within the engaging environment of the competition.

Purpose: This study offers insight on the impact of virtual team projects (VTPs) of varying types (global vs domestic teams, technology vs non-tech projects) on competency and anxiety outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach: Paired-sample t-tests and ANOVA tests were performed on student survey responses pre- and post-engagement of different VTPs. Findings: The results demonstrated positive effects of VTPs on intercultural sensitivity (ISS), computer self-efficacy, perceived ease of use of online learning and COVID-19 anxiety. ISS ("interaction confidence") improved more for students in the global vs. domestic teams and technology-related outcomes (CSE, PEU and computer anxiety) and ISS ("respect for cultural differences") improved more for students that participated in tech projects, whereas COVID-19 anxiety lessened more for those that participated in non-tech projects. Originality/value: The study expands understanding of the Technology Acceptance Model and provides insight into the ISS literature showing that VTPs could be a worthwhile pedagogical approach for improving student competencies and anxiety during times of academic disruption, but that project type can influence these changes.

This manuscript is a published account of the 2019 Distinguished Lecture of the American Association of Agricultural Education (AAAE) Annual Meeting. The theme of this lecture is regenerative agriculture which the author considers to be one of the most important agricultural movements occurring today. The author speaks to fellow Agricultural educators of the ever increasing vulnerability of the food system. He argues that although modern technology has elevated most peoples' food security and material wealth, this has occurred at the expense of natural resources upon which humans ultimately depend. He informs the audience that this country now has a significantly degraded resource base in which the availability of quality soils, water resources, and other essential inputs are threatened. Additionally, the author makes the case that industrialization and consolidation has increased food value chain interdependence with other systems such as energy, decreasing the resilience of food systems to economic, environmental, or social shocks from the local to global scale. The author cautions that Agriculture must therefore be adaptive and able to address environmental, social, cultural and economic complexity, while being alert to unintended consequences. While agreeing that the hardest thing to do in the world is to grow or raise food while at the same time regenerating ecosystems process, the author also warns that sustaining our natural resources does not go far enough, and advances the need to regenerate our soils and the overarching ecosystem processes that determine the health of the land.

This research seeks to evaluate students' intended behavioural actions in the event of a natural hazard, specifically hurricane, lightning, earthquake, or tsunami. A test instrument, measuring behavioural actions in the event of a natural hazard, and related NOS/NOT beliefs and dispositions, is utilized to collect data in Estonia, USA and Japan (N=2323). Results suggest that students responded adequately to tsunamis and lightning strikes, but to a lesser extent for hurricanes and earthquakes. Results also suggest a connection between dispositions and behavioural actions, but a lack of connection between generalised. NOS/NOT conceptualisations and behavioural actions. Results imply that students find it difficult to apply their learning to new situations requiring responsible behavioural actions. Implications indicate that NOS/NOT are not well understood, while responsible behavioural actions need to more heavily stressed in teaching about natural hazards involving the promotion of student values and attitudes with respect to Natural Disaster Reduction (NDR).

This article provides an analysis of how military history museums in Germany, Britain, Belgium, Poland, and the United States exhibit and contextualize weapon technologies that were developed in the two world wars. The article focuses on technologies (gas warfare, the atomic bomb, tanks, and the V2 long-range rocket) that are directly connected to military success and innovation but also relate to dehumanization and destruction. By employing the analytical concepts of experientiality and of antagonistic, cosmopolitan, and entangled memory, this article demonstrates how museums can create open or closed narratives, steer the visitor toward particular interpretations, enhance or deconstruct the authentic aura of technological artifacts, and stage the symbolic potential of technologies. In addition, it shows how museums can educate visitors and allow them to experience the ambiguities, controversies, and complexities of these technologies.

