OUTLINE - Learning Blade · 2016. 10. 24. · While women in all careers earn $0.77 for each dollar earned by men in the same jobs, in STEM fields women earn $0.92 for each dollar

OUTLINE

• ExecutiveSummary------2

• STEMCareersBuildStudents’Futures------3

• IntegratingSTEMCareersintotheAcademicSetting------4

•DesigningaSystemtoIncreaseStemCareerEngagement------5 inMiddleSchool

•UsingaMissionContextforSTEM------6

• IntegrationwithAcademicStandards------8

• IntegrationwithProject-BasedLearning------10

• StudentResultsfromtheUseofLearningBlade------13

• TeacherCommentaryonLearningBlade------20

• Summaryofoutcomes------21

•Appendices------22

o AboutThinkingMedia------22

o ListofCareersandTechnologiesinLearningBlade------25

o Resultsofthe2013StudentUserSurvey------26

o References------27

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STEM in the Middle:ImprovingInterestinSTEMCareersinMiddleSchoolusingLearningBlade

EXECUTIVE SUMMARYSTEM(Science,Technology,EngineeringandMath)careersareamongthemostpromisingpathwaystowardasuccessfullifefortoday’sstudents,yetmoststudentslacktheknowledgeneededtodecidetomoveintothesecareers.Studiesindicatethatagoodjobisthemostimportantfactorinoverallhealthandhappiness,andSTEMcareerscanprovidemoreopeningsandhighersalariesthanmanyotherjobs.

However,moreacademicknowledgeofscienceandmathisnotsufficienttoencouragestudentstopursuethesecareers,especiallyforgirlsandminorities.Datashowthatmosthigh-achievingmathstudentsarenotinterestedinSTEMcareers.Yetstudentsmustalsoseetherelevanceoftheiracademicstudiestohelpthemprepareforthesecareers.Studentsneedcareerawarenessandacademicrelevancebeginninginmiddleschooltotakeadvantageoftheseopportunities.

TheLearningBlade®systemwasdesignedtoaddresstheneedforSTEMcareerawarenessandacademicrelevanceinmiddleschool.Itintroducesmorethan90STEMcareersandtechnologiesthroughsupplemental onlinemissionsthatfocusonhowthesejobsbenefitpeopleandsociety.Astudent’sperformanceinthemissionisbasedonresponsestoquestionsandproblemsthatshowhowSTEMprofessionalsusemathandEnglishskillsintheirjobs.Thesystemincludesofflinemissionchallengeprojectsandpapercraftfiguresthatincreaseengagementandreward.Teachersreceivedetailedreportsontheperformanceofclassesandindividualstudentsagainstacademicstandards.

ResultsconfirmthattheLearningBladesystemachievesitsprimarygoalsofincreasingSTEMcareerawarenessandinterestanddemonstratingtherelevanceofacademicstoreal-lifejobs.Research-baseddatashowthatLearningBlade:

• IntroducesSTEMcareersandtechnologiestoawiderangeofstudents:

AfterusingLearningBlade,

o 70%ofstudentssaidtheylearnedaboutnewcareers.

o 75%ofstudentssaidtheylearnedabouttechnology.

• Demonstratestherelevanceofacademicstudiestofuturecareersandlife:

UsingLearningBladeincreasedthenumberofstudentswhostronglyagreethat:

o “WhatIlearninschoolwillbeusefullaterinmylife”by69%.

o “Mathishelpfulwhensolvinginterestingproblems“by79%.

• IncreasesinterestinfollowingapathtoSTEMcareers,includingappropriateacademicpreparationin highschool:

UsingLearningBladeincreasedthenumberofstudentswhosaythat:

o “Iwouldliketobeanengineerorscientistinthefuture”(stronglyagree)by97%.

o “Inhighschool,Iplantotakeadvancedmathclassesormorescienceclassesthanarerequired” by56%.

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71% LEARNED ABOUTNEW CAREERS

56%ADVANCED MATH CLASSES

RECOGNIZINGWHAT THEY LEARN IN SCHOOL

WILL BE USEFUL LATER ON IN LIFE

69%

√π×÷

INTEREST IN TAKING

IN HIGH SCHOOL

2x # OF STUDENTS WHO

WANT TO BE ENGINEERS & SCIENTISTS

71% LEARNED ABOUTNEW CAREERS

56%ADVANCED MATH CLASSES

RECOGNIZINGWHAT THEY LEARN IN SCHOOL

WILL BE USEFUL LATER ON IN LIFE

69%

√π×÷

INTEREST IN TAKING

IN HIGH SCHOOL

2x # OF STUDENTS WHO

WANT TO BE ENGINEERS & SCIENTISTS

STEM CAREERS BUILD STUDENTS’ FUTURESOurnation’sschoolsystemisanimportantelementinmaintainingthequalityofourworkforceand,ultimately,ourlife.Whetherweviewthepurposeofpubliceducationassimplyteachingacademics,preparingfutureparticipantsinademocraticsociety,orcreatinglifelonglearners,weknowthatausefulcareerisonewaythatcitizenscancontributetotheirfamiliesandtosociety.Surveysshowthatagoodjobisanimportantfactorinachievingoverallhealthandhappiness(Gallup,Inc.,2015).

STEMcareersrepresentaleadingopportunityforahealthyandproductivelifeforourschools’students.STEMjobsareexpectedtogrowby16%from2014to2024,whilenon-STEMjobswillgrowbyonly11%(EMSI,2015).Furthermore,STEMskillsarerequiredinmostworkplaces,withanestimated71%ofcareersrequiringSTEMskills(Ingram,2014).Studentswiththeseskillsaremorelikelytofindprofitableemployment.Thereare2.5entry-leveljobpostingsforevery4-yeargraduateinSTEMfields,comparedwith1.1postingforeachnewnon-STEMBAgraduate(BurningGlass,2016).STEMjobspaytwiceasmuch,onaverage,withmedianearningsof$37.44/hourforSTEMcareersvs.$18.68forallotherjobs(EMSI,2015).

STEMalsoprovidesopportunitiesforbettersalariesforwomenandminorities.ThereisashortageofthesegroupsinSTEMpositionsinindustry.Whilewomenrepresentabout50%oftheoverallworkforce,theyarenomorethan26%oftheSTEMworkforce.Butthesejobscanbelucrativeforwomen.While women in all careers earn $0.77 for each dollar earned by men in the same jobs, in STEM fields women earn $0.92 for each dollar earned by men(STEMconnector,2014).


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STEM CAREERS BUILD STUDENTS’ FUTURES

Our nation’s school system is an one of the most important elements in maintaining our future the quality of our workforce and, ultimately, our life. Whether we view the purpose of public education as simply teaching academics, preparing future participants in a democratic society, or creating lifelong learners, we know that a useful career is one way that future citizens will have the opportunity to can contribute to society or to their own familiesy and to society. Surveys show have shown that a good job is an one of the most important factors in achieving overall health and happiness [Gallup, Inc., 2015].

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) careers represent a leadingone of the best opportunities opportunity for a healthy and productive life for our school’s’ students. STEM jobs are expected to grow by 16% from 2014 to 2024, while non-STEM jobs will grow by only 11% (EMSI, 2015, as quoted by Change the Equation). Furthermore, STEM skills are required for success in most future workplaces, with an estimated 71% of careers requiring STEM skills [“IX Reasons STEM Needs Title IX, Huffington Post, 9/16/2014]. Students with these skills are more likely to find profitable employment. There are 2.5 entry-level job postings for every 4-year graduate in STEM fields, compared withto 1.1 postings for each new non-STEM BA graduate (Burning Glass, as quoted by STEMconnector). STEM jobs pay twice as much, on average, with median earnings for STEM occupations of $37.44/hour for STEM careers vs. $18.68 for all other jobs (EMSI, 2015, as quoted by Change the Equation).

STEM also provides opportunities for better salaries for women and minorities. There is a particular shortage of these groups in STEM positions in industry. While women represent about 50% of the overall workforce, they are no more than 26% of the STEM workforce. But these jobs can be particularly lucrative for women. While women in all careers earn $0.77 for per each dollar earned by men in the same jobs, in STEM fields women earn $0.92 for eachper dollar earned byfor men [“Women in STEM,” STEMconnector, 2014, as downloaded from https://www.millionwomenmentors.org/sites/default/files/resources/Women_in_STEM_-_Realizing_the_Potential.pdf].

