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Icon for STEM: Learning in the Making

STEM: Learning in the Making

A DIT Guide to Designing, Showcasing and Reflecting on STEM Projects

Learning Module

Abstract

STEM projects integrate science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The products of these projects may include gadgets, electrical circuits, software, games, artworks, videos, robots, musical instruments, designs for buildings and a thousand other useful or beautiful objects. This learning module, based on the ideas of learning through making, steps learners through the process of designing, showcasing and reflecting on their STEM projects. We call it a DIT guide, because it involves peer feedback, so the final results are not just DIY (do-it-yourself) but DIT (do-it-together).

Keywords

Creativity, Innovation, Invention, Learning-by-doing, STEM

1. Why this Webkit?

For the Student

Learning Goal: To understand DIT in Scholar.

Welcome to STEM: Learning in the Making, a DIT guide for designing, documenting, sharing, reflecting on and showcasing your STEM projects.

You've probably heard of DIY, or do-it-yourself, where instead of purchasing something ready made in a shop or getting a professional to do something for you, you work out how do it for yourself. The result is something that is cheaper, or better, or different. DIT is DIY with a difference. DIT stands for "do-it-together".

In this webspace, you are going to document your making and learning. Along the way, you will be getting a lot of useful feedback from others. You will also learn a lot by giving feedback to others. So, by the end, you really will have done things together!

Welcome also to Scholar. We call Scholar a "social knowledge" technology. You'll notice that Scholar is a bit like Facebook, Twitter, a blog and LinkedIn. But it is also different from all of them because it is specifically designed for collaborative knowledge work and social learning.

In Scholar, you will have discussions with other members of your class/group's Community space. You will write your pitch or document your STEM project in Scholar's Creator space. Then, in the same space, you will provide others with feedback on their work. Finally, after you have taken on board the feedback, your revised work will be published into the publications area of your own, personal webpage in Community.

Comment: Tell other members of your maker group about a time when DIT, rather than DIY, worked for you. Respond to others' comments by starting your comment with @Name.

Makers, Doing-it-Together

For the Teacher

This learning module focuses on STEM  which involves the subjects of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. The main skills sets of STEM include:

  • Learning and applying content
  • Integrating content
  • Interpreting and communicating information
  • Engaging in inquiry
  • Engaging in logical reasoning
  • Collaborating as a team
  • Applying technology appropriately

This learning module was designed using the Learning by Design framework (Kalantzis and Cope) which is based on Multiliteracies theory. The learning module's purpose is to guide students and teachers as students design, document, share, reflect on and showcase their STEM projects.

The knowledge processes of the Learning by Design framework

This learning module focuses on processes and production skills, using content descriptions from the Australian Curriculum: Design and Technologies. Hence it focuses on experiential, analytical and applied learning. The conceptual learning relating to a specific STEM project may be added through extra updates or documented in another learning module in Scholar. See how to create an extra update on the teacher side of "2. What are You Envisioning" in this learning module.

Content descriptions from years 5-6 and 9-10 are included; other year groups could also be added.

This update introduces participants to the idea of collaborative work, and the Scholar platform. When you activate the 'Post Student Content to a Community' button, you will be able to select any community which you admin, and post content on the left side of this screen to all members of the group.

Direct students to the Help tutorials for extra Scholar support. You may also like to post the optional supplementary update from the Getting Started in Scholar Learning Module, to be found in Scholar => Bookstore:

  • Getting Started in the Community Space

We have also created an introductory survey for members of your group. If you activate the "Distribute Survey" button, all members of your community will receive a request in their Scholar activity stream to take this survey. You can see what is in the survey by selecting the 'Preview Survey' button.

All the activities presented in this learning module are optional. Nothing happens until you "Post Left Side Content to a Community", "Start Project" or "Distribute a Survey" - you can do any or all of these things at an time, and in any order that makes sense to you as the teacher/co-ordinator. When you "Post Left Side Content to a Community", you can edit that content until the first person makes a comment, or stars the update.

If you want some baseline information about your students before a project starts, you might like to distribute this survey to your class/group.

Projects may be set up as individual projects or as group projects. Use Updates 3 and 4 for the individual projects. Use Updates 3a and 5a for the group projects.

2. What are You Envisioning?

For the Student

Learning Goal: To explore ideas for a STEM maker project.

Tell the others in your class/group what you are envisioning. What do you imagine you might make?

Brainstorming is a method for coming up with ideas quickly. It is a way of throwing around initial ideas. When you brainstorm, you just say what comes immediately to mind, even if it seems that the idea does not quite work (because you never know, with some DIT feedback, iit might!). Don’t worry if your ideas sound crazy ... think outside of the box.

Comment: As initial ideas come through in Scholar, give your reactions. So it is clear which maker you are speaking to, start each comment with @ followed by that person's name.

