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open access

Transmedia STEM Intervention Book in Middle School for Educational Change

Description: The world is becoming a global place in which science, technology, engineering and mathematics hold a key to a successful future. To help secure this future it is important to engage students early with relevant curriculum that sparks interest and success in STEM fields. However, education reform occurs slowly, so this paper looked at a potential paradigm that can help to bring about change in a middle school environment that harnesses the long standing strengths of learning and education with … more
Date: May 2016
Creator: Stansell, Alicia
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

2D and 3D Fabrication Devices: Can They Improve Spatial Reasoning Skills in Children?

Description: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the potential benefit of two hours of activities involving 2D and 3D fabricators on the spatial reasoning skills of children in Grades 4 and 5, ages 9 to 10, from a private school in Southeast Texas. Can the introduction to hands-on activities with products created with these devices and learning about how these devices operate improve spatial reasoning skills? The research also evaluates the use of the Shapes Test as a valid measure of the spatial reaso… more
Date: August 2016
Creator: Zimmerman, Ellen L
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Effect of Makerspace Professional Development Activities on Elementary and Middle School Educator Perceptions of Integrating Technologies with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics)

Description: This study investigated a Makerspace professional development program, the Makers' Guild, provided to teachers within north Texas over the course of a semester. The research employed a constructionist approach delivered via 2D and 3D technologies during STEM instructional activities within a creative space. Participants reported statistically significant increases in self-reported competence in technology integration, confidence levels toward integrating World Wide Web, Emerging Technologies fo… more
Date: December 2016
Creator: Miller, Jennifer R
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

STEM Professional Volunteers in K-12 Competition Programs: Educator Practices and Impact on Pedagogy

Description: This mixed methods dissertation study explored how secondary school educators in specific K-12 competition programs recruited and deployed STEM professional volunteers. The study explored which practices were viewed as most important, and how practices related to constructivist pedagogy, all from the viewpoint of educators. The non-positivist approach sought new knowledge without pursuing generalized results. Review of the literature uncovered extensive anecdotal information about current pract… more
Date: December 2016
Creator: Zintgraff, Alfred Clifton
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Putting the Pieces Together: Using Learning Analytics to Inform Learning Theory, Design, Activities, and Outcomes in Higher Education

Description: The goal of learning analytics is to optimize learning and the environments in which it occurs. Since 2011, when learning analytics was defined as a separate and distinct area of academic inquiry, the literature has identified a need for research that presents evidence of effective learning analytics, as well as, learning analytics research that is conducted in conjunction with learning theory. This study uses Efklides' metacognitive and affective model of self-regulated learning (MASRL) to def… more
Date: December 2021
Creator: Goodman, Amy Graham
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Use of Digital Fabrication Tools and Curriculum with Gifted Students in Rural Middle Schools

Description: This study focuses on the use of American Invention Kits from the Smithsonian Institute in conjunction with a 3D printer. In conjunction with a large dataset from a study funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), this innovative research focuses on the effect the digital fabrication curriculum unit has on gifted and talented students' knowledge and affinity toward the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Students from two rural middle schools in north-cen… more
Date: December 2018
Creator: Moore, Vince
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

A Single Case Study of a MakerBus in K-12 Education

Description: MakerBuses are travelling makerspaces that deliver hands-on tools and resources to community-wide locations to foster 21st century learning and development. Often found in K-12 schools, MakerBuses provide accessible and tangible learning opportunities for all learners, even in the most underserved communities. This single, typical case study provided a foundational look at how one MakerBus started as a simple idea and evolved into a learning experience used throughout the community it serves. T… more
Date: May 2021
Creator: Daughrity, Lea Anne
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Instructors and Underrepresented Students in Microbiology: Educational Digital Tool Use, Trends, Perceptions, and Success

Description: The purpose of this three-article dissertation was to expand knowledge and theory regarding digital tool use in biology laboratory courses, such as microbiology, which requires specific laboratory skill development through the perception of instructors and students. Article 1 establishes the broad digital literacy and fluency problem in education by providing definitions and the context behind digital literacy fluency and its impact on acquisition of knowledge in digital learning environments. … more
Date: December 2023
Creator: Bradshaw-Ward, Danita M.
Partner: UNT Libraries
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