Figure 1. Percentages of women and minorities in STEM jobs, 2011.

[National Science Foundation, Division of Science Resources Statistics. 2011. Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering: 2011. Special Report NSF 11-309. Arlington, VA.]

INTEGRATING STEM CAREERS IN THE ACADEMIC SETTING

Figure 1. Percentages of women and minorities in STEM jobs, 2011.

(NationalScienceFoundation,DivisionofScienceResourcesStatistics,2011)

STEM Careers provide excellent earning

potential, yet too few women and minorities pursue these careers.

INTEGRATING STEM CAREERS IN THE ACADEMIC SETTING

PreparingstudentsforSTEMcareersisnotjustaboutteachingmathandscience.TheseacademicskillsarenecessaryformostSTEMcareers,butmasteryoreveninterestinmathandscienceisnotsufficienttodriveastudenttowardthesejobpaths.Forinstance,girlshavebeenshowntobeasskilledatbasicscienceandmathasboys(Hyde,J.S.andMertz,J.E.,2009),buttheyareasignificantminorityintheSTEMworkforce.AccordingtodatafromACT,Inc.,only21%ofstudentsarebothproficientinmathematicsandinterestedinSTEMcareers(Fig.2).Another23%areproficientinmathbutlackSTEMinterest(ACT,Inc.,2014).Therefore,improvingmathinstructionwillnotpersuademoststudentstofollowSTEMcareers.Similarly,sciencealonewillnotbuildtheranksofSTEMprofessionals.AccordingtotheWellcomeTrust(2013),82%ofyoungpeoplesaidschoolsciencelessonswereveryorfairlyinteresting–yet63%saidtheyknewlittleornothingaboutcareersinscience.STEM career awareness and interest are separate, but necessary, components of education of the future technical workforce.

Manyschoolsseeintegratingcareerawarenessintotheschooldayasachallengeduetocompetingdemandsforteachingrequiredacademicstandardsandpreparationforstandardizedtesting.ThedangerinthisapproachisthatSTEMeducationisseenascompetitivewithtraditionalELA(EnglishLanguageArts)andmathematicsinstruction,insteadofcomplementary.ItisrecognizedthatSTEMandacademicscanandshouldworktogether.Infact,thefutureworkforcerequiresnotonlyscienceandmathknowledge,butalsoagraspofinformationtechnologyandinnovationskillsinadditiontoproficienciesinteamworkandcommunication,includingreading,writingandspeakingskills.

STEMjobsrequireacademicskillsbecause:

• Suchworkersneedexcellentreadingandmathskillstodigesttechnicaldocumentsandanalyzedata.

• Suchworkersneedwritingandspeakingskillstocommunicatetechnicalideastoco-workers.

• Suchworkersneedacademicskillstoreadtheproblemstatementsandprocesstherequireddata.

ButacademicsbenefitfromSTEMcareerawarenessbecause:

• STEMcareersprovideexamplesofhowskillssuchashighermathematicshelpsolverealworldproblems, creatingrelevancetostudents.

• Studentswhoseetherelevanceofacademicsaremorelikelytoengageandsucceedintheiracademicstudies.

• STEMprofessionalsprovidegoodrolemodelsofsuccessinlifemadepossiblethroughgoodacademicskills.

• ThepathtoSTEMcareersencouragesparticipationinhigher-levelmathandsciencecoursesinhighschool

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Preparing students for STEM careers is not just about teaching math and science. These academic skills are necessary for most all STEM careers, but mastery or even interest in math and science is not sufficient to drive a student towards these specific job paths. For instance, girls have been shown to be just as skilled at basic science and math as boys [Hyde, J.S. and Mertz, J.E. (2009). Gender, culture and mathematics performance. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 106 (22), 8801-8807], but they still are a significant minority in the STEM workforce. According to data from ACT, Inc., only 21% of students are both proficient in mathematics and are interested in STEM careers (Fig.2). Another 23% are proficient in math, but lack STEM interest (The Condition of STEM 2014, ACT, Inc.). Therefore, improving math instruction will not persuadeconvince the majority of most students to follow STEM careers. Similarly, science alone also will not build the ranks of STEM professionals. According to the Wellcome Trust (2013), 82% of young people said school science lessons were very or fairly interesting – yet 63% said they knew little or nothing about careers in science. STEM career awareness and interest is area separate, but necessary, components of education of the future technical workforce.

Many schools see integrating career awareness into the school day as a challenge due to competing demands for teaching required academic standards and preparation for standardized testing. The danger in this approach is that STEM education is seen as competitive with traditional ELA//explain this// and mathematics instruction, instead of complementary. It is now recognized that STEM and academics can and should work together. In fact, the future workforce requires not only science and math knowledge, but also a good grasp of information technology and innovation skills in addition to proficiencies in teamwork and communication, including reading, writing and speaking skills.

STEM jJobs rRequire aAcademic sSkills bBecause:

Such workers needSTEM jobs require excellent reading and math skills to be able to read digest technical documents and analyze data.

Such workers need STEM jobs require writing and speaking skills to communicate technical ideas to team members and other co-workerscompany personnel.

Such workers need Success in science assessments and projects requires academic skills to read the problem statements and process the required data.

But aAcademics bBenefit from STEM cCareer aAwareness bBecause:

STEM careers provide examples of how skills such as higher mathematics help solve are useful in solving real world problems, creating relevance to students.

Students who see the relevance of academics to interesting or meaningful problems are more likely to engage and succeed in their academic studies.

STEM professionals provide good role models of later success in life made possible through good academic skills.

Fig. 2. High School Student STEM Interest and Math Proficiency

Figure 2. High School Student STEM Interest and Math Proficiency.

Career awareness is ideally integrated throughout the school, emphasizing the relevance

of academic skills to STEM preparedness.

Whilenotsynonymous,CareerandTechnicalEducation(CTE)candemonstratetheacademicbenefitsofatechnicaleducation.AstudyofArkansasstudentsshowedthatparticipationinCTEcoursesincreasedtheprobabilityofhighschoolgraduationby3.2%,ofenrollinginatwo-yearcollegeby0.6%,andofbeingemployedaftergraduationby1.5%(Dougherty,ShaunM.,2016).

BecauseofthelinkbetweenSTEMandacademicsuccess,STEMcareerawarenessshouldbeaninterdisciplinaryissue.Thiswayitwon’tcompetefortimeinthescienceclassroom–careerawarenesscanequallybeusefulinEnglish,mathorsocialstudiescontexts.Lessthan25%oftimeinmiddleschoolsisdevotedtoscience(McMurrer,Jennifer,2007).TherestoftheschooldaypresentsanopportunityifwecanshowotherteachersthatSTEMinstructioncancontributetothegoalsofEnglish,mathematicsandsocialstudies.

Middle school is a time in students’ lives that is ripe for STEM interventions: 94% of eighth-graders make course-taking decisions related to preparing themselves for post-secondary education or a career (UMass,2011).MiddleschoolstudentswhodonotconsideraSTEMmajororcareermightnotenrollinthenecessaryhighschoolcourseworkthatwouldallowthemtoproperlyprepareforaSTEMcareer.Surveyshavealsoshownthatyoungchildrenandhighschoolstudentstendtoparticipateinmorecareer-focusedactivitiesanddiscussions,whileupperelementaryandmiddleschoolstudentsarenotaslikelytolearnaboutcareersassociatedwithwhattheyarelearning(Hallinen,Judithetal.,2008).

DESIGNING A SYSTEM TO INCREASE STEM CAREER ENGAGEMENT IN MIDDLE SCHOOL

ThisunderstandingofthebenefitsandlackofengagementinSTEMcareersformsthebasisoftheLearningBladesystem.LearningBladerecognizesthatacademicskillsformthebasisforreadinessforSTEMcareers,andthatSTEMcareerscanprovidemotivationforacademicengagement.Thesuccessofthesetwoareintertwined,especiallyforstudentswhodonothaveappropriaterolemodelsormotivationathome.

TheprimarypurposesofLearningBladeareto:

• Createawarenessof,andinterestin,STEMcareersinmiddleschools.

• Demonstratetherelevanceofmiddleschoolacademicstothesecareers.