The objective of this study was to assess knowledge and attitudes of nutrition and dietetic college students regarding food science and technology. It was designed as a cross-sectional survey using a self-administered online questionnaire, constructed by a formative research process, including accredited dietetics programs in the United States and Puerto Rico. There were a total of 535 participants consisting of adult ([greater than or equal to] 18 years old) nutrition and dietetic students (undergraduate, graduate, and dietetic interns). Frequencies and percentages were calculated to describe the study participants. Where appropriate, the Chi-square test was used to test categorical variables across two or more levels. More than half (55.1%) agreed that they were knowledgeable in food science and technology. Greater than half (56.8%) of the participants indicated that they "occasionally" or "rarely" covered food science and technology topics in their current program and 70.1% either "agreed" or "strongly agreed" that their current curriculum could benefit from adding more related topics. Overall, the majority (66.7%) of respondents indicated their overall impression of the food industry was "poor" or "neutral." The results support adding/strengthening food science and technology components in nutrition curricula. Such education may provide future nutrition professionals with the knowledge and skills needed to effectively utilize food science and technology within their field.

A unique challenge for organizations is in leading diverse, dispersed teams whose members are motivated to work independently, but are willing to collaborate. The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of how nuanced variations in motivational patterns influences the relationship between work satisfaction and virtual team effectiveness. A sequential, mixed methods design was used to analyze and explain the moderating effects of motivational orientation on this relationship. In the first, quantitative phase, participating virtual team members completed an online survey with items comprising the five motivation source scales from the Motivation Sources Inventory, work satisfaction, and eleven variables measuring utilization of virtual team effectiveness attributes from the Virtual Teams Survey. Seven hypotheses were tested, with support found for three of the hypotheses. Work satisfaction and utilization of the virtual team effectiveness attributes were found to be positively correlated. Support was also found for hypotheses that the relationship between work satisfaction and utilization of the virtual team effectiveness attributes will be stronger for virtual team members (VTMs) with low self-concept external and / or moderate or high goal internalization patterns. In the second, qualitative phase, follow-up interviews were conducted to support and provide rationale for the quantitative results. Qualitative analysis of interviews revealed three major themes focused on concerns regarding team leadership, organizational support, and technology. Viewed in context with the quantitative results, the themes suggest that work satisfaction may be improved for most VTMs, regardless of motivation pattern, by strengthening leadership, aligning rewards with goals, and enhancing the technology used for team communication.

Students must be taught to understand the ethical issues associated with engineering and technology, which includes microethics and macroethics. This research examined the influence of cultural environment by comparing ethics-related education outcomes between educators in (1) the United States, (2) non-US Anglo, and (3) Western European countries who teach engineering students. In an increasingly globalised world where companies and projects draw from talent across countries, it is important to understand how different cultures educate future engineers about their ethical responsibilities. Survey results revealed that a majority of educators in all three groups viewed undergraduate and postgraduate education on ethics as insufficient. A higher percentage of non-US Anglo and Western European educators taught sustainability and environmental issues in their courses compared to US respondents. US educators taught codes of ethics, ethics in design, and safety more than those in Western Europe. Open-ended responses illuminated challenges and opportunities to improve ethics education.

Industry standards are used in many disciplines, including science and technology areas. To date, little research has been conducted regarding the citing of standards in scholarly publications. The aim of this study was to answer two questions: Are standards being cited in scholarly publications? And, if so, what are the characteristics of the publications citing standards? We postulated that the answer to these questions would be of use to science and engineering librarians for collection development and research assistance purposes. A cited-reference search was conducted using Web of Science Core Collection™ (WOSCC) to determine if standards are cited. Our research focused on three major standards organizations: ASTM International, the International Organization of Standardization (ISO), and the European Committee for Standardization (CEN). The study was limited to publications published from 2015-2017. The results confirmed our hypothesis that standards are cited in scholarly publications in science and technology fields. In addition, we discovered that standards were cited in publications from nearly 100 countries. Funding agency and institutional affiliation were also analyzed. The data from the study confirmed the international reach and broad utility of standards in a wide range of disciplines.

The costliest tornado in U.S. history descended without warning on the small community of Joplin, Missouri, USA, on May 22, 2011. People across the country watched the devastation on TV and YouTube. But the thousands of students and staff of Joplin School District lived through it. Recognizing the need to restore normalcy throughout the community, Superintendent C.J. Huff steadfastly committed to opening Joplin's schools by the originally scheduled 2011-2012 school year start date of August 17. It was a difficult feat by any means. But what makes this story truly remarkable is that, even with such an incredibly short turnaround and long list of challenges, Joplin Schools did not simply rebuild in the image of its former self. Instead, they seized the opportunity to become even better by implementing a one-to-one initiative, complete with a new all-digital curriculum.

