Full Scale Development: Collaborative Research--Using Narrative in a Digital Learning Evironment to Engage Children and Teens in Engineering

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This full scale research and development collaborative project between Smith College and Springfield Technical Community College plans to improve technical literacy for children in the area of engineering education through the Talk to Me (TTM) website. The approach for the TTM curriculum draws on Bransford's "How people learn" and Egan's Imaginative Education and Knowledge Building to structure the activities. The research questions are: What is the quality of the knowledge building discourse? Does it get better over time? Will students, given the opportunity, extend the discourse to new areas? What scaffolding does the learning environment need to support novice participants in this discourse? Does the use of narrative influence participation in knowledge building? Are certain types of narratives more effective in influencing participation in knowledge building?The website Talk to Me (TTM) will provide engineering education curriculum that facilitates interactive knowledge building through the use of narratives and interactive multimedia. The TTM website will include evaluative feedback for usability, value effectiveness and ease of implementation from informal educators and leaders from the Connecticut After School Network. Outcomes include demonstrated understanding of the nature of engineering and engineering concepts, increased interest, integrative thinking and ability to apply engineering concepts, and incorporate TTM resources. The evaluation will include: documentation on the impact of narrative and multimedia tools in the area of engineering education.Currently, there is very little research regarding children and young teen engagement in engineering education activities using narrative as a structure to facilitate learning engineering concepts and principles. This online education program will deliver narratives that are developmentally structured by Imaginative Education through the engagement of children and young teens via interactive forums and blogs, young adult novels (audio and text with English and Spanish versions), eight extensive tie-in activities, social network connections and electronic portfolios for middle school age students and afterschool program site directors. The research and activities developed from this proposed project contributes to the field of Informal Science and Engineering Education. The results from this project could impact middle-school aged children and members from underrepresented communities and girls in a positive way.