Cracking the Code: The Effects of Using Microcontrollers to Code on Students’ Interest in Computer and Electrical Engineering

Biçer, Ali; Lee, Yunjin; Capraro, Robert M.; Capraro, Mary Margaret; Barroso, Luciana R.; Bevan, D. R.; Vela, Katherine

doi:10.1109/fie.2018.8658617

Cited by 16 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 17 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Typically, STEM camps promote the development of 21st century skills, especially those of communication, collaboration, social skills, creativity and leadership. Students who participated in STEM camps were challenged to effectively communicate and work with their peers toward a common goal (Ghadiri Khanaposhtani et al, 2018;Bicer and Lee, 2019;Bicer et al, 2015Bicer et al, , 2018. As students collaborate with others during STEM camp activities, they are able to reflect on their mistakes, anticipate potential failures and take ownership of their learning (Vela et al, 2019;Watkins et al, 2018).…”

Section: Stem Career and Informal Learning Environmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Informal learning environments also provide more opportunities for students to make personal connections with what they learn. This was often accomplished at STEM camps when curriculum was specifically designed to provided real-world contexts and authentic experiences that deeply engaged students on a personal level (Bicer et al, 2015(Bicer et al, , 2018Ghadiri Khanaposhtani et al, 2018;Vela et al, 2019). As a result, students find the learning experienced at STEM camps enjoyable and often transfer that emotion to the STEM fields.…”

Section: Stem Career and Informal Learning Environmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Improving perceptions of STEM careers through informal learning environments

Vela

Pedersen

Baucum

2020

JRIT

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

PurposeThis paper investigated the impact a camp on informal science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) had on students' perceptions of STEM fields and careers.Design/methodology/approachA quasiexperimental design was used to assess students' perceptions toward STEM fields and careers. Secondary students (n = 57) who participated in the STEM summer camp completed STEM projects, went on lab tours and attended panels during the one- or two-week residential camps. Students completed a STEM Semantics survey to assess their perceptions prior to and after attending the camp. Descriptive statistics, Cohen's d effect sizes, paired sample t-tests and Pearson's correlation were conducted to analyze the data.FindingsResults suggested that although there was no significant change in students' dispositions toward each individual STEM field, there was a statistically significant improvement of students' perceptions of STEM careers (p = 0.04; d = 0.25). Furthermore, the results of the Pearson's correlation indicated that there was a statistically significant positive association between perceptions of a STEM career and perceptions in science, mathematics and engineering.Research limitations/implicationsThis suggests that various components of the informal learning environment positively contributed to students' perceptions toward STEM careers. Implications from the study indicate that when students are engaged in hands-on science or STEM PBL activities and have opportunities to be exposed to various STEM careers, their perceptions of STEM pathways will improve.Originality/valueThese results may influence future curriculum and the organization of future STEM camps by encouraging teachers and camp directors to integrate practical hands-on STEM projects and expose students to potential STEM pathways through lab tours and panels of STEM professionals.

show abstract

Section: Stem Career and Informal Learning Environmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Stem Career and Informal Learning Environmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Improving perceptions of STEM careers through informal learning environments

Vela

Pedersen

Baucum

2020

JRIT

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Common informal learning environments include after-school and weekend and/or summer camp programs. Reports on such programs confirm they have increased students' interest in STEM majors (Bicer et al, 2015(Bicer et al, , 2018Vela et al, 2020), improved students' mathematics and science vocabulary knowledge (Bicer et al, 2015), enhanced students' artistic self-efficacy in STEM (Capraro et al, 2014), enriched students' communication skills (Bicer et al, 2015), advanced students' self-identity (Barroso et al, 2016), and improved students' scientific reasoning (Gerber et al, 2001).…”

Section: Informal or Out-of-school Educationmentioning

confidence: 99%

The IAFOR International Conference on Education – Hawaii 2021 Official Conference Proceedings

