Making in The Colonias: Motivating STEM Participation through a Making as Micro-Manufacturing Model

作为在正式和非正式环境中加强创客背景下学习的总体战略的一部分，学生和教师创新技术体验（ITEST）和推进非正式STEM学习（AISL）项目合作支持Making的创新模式，以促进STEM学习和创新的新方法。采用一种新颖的设计和开发方法，这个探索性研究的早期概念资助（EAGER）将在高中生激烈的多年团队学徒经历的背景下，测试将制造概念与现实世界微制造工程原理相结合的可行性。学徒模式特别新颖，因为目前的研究和经验主要是在课后和暑期项目中进行的，最多有25名年轻人。拟议的学徒制将需要一小部分德克萨斯州高中生的两年承诺，这将提供一个机会来纵向检查这项努力的可行性和影响。这群学生将学习批判性思考、解决问题，并在他们高中的定制创客空间中作为一个制作团队（MPT）一起工作，构建基于工程的科学工具包，并在当地一所小学实施。学生不仅可以在提高设计和开发技能的同时提高他们的内容知识，而且还可以获得津贴，以满足目标高需求人群的两个非常实际的需求-就业和劳动力发展。目前，通过供应链管理和微制造框架中的制造情境化来服务目标人群的努力很少，这些框架通过将学生设计的产品整合到小学教室中来扩展制造体验。因此，这个项目将有助于基本上未开发的研究和开发领域。来自德克萨斯州-墨西哥边境（colonias）沿线高度贫困、服务不足的德克萨斯州社区的六名高中生将被选中参加制作团队（MPT）。在一年级和二年级，学生将在学年和整个夏季与德州农工大学的本科生、研究生和项目团队定期会面，通过动手制作活动和直接指导，学习制造和制造的关键方面（即创意、原型、设计、采购、人员和生产）。同时，我们会进行一项研究，探讨：(a)在服务欠缺的社区实施该模式；(b)以问题为本的学习模式对训练学生的成效；以及(c) STEM知识和自我概念。数据将从多个来源收集。我们将对学生进行一份改编版的学术自我描述问卷，以评估他们的STEM技术知识和技能，以及他们在STEM领域的自我概念。将对学生进行远程和面对面的访谈，以跟踪主要因变量，STEM学习和自我概念随着时间的推移的演变。项目的主持人和合作伙伴将接受采访，以审查在特定背景下和针对目标学生的制作经验的可行性。最后，学生的日记反思，产品和他们的工作会议录像也将被审查。将采用时间序列定量测试和深入定性方法来分析数据。

As part of an overall strategy to enhance learning within maker contexts in formal and informal environments, the Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) and Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) programs partnered to support innovative models in Making poised to catalyze new approaches in STEM learning and innovation. Employing a novel design and development approach, this Early Concept Grant for Exploratory Research (EAGER) will test the feasibility of integrating Making concepts with real world micro-manufacturing engineering principles within the context of intense, multi-year team apprenticeship experiences for high school students. The apprenticeship model is particularly novel, as current Making research and experiences predominately take place in afterschool and summer programs for up to 25 youth. The proposed apprenticeships will require a two year commitment by a small cohort of Texas high school students, which will provide an opportunity to examine the feasibility and impact of the effort longitudinally. The cohort will learn to think critically, solve problems, and work together as a Making Production Team (MPT) in a customized makerspace in their high school, constructing engineering-based science kits for implementation in a local elementary school. Not only will the students enhance their content knowledge while developing design and development skills but the students will also receive stipends which will address two very practical needs for the targeted high need population - employment and workforce development. Few, if any, efforts currently serve the targeted population through the contextualization of Making within a supply chain management and micro-manufacturing framework that extends the Making experience by integrating the student designed products into elementary classrooms. As such, this project will contribute to essentially unexplored areas of Making research and development. Six high school students from high poverty, underserved Texas communities along the Texas-Mexico border (colonias) will be selected for the Making Production Team (MPT). In Years 1 and 2, the students will meet regularly during the academic school year and over the summer with Texas A & M University undergraduates, graduate students, and the project team to learn key aspects of Making and manufacturing (i.e., ideation, prototyping, design, acquisition, personnel, and production) through hands-on making activities and direct instruction. Concurrently, a research study will be conducted to explore: (a) the actualization of the model in an underserved community, (b) the effectiveness of problem-based learning to train students in the model, and (c) STEM knowledge and self-concept. Data will be collected from multiple sources. An adapted version of the Academic Self-Description Questionnaire will be administered to the students to assess their STEM technical knowledge and skills as well as their self-concept in relation to STEM domains. Remote and in person interviews will be conducted with the students to track the evolution of the primary dependent variables, STEM learning and self-concept, over time. Program facilitators and partners will be interviewed to examine the feasibility of the making experience within the given context and for the targeted students. Finally, the students' diary reflections, products, and video recordings of their work sessions will also be examined. Time-series quantitative tests and in-depth qualitative methods will be used to analyze the data.