• Provideubiquitousaccesswithouttheneedforspecializedequipmentorteacherqualifications


Learning Blade emphasizes the application and development of ELA and math skills while introducing the benefits of STEM careers to students. The application of these skills is woven into the presentation of the careers.

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Learning Blade effectively integrates career awareness with academic relevance.

Science Careers

Academic Success

Career Pathways

LearningBlade

AcademicSkills

USING A MISSION CONTEXT FOR STEMWhileacademicintegrationcanshowtherelevanceofacademicstosuccessinSTEMcareers,itwon’tguaranteealargeanddiversepopulationofSTEM-focusedstudents.AttractinggirlsandminoritiesintoSTEMrequiresnewcontextsforSTEMinstruction,becausethesestudentsdonotrespondasreadilytotraditionalSTEMactivitiesbasedonscienceconcepts.Girlsespeciallyrespondmoretocareersthathelpothers(Weisgrametal.,2011).Researchdemonstratesthatwomenareattractedtoengineeringthroughthealtruisticworkthatengineersdo(Goodman,etal.,2002)Yethighschoolgirlsoftendonotknowwhatengineeringis(AAES/ASCE/WGBHEducationalFoundation,2005).Studentsalsocitedalackofknowledgeabouthealthsciencecareersasthereasonforlowinterestinthesejobs(USciences,2012).GirlswhoexpressaninterestinSTEMcareershavehadmoreexposuretothemthanhaveothergirls(Modi,etal.,2012).

Thisdesireforhumanimpactiswhy,toattractmoregirlsandmillenialsintotheSTEMfields,LearningBladepresentsSTEMcareersinthecontextof12missions.Thesemissionsshowhowthesecareersandtechnologieshelptosolveormeetcommunityandsocietalproblemsorneeds.Forinstance,themissionsmightinvolvehelpinganinjureddolphin,buildinganorphanageafteramajorearthquake,orsolvingenergyandtransportationneedsinanewcity.

Table 1. Mission contexts for STEM clusters in Learning Blade

Task

Helprescueandrehabilitateaninjureddolphin,includingcreatingaprosthetictail Designandbuildanenvironmentally-soundorphanageforchildrenlefthomelessbyanearthquakeinHaiti

Conductheartsurgeryandtherapyforachildactorwithacongenitalheartdefect;evaluatetheuseofartificialheartsorheartcomponents

Evaluatealternativeorupgradedenergysourcesforacitythathasanold,coal-firedpowerplant Considermethodstoincreaseproductionoflocalfoodsinacommunity

Exploretechnologyandtechniquesusedforroboticsdesign,suchassensors,electricalcircuits,industrialdesignandcomputers LookathowhealthandITprofessionalscanusedatawarehousingandanalysistopredictfluoutbreaksusingGISandsocialmediadata

EvaluatenewtransportationmethodsforacitythathasatrafficcongestionproblemDevelopaconceptcarbymakingandassemblingthecar

Developaconceptcarbymakingandassemblingthecar

Assemblethetoolsnecessarytostartanewbusiness

Afternoticingchangestoaschool’swebsiteandsocialmedia,studentsdetectandtrackattemptstohacktheschoolaccounts

Mission

Dolphin Rescue Haiti Orphanage

Heart Surgery

Energy Production Local Food

Robotics Design

Flu Outbreak Transportation Jam

Manufacturing Entrepreneurship Computer Science

Emphasis Areas

Biomedical,marinescience

Construction,sustainability

Medicine

Energyproduction

Agriculture

Electronics,computerscience

Informationtechnology

Transportation

Advancedmanufacturing

Finance,business

Informationtechnology,cybersecurity

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“Missions” highlight the human & social impact

of STEM careers in order to attract a wider range

of students.


Themissionsalsocreateagameenvironmentforusers.Studentscompletethemissionsbylearningaboutthecareersandtechnologiesthatwouldsolvetheseproblemsinreallife.InLearningBlade,thesecareersandtechnologiesarereferredtoas“teammates”and“tools.”Afterashortintroductionaboutthemission,studentsmustselectappropriateteammatesandtoolsfromashortlist.

To“earn”theseteammatesandtools,studentscompleteseveralshort,online,interactiveacademiclessonsthatpresentquestionsorproblems.These15-minutelessonsareidentifiedaccordingtotheiremphasisonscience,math,Englishorsocialstudies.Inthisway,LearningBladecanbeusedinanyacademicclassroomandcanformthebasisofaninterdisciplinaryapproachtoSTEMeducation.Studentsearnpointsbyansweringthequestionsandsolvingtheproblemscorrectly.Theirpointtotalscanbeviewedindividuallyandbytheteachers,andalsoonleaderboardsforeachclass.

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solving the problems correctly. Their point totals can be viewed individually and by the teachers, and also on leaderboards for each class.

Figure 2. A sample mission map showing the organization of the mission into careers and technologies with individual lessons under each.

To achieve these goal of creating create awareness and interest in STEM careers, the lessons begin with descriptions of what the jobs do, typical job tasks, or historical perspectives of how people in these jobs contributehave made notable or beneficial contributions to society. Students may answer questions to confirm their understanding of the careers and the appropriate way to preparepath towards preparing for them.

Secondly, the lessons focus on how people in these careers use the skills typically taught in middle schools. The lessons guide students through situations that the professional faces, asking students to answer questions or complete//is “complete” the correct word// simple problems. Students are givenprovided with examples and any specific knowledge required, and are shown answers following each question to reinforce learning. Constructive feedback is provided if the student answers

Figure 2. A sample mission map showing the organization of the mission into careers and technologies with individual lessons under each.

TocreateawarenessandinterestinSTEMcareers,thelessonsbeginwithdescriptionsofthejobs,typicaltasks,orhowpeopleinthesejobscontributetosociety.Studentsmayanswerquestionstoconfirmtheirunderstandingofthecareersandtheappropriatewaytoprepareforthem.

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incorrectly. A narrative sound track ensures that students with low reading skills can both benefit from the curriculum and practice comprehension with informational texts.

INTEGRATION WITH ACADEMIC STANDARDS

Each Learning Blade lesson contains several different questions and/or problems that highlight the use of academic skills in the context of the mission or other lesson storyline. These skills include math and ELA (English Language Arts) //ELA should be explained the first time it is referenced above, not here// in addition to applied science concepts. The Learning Blade system produces analytical reports that provide information on student and class performance down to the level of individual skill standards and objectives.

In the students’ view, students are allowed up to two attempts for each question in a lesson session. An incorrect response for the first attempt results in constructive feedback that can inform a second attempt. If the student makes a correct response by the second attempt, then the student’s score for the lesson and the overall score for the mission increases.

Figure 3. Typical mMission dDashboard sScreen

Figure 4. Typical cCurriculum sScreen

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incorrectly. A narrative sound track ensures that students with low reading skills can both benefit from the curriculum and practice comprehension with informational texts.

INTEGRATION WITH ACADEMIC STANDARDS

Each Learning Blade lesson contains several different questions and/or problems that highlight the use of academic skills in the context of the mission or other lesson storyline. These skills include math and ELA (English Language Arts) //ELA should be explained the first time it is referenced above, not here// in addition to applied science concepts. The Learning Blade system produces analytical reports that provide information on student and class performance down to the level of individual skill standards and objectives.

In the students’ view, students are allowed up to two attempts for each question in a lesson session. An incorrect response for the first attempt results in constructive feedback that can inform a second attempt. If the student makes a correct response by the second attempt, then the student’s score for the lesson and the overall score for the mission increases.

Figure 3. Typical mMission dDashboard sScreen

Figure 4. Typical cCurriculum sScreen

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Figure 3. Typical mission dashboard screen

Figure 4. Typical curriculum screen

INTEGRATION WITH ACADEMIC STANDARDSLearningBladeisalignedtoALL50stateacademicstandardsandprovidesreportingcapabilities.EachLearningBladelessoncontainsseveralquestionsand/orproblemsthathighlighttheuseofacademicskillsinthecontextofthemissionorotherlessonstoryline.TheseskillsincludemathandELAinadditiontoappliedscienceconcepts.TheLearningBladesystemproducesanalyticalreportsthatprovideinformationonstudentandclassperformancedowntothelevelofindividualskillstandardsandobjectives.

Thelessonsfocusonhowpeopleinthesecareersusetheskillstypicallytaughtinmiddleschool.Thelessonsguidestudentsthroughsituationsthattheprofessionalfaces,askingstudentstoanswerquestionsorsolvesimpleproblems.Studentsaregivenexamplesandanyknowledgerequiredandareshownanswersfollowingeachquestiontoreinforcelearning.Constructivefeedbackisprovidedifthestudentanswersincorrectly.Anarrativesoundtrackensuresthatstudentswithlowreadingskillscanbothbenefitfromthecurriculumandpracticecomprehensionwithinformationaltexts.

Inthestudents’view,studentsarealloweduptotwoattemptsforeachquestioninalessonsession.Anincorrectresponseforthefirstattemptresultsinconstructivefeedbackthatcaninformasecondattempt.Ifthestudentmakesacorrectresponsebythesecondattempt,thenthestudent’sscoreforthelessonandtheoverallscoreforthemissionincrease.

Item-level analysis provides detailed robust reports by

academic standard.

Whilethestudentseesonlytheoverallscoresforthelessons,mission,andhis/hercorrespondingstandingontheclassleaderboardiftheteacherusesthisfeature,thesystemprovidesteachersandadministratorsadditionalinformation.Eachacademicquestionisindexedtoindividualacademicstandards,andlessonsareindividuallyalignedtothestandardsofeachstate.Thesystemthenaggregatesresponsestoeachstandardandprovidesreportstotheteacherforindividualstudentsorforanentireclass.


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While the student only sees only the overall scores for the lessons, mission, and his/her corresponding standing on the class leaderboard if the teacher uses this feature, the system provides teachers and administrators additional information. Each academic question is indexed to individual academic standards, and lessons are individually aligned to the standards of each state. The system then aggregates responses to each standard and provides reports to the teacher for individual students or for an entire class.

Figure 5. Reports provide skill objective-level analysis for individual students or classes.

The system includes an alignment of each individual lesson to the academic standards of each of the 50 U.S. states, in addition to the Common Core and NGSS//should this acronym be spelled out//. Teachers may select lessons to be added to an assignment list for individual students or classes by searching the library of more thanover 380 lessons by academic subject, standard ID, or keywords in standard definition or titles.

Figure 5. Reports provide skill objective-level analysis for individual students or classes.

Thesystemincludesanalignmentofeachindividuallessontotheacademicstandardsofeachofthe50U.S.states,inadditiontotheCommonCoreandNGSS(NextGenrationScienceStandards).Teachersmayselectlessonstobeaddedtoanassignmentlistforindividualstudentsorclassesbysearchingthelibraryofmorethan380lessonsbyacademicsubject,standardID,orkeywordsinstandarddefinitionortitles.

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INTEGRATION WITH PROJECT-BASED LEARNING

LearningBladecomplementsandintegrateswithalmostanyproject-basedlearningexperienceandincludeseasy-to-deliver,hands-onexperiences.Thewidevarietyofmissionsandmorethan90careersandtechnologiesmakeiteasytoidentifycomponentsthatcomplementnearlyanyhands-onprojectexperience(seeAppendix1forcareersandtechnologiesinLearningBlade).

Themodularnatureofthecurriculumallowsintegrationwithexistingcurriculumandprojects.Inadditiontousingthecompletemissions,teacherscanassignindividualcareersortechnologiestostudentsorclassesviaa“MyLessons”list.Inthisway,careerstudycanbeincludedinscienceorothercurriculumunits.Forinstance,ifaclassisstudyingelectricity,theteachercanassignthelessonsassociatedwiththeelectriciancareer.Inadditiontoacareerdescription,theselessonsincludeinformationoncircuitdesignsinahome,themajorusersofelectricityinahome,andahistoryofthecompetitionbetweenThomasEdisonandNicolaTeslatoestablishtheelectricpowerdistributionsystemsweknowtoday.Anotherexampleistheunitoncivilengineering,whichincludeslessonsthatcomplementbridgeorstructurebuildingprojects.

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Figure 6. Individual lessons can be assigned by subject area or by individual skill standards.

INTEGRATION WITH PROJECT-BASED LEARNING

Learning Blade is designed to complements and integrates with almostnearly any project-based learning experience, and also includes its own easy-to-deliver, hands-on experiences. The wide variety of missions and more thanover 90 different careers and technologies makes it easy to identify components that complement nearly any hands-on project experience (see Aappendix 1 for a list of careers and technologies in Learning Blade).

The modular nature of the curriculum allows easy integration with existing curriculum and projects. In addition to using the complete missions, teachers can assign individual careers or technologies to students or classes via a “My Lessons” list. In this way, career study can be included in science or other units in the curriculum units. For instance, if a class iswere studying electricity, the teacher can assign the lessons associated with the electrician career. In addition to a career description of the electrician career, these lessons include information on circuit designs in a home, the major users of electricity in a home, and information on the a history of the competition between Edison and Tesla//first names needed??// to establish the electric power distribution systems we know today. Another example is the unit on civil engineering, which that includes lessons thatdesigned to complement various bridge or structure building projects.

If the teacher does not already have suitable project-based learning experiences, then Learning Blade provides classroom-ready “Mission Challenges.” These Mission Challenges serve as optional capstone

Figure 6. Individual lessons can be assigned by subject area or by individual skill standards.

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Missions can be integrated with included PBL or with other hands-on activities.

Iftheteacherdoesnothavesuitableproject-basedlearningexperiences,LearningBladeprovidesclassroom-ready“MissionChallenges.”Theseserveasoptionalcapstoneprojectsforeachoftheonlinemissions.Theyincludesimplehands-onexperiencesthatrequirecommonmaterialsoftenfoundinclassroomsorhomes,team-baseddiscussions,oralpresentationsandopen-endedwritingassignments.


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projects for each of the online missions. They include simple hands-on experiences that require common materials that can be often found in classrooms or homes, together with team-based discussions, oral presentations and open-ended writing assignments.

Figure 7. Mission challenges provide opportunities for simple hands-on projects, group exercises, problem solving and presentation exercises related to each mission.

In order tTo engage middle school students further and provide rewards, Learning Blade is releasing a new feature in 2016. As students complete the unit for each career or technology unit, they can download papercraft figure templates for each. These figures can be constructed by the students to create a 3-D figures of the career or technology. The career figures provide a summary of the career focus on the back. Students gain additional interest by working to collecting all of the figures.

[appropriate images to be selected from below]

Figure 7. Mission challenges provide opportunities for simple hands-on projects, group exercises, problem solving and presentation exercises related to each mission.

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Toengagemiddleschoolstudentsfurtherandproviderewards,LearningBladeisreleasinganewfeaturein2016.Asstudentscompleteeachcareerortechnologyunit,theycandownloadpapercraftfiguretemplatesforeach.Thesecanbeconstructedbythestudentstocreate3-Dfiguresofthecareerortechnology.Thecareerfiguresprovideasummaryofthecareerfocusontheback.Studentsgainadditionalinterestbycollectingallofthefigures.

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Figure 8. A sample papercraft figure that allows students to create and collect paper models of various careers and technologies.

This flexible design makes Learning Blade a convenient supplemental curriculum for a wide variety of implementation models. While Learning Blade is often used in science classrooms, it is alsojust as often found in career awareness courses, in after-school programs, or distributed among academic teachers in a team-teaching environment. The self-paced online lessons make it ideal for flipped//not sure what “flipped’’ means here// classrooms and enrichment opportunities. In addition, the complete narrative sound track and applied use of academic skills havehas demonstrated benefits for at-risk students in the 9thth grade.

STUDENT RESULTS FROM THE USE OF LEARNING BLADE

The results of Learning Blade have been measured against the goals of:

Figure 8. A sample papercraft figure that allows students to create and collect paper models of various careers and technologies

ThisflexibledesignmakesLearningBladeaconvenientsupplementalcurriculumforavarietyofimplementationmodels.WhileLearningBladeisoftenusedinscienceclassrooms,itisalsofoundincareerawarenesscourses,inafter-schoolprograms,ordistributedamongacademicteachersinateam-teachingenvironment.Theself-pacedonlinelessonsmakeitidealforflippedclassroomsandenrichmentopportunities.Inaddition,thecompletenarrativesoundtrackandapplieduseofacademicskillshavedemonstratedbenefitsforat-riskstudentsinthe9thgrade.

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Figure 8. A sample papercraft figure that allows students to create and collect paper models of various careers and technologies.