2021

IICE Official Conference Proceedings

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Use of online learning opportunities among language teachers and learners has become one of the commonly utilized tools as they provide effective means (convenient, accessible, authentic and sometimes free) to learn a foreign language. Research shows that online learning opportunities, particularly YouTube -a popular video sharing and viewing platform creates more meaningful and independent learning environment (e.g. Alhamami, 2013; Benson, 2015; Lacy, 2008), compared to other conventional way of learning a foreign language. This research reports on how two English language lecturers at a Mongolian University used stories available free of charge on YouTube to help students improve their listening and transfer of skills such as pronunciation, reading comprehension, note taking and speaking. This research project was initiated because of an increased interest to utilize YouTube in learning English from students studying at the University. The two lecturers took the students' desire on board and developed learning tasks for students to do independently outside the classroom (hereinafter self-independent work) using stories on YouTube. The fact that students were already using YouTube to learn English outside the curriculum was a positive start to the research project. The research project was implemented for a period of one year among first year English as a foreign language (EFL) students. The study results show that when learning content is easily accessible (ability to listen outside the classroom, on their phones, when travelling and walking etc.) and when there is a genuine desire to listen to an interesting story of their choice, students are more likely to effectively work on the learning tasks associated with the stories which in turn helped them to develop their language skills efficiently. However, limited access to WiFi or Internet, not seeking available support to execute the task were issues to develop the skills and independent learning style, despite a strong desire to learn English using YouTube.

show abstract

“…Teachers can adopt one of several research-based interventions in their class-rooms that may help lessen their students' mathematical anxiety, thereby increasing students' positive attitudes toward mathematics. These interventions include but are not limited to cooperative and small grouping (Furner & Duffy, 2002;Lee, Capraro, & Bicer, 2019), use of manipulative and technology based instruction (Bicer et al, 2018), the identification of problems areas and use of proactive positive approaches (Fotoples, 2000), journal writing and bibliography (Furner & Duffy, 2002) and orchestrated immersion in brain-based learning strategy (Souse, 2008). These interventions have reduced mathematical anxiety and eventually improved their mathematics achievement (Beilock & Maloney, 2015;Hembree, 1990;Ramires,, Chang, Maloney, Levine, & Beilock, 2016;Zakaria, Zain, Ahmad, & Erlina, 2012) one other major challenge among students with mathematics anxiety is depression.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Applying Cognitive Therapy for Depression and Anxiety in Mathematics Education for Students’ Sustainable Performance

Ola-Oluwa¹

2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Globally, cases of depression and anxiety have been on the increase among the adolescents. Depression and anxiety interfere significantly on students' academic achievement in schools at all levels. It is more intensed on mathematics learning, reason being that Mathematics as a school subject involves critical thinking, which essentially has to do with the mind-(cognition). It is suffice to say that timely applications of cognitive therapy interventions as preventive measures could ameliorate the incessant of occurrence of depression and mathematics anxiety among students. Therefore, this paper focuses on applying cognitive therapy for depression and anxiety towards enhancing students' sustainable performance in the subject. The paper examines mathematics anxiety, depression, common causes of depression, types of depression, cognitive therapy, basis of cognitive therapy, classroom interventions and treatment techniques, school curriculum configuration repackaging among others. The paper observes that immediate and appropriate classroom interventions would go a long way to restore affected students before it degenerates to complex condition. In this paper, it is noted that chronic depression and mathematics anxiety could significantly impair students' optimal learning. It is therefore recommended that mathematics teachers should be equipped with appropriate classroom interventions, treatment and techniques that could be employed via cognitive therapy to alleviate or minimize the effect of depression and mathematics anxiety among students for sustainable performance.

show abstract

Cracking the Code: The Effects of Using Microcontrollers to Code on Students’ Interest in Computer and Electrical Engineering

Cited by 16 publications

References 17 publications

Improving perceptions of STEM careers through informal learning environments

Improving perceptions of STEM careers through informal learning environments

The IAFOR International Conference on Education – Hawaii 2021 Official Conference Proceedings

Applying Cognitive Therapy for Depression and Anxiety in Mathematics Education for Students’ Sustainable Performance

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About