In 2010, State College Area School District (SCASD) in Pennsylvania, USA, agreed to help develop a virtual international classroom exchange called the Schoolwires Greenleaf program. The program's project-based curriculum paired U.S. students with Chinese learners to collaborate, foster global citizenship, and prepare students for the digital work environment. Schoolwires is a U.S. company that provides web-based collaboration tools, and the Greenleaf program grew out of its focus on tech integration. In this article, the author describes how she piloted Greenleaf with a group of students from her high school social studies class. (Contains 3 online resources.)

The purpose of this project was to construct and test an off-grid photovoltaic (PV) system in which the power from a solar array could be stored in a rechargeable battery and a flywheel motor generator assembly. The mechanical flywheel energy storage system would in turn effectively power a 12-volt DC appliance. The voltage and current of different steel flywheel thicknesses were measured versus time for two different load settings on a 12-volt DC fan. The energy efficiencies of the system for each flywheel size were then calculated by integrating the power versus time scatter plots. The off-grid PV system was found to be functional in storing and discharging power, especially during quick discharges. Although not the most efficient method of energy storage, this apparatus shows great promise for energy storage when further tested and improved. (Contains 3 figures and 1 table.)

Despite being the inventing country of the Internet, the US is not satisfied with its current state in Internet speed and broadband adoption. Although, more students, teachers and researchers in the US use Internet than any other country in the world, it is not satisfactory for the US educators and legislators to maintain US competitiveness in the achievement of science, mathematics and technology. Another alarming situation is that the mean scores in science and mathematics of US, students are lower than expected. Even with coherent action taken by the government and various institutions, the US cannot produce a sufficient number of experts in science, mathematics and technology fields to meet national and global needs. These situations are not satisfactory for educators and legislators to reach US education goals. To improve this situation, President Obama's government has taken several action plans. This paper presents a closer look at US science, mathematics and technology education as well as the President's plan to improve the situation. Conclusions are made regarding whether the US plan is too ambitious as well as whether the vision is comprehensive enough but still possible to execute. (Contains 1 table.)

Nanotechnology is a multidisciplinary field of research and development identified as a major priority in the United States. Progress in science and engineering at the nanoscale is critical for national security, prosperity of the economy, and enhancement of the quality of life. It is anticipated that nanotechnology will be a major transitional force that possesses the potential to change society. Rapid and continued advancement in the field of nanotechnology is accelerating the demand for specific professional knowledge and skill. These lines of technological discovery and improvement continue to unlock new content for classroom incorporation. Contemporary approaches and practices to further engage learners and enhance their abilities to apply nanoscale-related content knowledge must be continually developed in order for the United States to solidify itself as the primary builder of nanotechnology research and development. Steadfast development of new technologies leading to continual transformation of society serves as a strong indicator that current educational practices should be altered in order to prepare knowledgeable and engaged citizens. The use of three-dimensional graphics, virtual reality, virtual modeling, visualizations, and other information and communication technologies can assist in reinforcing nano-associated scientific and technological concepts. (Contains 2 tables and 1 figure.)

Visualization is becoming more prevalent as an application in science, engineering, and technology related professions. The analysis of static and dynamic graphical visualization provides data solutions and understandings that go beyond traditional forms of communication. The study of technology-based content and the application of conceptual modeling, data-driven visualizations, physical modeling, and presentations simultaneously promote technological, technical, and visual literacy. Technological and visual literacy maintain a significant role in successful knowledge and skill development in technology-based career paths. The National Science Foundation awarded the Visualization in Technology Education Project initial funding to develop and pilot test 12 units of instruction. The selected topics were then developed into units by professionals in technology education, science education, graphics education, and psychology. The purpose of these materials is twofold. The first is to focus on the skills, concepts, and principles inherent within the Standards for Technological Literacy--the de facto national standards for technology education in the United States. The second is to help students become better visual communicators and problem solvers. By the creation of visualizations, students learn to use different types of computer applications that will be useful as they select a direction for their future study. (Contains 9 tables.)

In this study, the researchers used a classical Delphi method to re-examine the conceptual framework, definition, and knowledge base of the field. Seventeen engaged scholars, each representing the expert agricultural education community, reached consensus on defining the field of study, 10 knowledge domains, and 67 knowledge objects. The Delphi panel agreed, "Agricultural education-2010, as a field of study, integrates social and behavioral sciences with the natural and applied science of agriculture, renewable natural resources, and environment. The knowledge base for agricultural education-2010 includes planning and needs assessment; curriculum development; learning theory; instructional design; delivery strategies; evaluation; research methods and tools; scholarship and writing; history, philosophy, and ethics; and contextual applications, culture, and diversity--all effecting continual improvement. Agricultural education empowers people to think more critically, to perform more skillfully, to communicate more clearly, to plan and affect change more efficiently, to solve problems more creatively, and to act based on principles--all of which involves vital choices and consequences in a global society." The Delphi panel concurred on 10 knowledge domains composed of 67 core knowledge objects consisting of fundamental and powerful concepts, knowledge, paradigms, skills, and/or theories that are essential for building professional practice in agricultural education. (Contains 1 table.)

Technological changes play a key factor in social and economic development. People's knowledge, attitudes, and abilities about technology influence the choices and national development. According to a 2005 report of the International Institute for Management Development (IMD), Taiwan ranks second in world technology competitiveness. This ranking represents the Taiwanese people's positive outlook on living in a technological world. The International Technology Education Association (ITEA) published two surveys completed by the Gallup Organization about how American people think about technology, one in 2002 and another in 2004. This study obtained data on how the Taiwanese people think about technology and compared selected findings to the ITEA studies of 2001 and 2004. It is hoped that this research will offer recommendations for government officials and developers when revising educational programs and curriculum, especially those related to technology education. This study highlights some interesting similarities and differences between Americans and Taiwanese. Certainly many of the differences may be explained by the wide variation in the two cultures, especially in societal values, historical precedents, economic bases, and educational systems. It is interesting to note, at the same time, how similar some of the results are despite the cultural disparities.

Recent efforts in the science education community have highlighted the need to integrate research and theory from science communication research into more general science education scholarship. These synthesized research perspectives are relatively novel but serve an important need to better understand the impacts that the advent of rapidly emerging technologies will have on a new generation of scientists and engineers including their formal communication with engaged citizenry. This cross-national study examined postsecondary science and engineering students' (n = 254 from five countries: Austria, Finland, France, Israel, and USA) perspectives on the role of science communication in their own formal science and engineering education. More broadly, we examined participants' understanding of their perceived responsibilities of communicating science and engineering to the general public when an issue contains complex social and ethical implications (SEI). The study is contextualized in the emergent technology of nanotechnology for which SEI are of particular concern and for which the general public often perceives conflicting risks and benefits. Findings indicate that student participants' hold similar views on the need for their own training in communication as future scientists and engineers. When asked about the role that ethics and risk perception plays in research, development, and public communication of nanotechnology, participants demonstrate similar trajectories of perspectives that are, however, often anchored in very different levels of beginning concern. Results are discussed in the context of considerations for science communication training within formal science education curricula globally.

This research aimed at investigating the effectiveness of STEM approach in developing visual reasoning and learning independence for preparatory stage students. To achieve this aim, the researcher designed a program based on STEM approach in light of the principles of nanotechnology. Twenty one preparatory stage students participated in the research. The researcher applied one-group research design through application of the research instruments to the selected group before the program, administration of the program, and post application of the instruments. This research design is appropriate for educational researches which present new processes in the content of programs or curricula that the students have not previously studied and these processes may take the form of new information, skills, or teaching methods. After data collection and application of the appropriate statistical treatments, the researcher reached the following results: there is a statistically significant difference at the 0.01 level between the students' mean scores in the pre and post-application of the achievement and visual reasoning tests in favor of the post-application. The results of the portfolio assessment of students also indicate the development of the students' ability to take responsibility of their learning, their ability to choose, their confidence, and consequently their competency in the aspects of learning independence.

Addressing the under-representation of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields has been an initiative of the U.S. Congress for the past 30 years, but the challenge still remains unresolved. The National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Congressional Committee on Equal Opportunities in Science and Engineering (CEOSE) have been assigned to work together in an attempt to broaden the diversity of the U.S. STEM workforce across the past three decades. As diversity continues to increase among the U.S. population and since many STEM professionals are nearing retirement, this initiative has never been more important for the economic success of the country. With the U.S. not being the leading country in science and mathematics according to measures such as the 2007 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), one important strategy is to direct the attention of the NSF and CEOSE to data and trends related to under-represented students participating in advanced high school STEM programs. The authors suggest exploring programs that allow under-represented students to overcome issues linked to educational underachievement, including socioeconomic status, cultural trends, and awareness of STEM opportunities and career fields. The authors share their experiences with STEM magnet schools, a university-supported high school student research internship program, and extracurricular competitions that have launched under-represented students successfully into STEM fields.

Diverse learners are capable of becoming talented professionals in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)--but they need opportunities to develop. "Just as in generations past, there are talented students from every demographic and from every part of the country who with hard work and with the proper opportunities will form the next generation of STEM innovators" (National Science Board, 2010). In this paper, the author describes diverse learners and recommends steps necessary to recognize potential talent and provide appropriately challenging learning opportunities to develop them to optimum levels.

This paper proposes a study of the various ways in which social and ethical issues are integrated in the curricula of nanoscience and nanotechnology master degrees. During the last decade, new types of courses have appeared in science and technology universities, first in the United States and now reaching Europe and France, associating a call for interdisciplinarity with a strong convergence of science and industry and new ways of integrating social and/or human sciences in scientific curricula. These courses entitled "science and society", meant for science students, lean on (and participate in the construction of) specific ways of describing science, technology, and the social world, generally saturated with political values. The integration of these courses in science education, linked with a strong effort to specify new institutional organizations of scientific practice and education (in particular through political support of emerging fields like nanoscience, synthetic biology, or the cognitive sciences), may play an important role in the acculturation of future scientists and engineers to "good" scientific practices and discourses. The case of nanoscience and nanotechnology is particularly revealing of the changes which are now taking place in some universities. This paper will strive to identify different types of courses called "nano and society", taking examples from both French and American contexts, and linking them to more or less implicit socio-epistemic and political values.

This article focuses on learning and identity-related practices of young female fans of a popular British boy band called One Direction. Drawing on qualitative inquiry into a fanfiction community formed around the band, analysis highlights (a) the literate work fans engage in, including writing, reading, critiquing, and collaborating on multimodal texts, (b) identity work performed by the fans with respect to what it means to be a true fan, a teen, and an effective writer within this community, and (c) ways in which the literate and identity work weave together to inform participation and identification in the "One Direction" fanfiction community, creating both links and ruptures between young people's out-of-school and in-school spaces. Analyses center on the ways the fans themselves define their involvement, with a focus on subgroup identities. Interview data highlight the ways fans used linguistic, technological, and social resources to stake out certain identities and to negotiate status within the site. Although power-laden dynamics defined community participation, fans felt ownership over their literacy and identity production practices, often drawing a contrast to school practices. We then discuss the meanings youth make of their fan practices and their contrastive experiences in fan and school spaces, connecting study findings to current debates on the import of pop culture in formal schooling.

This author contends that the United States neglects creativity in its education system. To see this, he states, one may look at the Common Core State Standards. If one searches the English Language Arts and Literacy standards for the words "creative," "innovative," and "original"--and any associated terms, one will find scant mention of the words and the ideas they represent. Readers should find this troubling. Supporters of the new standards will likely note that creativity relates more to instructional methodology than to literacy and that the Common Core initiative leaves choices about methodology to teacher practitioners. Although this deference to teachers' judgment is appreciated, there are three problems with this reasoning. At this point in history, certain competencies and understandings should be outlined in the basic literacy standards. The author has four suggestions for what educators should add to the new standards, all tied to creativity and technology: (1) Adopt art as the 4th "R"; (2) Teach media grammar; (3) Adopt "creatical" thinking; and (4) Spur thinking about technology. (Contains 2 endnotes.)