This flexible design makes Learning Blade a convenient supplemental curriculum for a wide variety of implementation models. While Learning Blade is often used in science classrooms, it is alsojust as often found in career awareness courses, in after-school programs, or distributed among academic teachers in a team-teaching environment. The self-paced online lessons make it ideal for flipped//not sure what “flipped’’ means here// classrooms and enrichment opportunities. In addition, the complete narrative sound track and applied use of academic skills havehas demonstrated benefits for at-risk students in the 9thth grade.

STUDENT RESULTS FROM THE USE OF LEARNING BLADE

The results of Learning Blade have been measured against the goals of:


STUDENT RESULTS FROM THE USE OF LEARNING BLADETheresultsofLearningBladehavebeenmeasuredagainstthegoalsof:

• Creatingawarenessof,andinterestin,STEMcareersinmiddleschools.

• Demonstratingtherelevanceofmiddleschoolacademicstothesecareers.

• Providingubiquitousaccesswithouttheneedforspecializedequipmentorteacherqualifications.

LearningBlademeasuresprogressonthesegoalsthrough:

• Automatedtrackingofthenumberoflessonsandtimespentbystudentsinthecurriculum.

• Pre-andpost-useuseattitudesurveysofstudents.

• Surveysandothercommentsfromteachers.

IntermsofubiquitousaccessandwideexposureofstudentstoSTEMcareers,LearningBladehasbeenasuccess.Initsfirstthreeschoolyearsofexistence,

Students have completed more than 270,000 lessons with more than 40,000 hours of online use.

Morethan100,000studentshaveregisteredinthesystemfromnearly1,000schoolsandorganizationsin32states.

ToaccesstheeffectivenessofLearningBladeinincreasingSTEMcareerawarenessandinterest,studentsurveyswereconductedinthefirstpilotyearandinthe2015-16schoolyear.

Earlier,pilotsitesreportedpositiveresultsfromtheuseofLearningBlade.Forinstance,studentsatBaldwinHighSchoolinGeorgiacompleted7,744activitiesandloggedmorethan717hoursinthesystem.Dr.JeremyDockery,assistantprincipalatBaldwin,reports:

“I have never seen anything like Learning Blade before in my 12 years as an educator and administrator. The program’s ‘missions’ are so engaging and interactive that students do not even realize that they are learning. Learning Blade is an excellent way to get students interested in and excited about STEM education. As an administrator, I love the fact that each lesson is correlated to the standards.”

Studentandstaffresponsewaspositive,withanoverwhelmingviewthattheLearningBladeformatprovidesamoreinterestingmethodtopracticeacademicskillsthantraditionalinstruction.Asaresultofthepilotprogress,wehavemademanyimprovementstothesystem,confirmedstudentdesireforthenarrativesoundtrackthatwearenowadding,andidentifieddirectionforfurtherresearch.

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Student surveys show that 71% learn about new careers and

technologies, almost 2x increase in the number of stuents who want to be an ingineer or scientist, and a 79% increase in the relefance of

math to students.

Post-use,thesitescompletedtheLearningBladesatisfactionsurvey,whichconsistedof15independentlowerscales,measuringresponsesfromstronglydisagreetostronglyagree.Thesurveycoveringtopicssuchaswhetherthestudentthoughthe/shelearnedsomethingaboutSTEMandwhetherhe/sheenjoyedcertainaspectsoftheprogram.Studentscouldaddcomments.ResultsofthesurveyareinAppendix2.

ThesurveyrevealedthatstudentsthoughttheylearnedsomethingaboutSTEMandSTEMcareersinadditiontoacademicskills.Studentsagreedwithstatementssuchas“Ilearnedsomethingabouttechnology”(76%agree)and“Ilearnedsomethingaboutnewcareers”(72%agree).Theythoughtthattheprogramwaseasytouse.Oneofthestrongestresponseswasthatstudentswould“ratheruseLearningBladethantraditionalhomework”(71%agree).BecausetheLearningBladelessonscontainpracticeinELAandmathematicsskills,wethinkthisstatementindicatesthatstudentswouldratherconductacademicexerciseswhenplacedinausefulandmeaningfulcontext.Additionalfactorscouldbethatstudentsprefercomputerinteractionovertraditionalhomeworkmethods.

Anexpandedstudentsurveywasimplementedinspring2016incooperationwithBattelleEducation.Thesurveyincludedquestionsfromthe2013surveyandanewsectionongeneralattitudestowardSTEMcareersandinterests.ThenewsectionwasadministeredtostudentsbeforeandafteruseofLearningBladeandusedafour-levelLikertscale.

Theresultswereanalyzedfordifferencesbetweenthe“before”and“after”cohorts(n=87and220,respectively)usinganunpairedt-testtomeasuretheirstatisticalsignificance.Studentsrangedfrom5thto9thgrade.Resultswithasignificantdifferenceinthecohortswithaconfidencelevelof95%orgreaterwereidentified.

TheseresultsindicatethatLearningBladehasproducedasignificanteffectinitsprimarygoalsofgeneratinginterestinSTEMcareersanddemonstratingtherelevanceofacademicstudiestothesecareersandinlife.

ThefollowingitemsshowedasignificantimprovementaftertheuseofLearningBladewithaconfidenceof95%orgreater.

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Table 2. Survey items showing a statistically significant improvement after Learning Blade use

Before LB* After LB* Improvement*

Iwouldliketobeanengineerorscientistinthefuture. 10% 21% 97%(stronglyagree)

IwouldlikeajobwhereIdesignorbuildthings. 14% 25% 76%(stronglyagree)

WhatIlearninschoolwillbeusefullaterinmylife. 33% 56% 69%(stronglyagree)

Mathishelpfulwhensolvinginterestingproblems. 26% 47% 79%(stronglyagree)

Inhighschool,Iplantotakeadvancedmathclassesor 24% 38% 56%morescienceclassesthanarerequired.(stronglyagree)

Significantat95%confidence,n=87pre-users,220post-users*Numbersroundedto2digits

ThisshowsthatthenumberofstudentswhowouldliketobeanengineerorscientisthasdoubledaftertheuseofLearningBlade.Additionally,studentsseethebenefitofschoolstudiesandtheutilityofmathskills.Thisisconfirmedbytheincreaseintheplanstotakemoredemandingmathandscienceclassesinhighschool.

Thesenewresultsconfirmthestudents’self-assessmentofincreasedknowledgeofcareersandtechnologiesasseeninotheritemsinthe2013and2016surveys.

Thefollowingitemsshowedapossiblenegativeeffect:

Table 3. Survey items showing a statistically significant negative effect after Learning Blade use

Before LB After LB % Agree or % Agree or Strongly Strongly Agree Agree Improvement

Engineersandscientistsworkwithotherpeople. 94% 86% -8.2%

Iwouldliketoorcurrentlydobelongtoascienceclub. 40% 35% -12%

AnalysisofthefirstitemindicatesthatformatoftheLearningBladelessonsthatfocusononecareeratatimemightnothavesufficientlyemphasizedtheteaminteractionsthatmightbeencounteredintypicalSTEMjobsituations.EffortsareunderwaytoemphasizeteamworkincurrentandfutureLearningBladeactivities.Theseconditemregardingscienceclubsmighthavebeenconfusing,andresultsmightbeduetooutsideschedulinginfluences.

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TheremainingLikertitemsshowedsmalleffectsfromLearningBladeuse.ThismainlycouldbebecausethestudentsexpressedhighalignmentwithLearningBladegoalspriortouse.ThismightbeduetoexternalfactorsinclassroomsthathadexpressedaninterestinLearningBladeuse.Thiseffectwillberesearchedbyanoutsidepartyinfall2016.

Table 4. Student responses regarding attitudes toward STEM pre- and post-Learning Blade use

Before LB After LB % Agree or % Agree or Percentage Strongly Strongly Point Percent Item Agree Agree Change Change

Iliketoknowhowthingswork. 93% 88% -5% -6%

Iliketousecomputerstolearnthings. 86% 81% -5% -6%

Ilookforwardtohighschoolclassesinschool. 82% 85% 3% 3%

Iwouldliketoorcurrentlydobelongtoascienceclub. 40% 35% -5% -12%

Iaminterestedinacareerthatusesscience,math, 69% 69% 1% 1% ortechnology.