Giving each other feedback

For the Teacher

This is a short optional update you can make for your class community where you ask them what they are envisioning. You may use this as a supplement to the Scholar project, "Making a Pitch", or as a simpler alternative to full peer review of the pitch.

Also, at any time you can make an update yourself (news, a question, an idea), just by pulling down the menu behind the yellow bar with the community's name and selecting updates.

Adding an Update

There are two ways you, as an admin, can organize your community in Scholar. You can allow any community member to add an update (Community => Settings => Unrestricted). The advantage of this is that any community member can make an update, with full multimedia capacities, and everyone in the community can then comment on it. Alternatively, if your community has restricted content, all that members can do is comment on this update - but that can only happen in words. Depending on your settings, tell your students whether they are to make their own updates, or comment on this update. Also see  Introduction and Navigating Community tutorial on how to create an update.

Australian Curriculum

Design and Technologies Processes and Production Skills

Years 5 and 6 Content Descriptions

Generate, develop and communicate design ideas and processes for audiences using appropriate technical terms and graphical representation techniques (ACTDEP025)

 Years 9 and 10 Content Descriptions

Develop, modify and communicate design ideas by applying design thinking, creativity, innovation and enterprise skills of increasing sophistication (ACTDEP049)

3. Making a Pitch

For the Student

Learning Goal: To draft your pitch in Scholar.

Before you start making, it is often a good idea to have a pitch. A pitch is a short presentation where you try to convince others that your idea is a good one, and worth doing. In this project, you are going to create a pitch, get feedback on this pitch from peers, and revise your pitch based on feedback. Your admin may then choose to publish your revised pitch into your personal Community page.

You are going to write your pitch in the Creator space of Scholar. When the project is about to start, you will receive a notification in the top bar - take this live link so you write your pitch in the right place for peer review. Before you start writing, look at the rubric that other members of your class/group will use to evaluate your work. This will give you an idea of how to develop an excellent pitch.

Developing Ideas for a Pitch

Comment: What's the reason for making a pitch? Are there times you have made a pitch? What has it been like?

For the Teacher

In this learning module, we offer two possible works that the students in your group might create.

  1. Make a Pitch - in which makers clarify their ideas, attempt to convince other members of their group that their project is worthwhile, and get feedback on the project before they start.
  2. Showcase Your STEM Maker Project - in which students document their maker project.

You may choose to activate either or both of these options by taking the "Start Project" button. The button below will start the first of these projects, the "Make a Pitch" project. You will be directed to a project setup where you will need to step through the project wizard, adding deadlines for your project. The default is random selection of feedback contributors, who will be asked to provide reviews, annotations and publication recommendations. Creators and reviewers will be anonymous. However, if people in your group already know what each other is thinking of doing, it may be sensible to change this default setting in the Advanced Settings area of the Feedback phase. In any event, do check that all the default settings suit you before you commence the project.

Following is the review rubric for the "Make a Pitch" project. As the admin, you can edit this rubric before you start the project (though not after it has been started):

If you want to set up a project for one student (called a single work project), or one that advances manually from step to step, or one that spaces phases by durations rather than fixed dates, you will need to create a new project. You will still be able to use the rubric "Review of a Maker Pitch". Selecting the "Start Project" below will copy the rubric into your Publisher so you can access it. (In this case, do not follow the steps in the project wizard to actually start the project!)

If your students have not used Scholar before, you may wish to post these updates from the Getting Started in Scholar Learning Module. The best time to make these posts is when the group is about to move into each phase of the project.

  • Starting a Work in Scholar
  • Working in Scholar's Creator Space
  • Giving Feedback in Scholar
  • Revising in Scholar
  • Writing a Self-Review
  • Getting Published in Scholar

Australian Curriculum

Design and Technologies Processes and Production Skills

Years 5 and 6 Content Descriptions

Critique needs or opportunities for designing, and investigate materials, components, tools, equipment and processes to achieve intended designed solutions (ACTDEP024)

Generate, develop and communicate design ideas and processes for audiences using appropriate technical terms and graphical representation techniques (ACTDEP025)

Negotiate criteria for success that include sustainability to evaluate design ideas, processes and solutions (ACTDEP027)

Years 9 and 10 Content Descriptions

Critique needs or opportunities to develop design briefs and investigate and select an increasingly sophisticated range of materials, systems, components, tools and equipment to develop design ideas (ACTDEP048)

Develop, modify and communicate design ideas by applying design thinking, creativity, innovation and enterprise skills of increasing sophistication (ACTDEP049)

Evaluate design ideas, processes and solutions against comprehensive criteria for success recognising the need for sustainability (ACTDEP051)

3a. Making a Pitch (Group Project)

For the Student

Learning Goal: To draft your group's pitch in Scholar.

Before you start making, it is often a good idea to have a pitch. A pitch is a short presentation where you try to convince others that your idea is a good one, and worth doing. In this project, your group is going to create a pitch, get feedback on this pitch from peers, and revise your pitch based on feedback. