SciTrain: Science, Math and Technology for All

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AbstractThe Center for Assistive Technology and Environmental Access (CATEA) and the Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics, and Computing (CEISMC) at Georgia Tech propose an alliance with the Cobb County School System to create SciTrain, a multi-faceted project to enhance the capacities of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) teachers in high schools. Building upon successful research and programs conducted by CATEA and CEISMC, it will use multiple evaluations to determine the most important needs of teachers and focus upon teacher evaluations of project success. SciTrain's goal is to create more effective teachers and more powerful learning experiences for students.SciTrain will create Web-based courses for high school educators to instruct them in the creation of STEM coursework for students with disabilities. The online courses will demonstrate methods for approaching access problems and will train teachers to generate their own ideas and solutions for accommodations. They will provide instruction on the creation of both adapted curricula and labs. Each course will be composed of discrete modules tailored to the needs of teachers, eachaddressing a fundamental issue in accessible STEM education. Teachers will be able to study individual modules or complete entire courses for continuing education units (CEUs) and professional learning units (PLUs). The result will be improved STEM education for high school students.SciTrain will work closely with Cobb County, Georgia high school instructors to ensure focused research and evaluation of its project results. Courses will be tested with these teachers prior to release to a national audience. Cobb County teachers will also participate in ongoing evaluation of project results, serving as a test-bed for the SciTrain model in action.Intellectual MeritThe proposed program is vital to expanding knowledge about methods and practices to ensure the full inclusion of all students in STEM education. SciTrain will unite universal design practices with several fields of study/activity, including: science pedagogy, assistive technology, human-computer interaction, distance learning and disability studies. The project will leverage extensive prior and ongoing research at Georgia Tech and partner institutions.Broader ImpactThe proposed program is vital in providing education for teachers in an area often neglected in their educations. Through improved educational practices, it will enhance accessibility of STEM education for students with disabilities, as well as improving participation in STEM education and careers for these students. Improved STEM education will broaden the participation of students with disabilities currently an underrepresented group in STEM education. SciTrain will also enhance the infrastructure for research and education by providing extensive online resources that can be used by anyone, anywhere to address accessible STEM education.