Iwouldliketobeanengineerorscientistinthefuture. 33% 36% 4% 11%

Iaminterestedinacareerinmedicineorhealth 48% 46% -2% -4%

IwouldlikeajobwhereIdesignorbuildthings. 43% 52% 9% 20%

Scienceisboringtome. 32% 33% -1% -4%

IthinkIknowwhatengineersdo. 72% 69% -4% -5%

Engineersandscientistsworkwithotherpeople. 94% 86% -8% -9%

Scienceistoohardforme. 18% 18% 0% 0%

Mathistoohardforme. 29% 22% 7% 25%

Icanfigureouthowtosolvehardproblems. 73% 80% 7% 9%

Iliketousecomputerstolearnnewthings. 83% 78% -5% -6%

Iamgoodatmathandscience. 78% 80% 2% 2%

WhatIlearninschoolwillbeusefullaterinmylife. 82% 87% 6% 7%

Idon’tneedgoodmathskillstohaveagoodcareer 29% 24% 5% 16%laterinlife.

Mathishelpfulwhensolvinginterestingproblems. 85% 86% 1% 1%

GoodEnglishskillsarehelpfulatwork. 92% 92% 0% 0%

Thepopulationforthissurveywasraciallydiverse.ThedatadidnotsupportasignificantdifferenceinthebeneficialeffectofLearningBladeondifferentethnicgroups.


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Table 5. Ethnicity of student survey respondents

Ethnicity Before LB Users After LB Users

AmericanIndianorAlaskan 4% 2%

AsianorPacificIslander 0% 2%

BlackorAfricanAmerican 31% 34%

HispanicorLatino 7% 6%

White/Caucasian 41% 40%

Prefernottoanswer 6% 6%

Other(pleasespecify) 12% 10%

Severaltypicalgenderpreferencescouldbeseeninthesurveyresults,demonstratingthattheneedforadifferentapproachtoSTEMeducationexists.ThedatadidnotshowasignificantdifferenceinthebeneficialeffectsofLearningBladeonboysandgirls.

Thesurveyindicatedthatboysweremorelikelytoprefercareersinengineeringorscience,whilegirlspreferredmedicineorhealth.Thissupportsoneofourfoundinghypotheses,thatgirlsprefercareersthatbenefitpeopleorsociety.

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Table 6. Difference between girls’ and boys’ responses to post-Learning Blade use

Boys (n=108) Girls (n=111) % Agree or % Agree or Percentage Strongly Strongly Point Percent Item Agree Agree Difference Difference

Iliketoknowhowthingswork. 90% 85% -4% -5%

Iliketousecomputerstolearnthings. 80% 83% 3% 4%

Ilookforwardtohighschoolclassesinschool. 79% 91% 11% 14%

Iwouldliketoorcurrentlydobelongtoa 42% 29% -12% -30% scienceclub.

Iaminterestedinacareerthatusesscience,math, 77% 61% -16% -21%ortechnology.

Iwouldliketobeanengineerorscientistin 51% 21% -30% -59%thefuture.

Iaminterestedinacareerinmedicineorhealth. 31% 61% 29% 92%

IwouldlikeajobwhereIdesignorbuildthings. 64% 39% -25% -39%

Scienceisboringtome. 30% 37% 7% 24%

IthinkIknowwhatengineersdo. 75% 62% -13% -17%

Engineersandscientistsworkwithotherpeople. 88% 84% -4% -5%

Scienceistoohardforme. 15% 20% 5% 33%

Mathistoohardforme. 17% 27% 11% 66%

Icanfigureouthowtosolvehardproblems. 88% 72% -16% -18%

Iliketousecomputerstolearnnewthings. 77% 78% 2% 2%

Iamgoodatmathandscience. 81% 78% -3% -4%

WhatIlearninschoolwillbeusefullaterinmylife. 87% 87% 0% 0%

Idon’tneedgoodmathskillstohaveagood 24% 24% 0% 2%careerlaterinlife.

Mathishelpfulwhensolvinginterestingproblems. 88% 84% -4% -5%

GoodEnglishskillsarehelpfulatwork. 88% 96% 9% 10%

Whilesignificantdifferencesexistinhowgirlsandboysrespondedtoseveralitems,nostatisticaldifferencewasfoundintheamountofimprovementintheitemspre-andpost-LearningBladebetweenboysandgirls.

Additionalquestionsfocusedonthestudents’attitudestowardtheLearningBladeprogramitself,aswasdoneinthe2013survey.Theseresultsvalidatedtheconclusionsoftheprevioussurvey,withgeneralagreementonthequantitativeresults.


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Table 7. Student survey questions regarding attitudes toward Learning Blade

Strongly Strongly Agree or Disagree or Item Agree Disagree

Ilikedthegoalofthemissions. 53% 44%

Ilearnedsomethingaboutnewcareers. 70% 28%

Ilearnedsomethingaboutscience. 73% 24%

Ilearnedsomethingabouttechnology. 75% 23%

IlearnedsomethingaboutEnglish. 54% 42%

Ilearnedsomethingaboutmath. 61% 35%

IwouldratheruseLearningBladethandoregularhomework. 49% 45%

Iwantedtocompletethemission. 59% 37%

IlookedattheleaderboardtoseehowIwasdoingcompared 25% 69%tomyclassmates.

Icouldanswermostoftheproblemscorrectly. 73% 22%

Thewebsitemenuswereeasytouse. 65% 29%

Thelessonswereeasytofollow. 62% 34%

IwouldwanttouseLearningBladeagain. 46% 50%

IenjoyedusingLearningBlade. 46% 50%

IfeltsuccessfulaftercompletinglessonsinLearningBlade. 51% 44%

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TEACHER COMMENTARY ON LEARNING BLADE

Overall,80%ofteacherscompletingapost-usesurveywerepositiveandindicatedthattheywouldusethesystemagain.Thefollowingcommentsrepresentthemostcommonresponses:

Ways in which Learning Blade was useful in the classroom:

TeachersusedtheLearningBladesystemtohelpexplorecareersandconnectthemtoexistingcurriculum:

“It has assisted me in helping students explore how learning concepts are important to life.”

“It allows students to SEE the careers that we discuss in a behind the scenes way.”

Features that teachers found useful or beneficial:

Teacherslikedtheabilityforstudentstoselecttheirownpathsorforteacherstoselectspecificportionsofthecurriculum:

“This is a great resource and I am very thankful I have access to this for my students!”

“The ability to assign all or parts of a challenge for exposure.”

“The students are allowed to choose their own mission.”

“The game-like set up and the ability to select a wrong tool or teammate, it gives you reasons.”

Aspects that teachers say need improvement:Teachersexpresseddifficultywithfill-in-the-blankquestionsthatrequiredcorrectspellingorissuesthoughttobeassociatedwithcomputernetworking:

“Several of the Tools and Activities have issues which counts the right answer wrong in free response.” … “They get discouraged when they know an answer is correct, but cannot spell it properly.”

“Sometimes the student would show me their finished work and that would not be reflected in the reports.”

Althoughitisknownthatstudentscanbefrustratedwhenhavingproblemsansweringfill-in-the-blankquestionsduetoincorrectspelling,theanswersarealwaystakenfromthepreviouspages.Therefore,thedecisionwasmadetorequirecorrectspellingfortheanswertobecountedcorrect.

Afteranalysisofthetechnicalerrors,itisthoughtthattheseareduetonetworkingproblemsatthelocalschools.Stepsarebeingtakentoreducethesensitivityofthesystemtocommunicationoutages,andthesehaveaffectedonlyasmallminorityofusers.

Teachers find Learning Blade useful in connecting careers to students and academics


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SUMMARY OF OUTCOMESTheLearningBladesystemhasbeenshowntoachieveitsprimarygoals.Thefollowingresearch-baseddatasupportthebeneficialeffectsofLearningBladeingeneratingawarenessandinterestinSTEMcareers,andinpreparationforSTEMcareersamongmiddleschoolstudentsthroughincreasedrelevanceofacademicstudies.

• IntroduceSTEMcareersandtechnologiestoawiderangeofstudents:

AfterusingLearningBlade,

o 70%ofstudentssaidtheylearnedaboutnewcareers.

o 75%ofstudentssaidtheylearnedabouttechnology.

• Demonstratetherelevanceofacademicstudiestofuturecareersandlife:

UsingLearningBladeincreasedthenumberofstudentswhostronglyagreethat:

o “WhatIlearninschoolwillbeusefullaterinmylife”by69%.

o “Mathishelpfulwhensolvinginterestingproblems”by79%.

• IncreaseinterestinfollowingapathtoSTEMcareers,includingappropriateacademicpreparationinhighschool:

UsingLearningBladeincreasedthenumberofstudentswhosaythat:

o “Iwouldliketobeanengineerorscientistinthefuture”(stronglyagree)by97%.

o “Inhighschool,Iplantotakeadvancedmathclassesormorescienceclassesthanarerequired”by56%.

Copyright2016©bySAIInteractive,Inc.d/b/aThinkingMedia.LearningBladeisaregisteredtrademarkofSAIInteractive,Inc.

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APPENDICES Appendix 1. About Thinking Media

OUR PARTNERSLearningBladeisexperiencingexponentialgrowth.Why?Ourtechnologyhassomanynewadoptersbecauseitisfillinganeedineducation.Teachersfor100yearshaveheardstudentsaskthemthequestion,“WhenwillIeverusethis?”LearningBladeanswersthequestionwhileapplyingbothmathandELAstandardstoalllessons.LearningBladehasbeenproventobothimproveknowledgeandinterestinSTEMwhileimprovingreadingandmathskills.

Battelle EducationLearningBladecurrentlyhasamemorandumofunderstandingwithBattelleEducationtoformallycollaborateonprogramsthatenlargeLearningBlade’simpact. Learning Blade has been validated as a supplemental tool for increasing STEM career awareness and interest by Battelle Education.

BattelleEducationisanonprofitsubsidiaryofBattellededicatedtoinnovationineducation.BattelleEducationbringsthesamepragmatic,problem-solvingapproachtoeducationthatBattellebringstothewideworldofscienceandtechnologychallenges.BattelleEducationmanagesarangeofsuccessfulprojectsincludingtheOhioSTEMLearningNetwork,TennesseeSTEMInnovationNetwork,andthenationalSTEMxnetwork.

Tennessee STEM Innovation NetworkTheTennesseeSTEMInnovationNetwork(TSIN)hasbeenprovidingsupporttoTennesseeschoolsinSTEMforseveralyears.Oneofthenetwork’sgoalsisIncreasingSTEMInterestforALLTennesseestudents.ThenetworkturnedtoLearningBladetoincreasestudentinterestandachievementinSTEM.BymakingLearningBladeavailableatnocosttoallTennesseemiddleschools,TSINhopestointroduceSTEMopportunitiestostudentsinanovelformatthatdemonstratesthebenefitsandrolesofthecareersinsociety.TheaddedbenefitoftheLearningBladeplatformisitdemonstratestherelevanceofacademicskillstoSTEMcareersandprovidesreal-worldexamplesoftheuseofmathandELAskills.Wehaveengagedwiththefollowingpartnersinthestatewideimplementation:

TATA Consultancy Services

TATAConsultancyServices(TCS)hasworkedwithLearningBladetoincreasetheefficiencyandscalabilityoftheLearningBladeplatform.WearegratefulfortheexpertisethatTCShasprovidedtoLearningBlade,andforTCS’commitmenttoimprovingthequalityofSTEMeducationandtheparticipationofwomeninSTEMcareers.

U.S. Department of EnergyTheU.S.DepartmentofEnergy’sMinoritiesinEnergyInitiativeseekstoincreaseawarenessandengagementofdiverseAmericansintheenergysectorthroughafocusonSTEMeducation,workforcedevelopment,energyeconomicdevelopment,andclimatechangeobjectives.Tothatend,thedepartmentisprovidingLearningBladetoDCmiddleschoolstudents“SeeTheirFutureinSTEM.”STEMjobsaresomeofthebestcareeropportunitiesforstudentsintheDCarea,yetmoststudentsarenotinterestedinorpreparedforthem.Studiesshowthat

themajorreasonthatmiddleschoolstudentsdonotfollowaSTEMpathislackofawarenessaboutSTEMcareers.TheDepartmentofEnergyischangingthatbymakingavailableatnocostLearningBlade’seffectivesupplementalonlineSTEMcareerawarenessprogramtoallDCmiddleschools.

Arkansas Public School Resource CenterTheArkansasPublicSchoolResourceCenter(APSRC)provideseducationalsupportservicesandtechnicalassistancetocharterschoolsandruralschooldistrictsinthestate.Workingwiththeofficeofthegovernor,APSRCismakingLearningBladeavailabletoalimitednumberofArkansasschools.ThepartnershipoftheAPSRCandLearningBladeallowedthelevelofsupportforthepilotdistrictswiththefocusedprofessionaldevelopmentandtechnicalassistancemadetheimplementationseamlessinthemorethan70pilotsitesacrossthestate.

Lightweight Innovations for TomorrowTheLightweightInnovationsforTomorrow(LIFT)consortiumisusingLearningBladetosupportKentuckyschoolsindevelopingaSTEMcareerawareness,particularlyaneducatedandskilledworkforceforlightweightingtechnologiesandprocesses.LIFTisanindustry-led,governmentfundedconsortiumthatisreimaginingprocessesandprocedurestofacilitatetechnologytransferintosupplychaincompaniesandempoweringthelightweightmetalsworkforce.LIFTthinksthatusingLearningBladewillbolstertheeducationandtrainingneededtosustain,grow,andattractmanufacturingjobs.AnewLIFTMissionwasalsoreleasedinOctober.

Million Women MentorsMillionWomenMentorssupportstheengagementof1millionSTEMmentors(maleandfemale)toincreasetheinterestandconfidenceofgirlsandwomentosucceedinSTEMprogramsandcareers.MillionWomenMentorsandLearningBladesupportmentorshipbyprovidingLearningBladetoexposestudentstoSTEMcareers.

STEMconnectorThinkingMediaworkscloselywithSTEMconnectorassenioradvisorstoprovidetoolsandresourcesthatsupportandcorporatedevelopment,structure,andsmartSTEMinvestments.

Hope Street GroupHopeStreetGroupisdedicatedtoinfusingdiverseexpertiseintoeconomicchallengestodramaticallyimproveaccesstoopportunity.Itexposesstudentstotheimportantmodelofinnovationandtechnologypairedwitheducation,health,andjobs.


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RECOMMENDATIONSLearningBladehasbeennationallyrecognizedforitsuniqueapproachtobringingSTEMcareerawarenesstoawideaudienceofmiddleschoolstudents.Someofourrecommendationsinclude:

Learning Blade has been validated as a supplemental tool for increasing STEM career awareness and interest by Battelle Education.

Learning Blade was identified as a suggested STEM resource in ACT’s Condition of STEM 2015 Report.

COMPANY HISTORYThinkingMediawasestablishedin1997andbecameakeyforceinskillbuildingforournation’sworkforceandathoughtleaderinstatewidestrategiesfordrivingeconomicprosperitythroughdisparateagencyalignmentandtheirjointdevelopmentofqualifiedworkers.ThroughourworkinmanystatesandthrougheffortswithvariouspartnersincludingACT,Inc.andtheNationalCRCAdvocates,ThinkingMediahelpedtodevelopsomeofthemostsuccessfulcareerreadinessprogramsinthecountry,beginningwiththeveryfirstsuccessfulstatewideCareerReadinessCertificateprograminVirginia.

Initiallyformedasane-learningsoftwaredevelopmentcompany,ThinkingMediaenteredtheworkforcedevelopmentarenain1998asthefirstpreferredproviderofsoftwareandlearningtoolsforACT’sWorkKeys®assessments.OurservicesgrewfromthiscurriculumofferingtoafullarrayofsoftwarelearningtoolsandexpertimplementationservicesrelatedtoWorkKeys,TheNationalCareerReadinessCertificate(NCRC®)andrelatedstateCareerReadinessCertificates(CRC)programs.Ourstaffgrewfromtheoriginalfounderstoagroupofindividualswithmorethan130yearsofWorkKeys,NCRC/CRC,andworkreadyimplementationexperience,morethananyotherorganizationintheworldotherthanACTitself.

ThinkingMediawasthecreatorofKeyTrain®andCareerReady101®,learningtoolsthatimprovebasicworkplaceskillsasdefinedbytheACTWorkKeys®systemandtheNationalCareerReadinessCertificate.KeyTrain,thefirstACT™certifiedLevel1Curriculum,washailedasthemosteffectivesystemforimprovingthesebasicskills.NowproductsofACT,Inc.,theyarecurrentlyusedbymillionsofindividualsinhighschools,communitycolleges,workforcedevelopmentandmajorcorporationsinall50states. Ourproductswerewrappedinafullsuiteofimplementationservicesthatincludestatewidebestpracticesusergroups,workforcedevelopmentkeytopicnationalwebinars,consultingforstatewideeffortsinimplementingstrategiesthatalignallstateagenciestowardasingleworkreadinessgoal.Later,aspartofACT,Inc.,ThinkingMediafoundersSheilaandDaneBoyingtonnegotiatedstatewideWorkKeystestingcontractswithmultiplestates,includingNorthCarolina,Illinois,Minnesota,NevadaandNewMexico.

AfterleavingACT,Inc.,SheilaandDaneBoyingtonsoughttofurtherincreaseAmerica’sabilitytoensureatrainedandskilledworkforce.Theirresearchrevealedtheneedtofocusonyouthinthemiddleschoolyears,whereself-imagesaboutcareerpathsaremade.ThisledtothecreationofLearningBlade®,whichcombinesSTEMcareerawarenesswithbuildingtherelevancyofacademicpreparationtothesocialimpactofacareerintheSTEMfields.

Appendix 2. List of Careers and Technologies in Learning Blade


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Teammates (STEM Careers)

Tools (STEM Technologies)

AccountantAgriculturalEngineerAgronomistAnthropologistArchitectAutomotiveDesignerAutomotiveEngineerBiomedicalEngineerBusinessConsultantCivilEngineerComputerProgrammerDataScientistDatabaseAdministratorDoctorsEconomistElectricalTechnician

ElectricianEnvironmentalEngineerEnvironmentalProtectionSpecialistEpidemiologistFoodAssuranceTechnicianIndustrialDesignerIndustrialEngineerInformationSecurityAnalystInvestorLogisticsEngineerMachinistManufacturingTechnicianMarineBiologistMechanicMechanicalDrafterMechanicalEngineer

MicrobiologistsNuclearEngineerNurseParamedicPowerEngineerSafetyAdministratorScubaDiverSoftwareEngineerStatisticianTherapistsTransportationEngineerTransportationPlannerUI/UXDesignerVeterinarianWelderWebDeveloper

AirAmbulanceAircraftAntibioticsArtificialLimbsAssemblyLinesAutomationandMechatronicsAutomobilesBigDataBodyImagingCamerasCellPhoneCloudComputingComputersandDataCyberSecurityDatabaseEarthquakeScienceElectronicCircuitsEmissionControls

EnergyConservationEnvironmentalProtectionAgencyFarmingEquipmentGeographicInformationSystemsGreenBuildingsHeartRepairHybridCarsHydroponicsImprovingCropYieldInnovativeMaterialsLivingLivestockMedicalTechnologyMetalsandAlloysMicrophonesMobileApplicationsOrganTransplantsOrganicFarmingPaintTechnology

PublicTransportationRadioTrackingRecyclingRenewableEnergyRobotsScubaDivingGearSensorsandLogicSocialMediaSpreadsheetsTestTracksThePowerGridTrainsVaccinesWaterPurificationWordProcessorsWorkspaces

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Appendix 3. Results of the 2013 Student User Survey

Spring 2013 Pilot Student Survey Summary (n=176)

Item

IenjoyedusingLearningBlade.

IfeltsuccessfulaftercompletinglessonsinLearningBlade.

Ilikedthegoalofthemissions.

Ilearnedsomethingaboutnewcareers.

Ilearnedsomethingabouttechnology.

IlearnedsomethingaboutEnglish.

Ilearnedsomethingaboutmath.

Iammorelikelytoconsideracareerinscience,technology,engineeringormathafterusingLearningBlade.

IwouldratheruseLearningBladethandoregularhomework.

Iwantedtocompletethemission.

IlookedattheleaderboardtoseehowIwasdoingcomparedtomyclassmates.

Icouldanswermostoftheproblemscorrectly.

Thewebsitemenuswereeasytouse.

Thelessonswereeasytofollow.

IwouldwanttouseLearningBladeagain.

% Agree(1 or 2)

47%

51%

51%

72%

76%

54%

61%

37%

71%

63%

25%

73%

68%

67%

43%

% Neutral(3)

31%

33%

30%

18%

13%

25%

24%

29%

13%

26%

22%

19%

19%

23%

26%

% Disagree(4 or 5)

23%

16%

19%

10%

11%

21%

15%

34%

16%

12%

53%

8%

13%

10%

31%


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REFERENCESAAES/ASCE/WGBHEducationalFoundation,2005,“ExtraordinaryWomenEngineersFinalReport”

ACT,Inc.,2014,“TheConditionofSTEM2014”asretrievedfromhttp://www.act.org/content/dam/act/unsecured/documents/National-STEM-Report-2014.pdf

BurningGlass,2016asretrievedfromhttp://burning-glass.com/research/stem/NOTE:thiswasBurningGlassasquotedbySTEMconnector

Dougherty,ShaunM.,2016,“CareerAndTechnicalEducationInHighSchool:DoesItImproveStudentOutcomes?,”ThomasB.FordhamInstitute

EMSI,2015,asquotedbyChangetheEquation,retrievedfromhttp://vitalsigns.changetheequation.org/state/united-states/overview

Gallup,Inc.,2015,http://www.gallup.com/poll/165269/worldwide-employees-engaged-work.aspx

Goodman,IreneF.,Cunningham,ChristineM.,Lachapelle,Cathy,Thompson,Meredith,Bittinger,Katherine,Brennan,RobertT.,Delci,Mario,2002,FinalReportoftheWomen’sExperiencesinCollegeEngineering(WECE)Project,GoodmanResearchGroup,Inc.,Cambridge,MA

Hallinen,Judithetal.,2008,STEMEducationinSouthwesternPennsylvania,CarnegieMellonUniversity

Hyde,J.S.andMertz,J.E.,2009,ProceedingsoftheNationalAcademyofSciences106(22),8801-8807

Ingram,2014,“IXReasonsSTEMNeedsTitleIX,HuffingtonPost,9/16/2014,asretrievedfromhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/janine-ingram/ix-reasons-stem-needs-tit_b_5799302.html

McMurrer,Jennifer,2007,“Choices,Changes,andChallenges,CurriculumandInstructionintheNCLBEra,”CenteronEducationPolicy(revised)

Modi,Kamla,Schoenberg,Judy,Salmond,Kimberlee,2012,“GenerationSTEM:WhatGirlsSayaboutScience,Technology,Engineering,andMath,”GirlScoutResearchInstitute,GirlScoutsoftheUSA

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NationalScienceFoundation,DivisionofScienceResourcesStatistics.2011,“Women,Minorities,andPersonswithDisabilitiesinScienceandEngineering:2011.”SpecialReportNSF11-309.Arlington,VA

STEMconnector,2014,“WomeninSTEM,”asretrievedfromhttps://www.millionwomenmentors.org/sites/default/files/resources/Women_in_STEM_-_Realizing_the_Potential.pdf

UMassDonahueInstituteResearch&EvaluationGroup,2011,“Increasingstudentinterestinscience,technology,engineering,andmath(STEM):MassachusettsSTEMpipelinefundprogramsusingpromisingpractices,”UMassDonahueInstituteResearch&EvaluationGroup

UniversityoftheSciences(USciences),2012,“Asurveyofhighschoolstudents’attitudestowardscareersinhealthcareandscience,”surveyconductedbyHarrisInteractive,April2012,asquotedbyCohenC,PattersonDG,KovarikDN,ChowningJT.FosteringSTEMcareerawareness:emergingopportunitiesforteachers.WAStateKappan.2013;6:1–17.

WellcomeTrust,2013,“WllcomeTrustMonitor,Wave2,”asretrievedfromhttps://wellcome.ac.uk/sites/default/files/monitor-wave2-full-wellcome-may13.pdf

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OUTLINE - Learning Blade · 2016. 10. 24. · While women in all careers earn $0.77 for each dollar earned by men in the same jobs, in STEM fields women earn $0.92 for each dollar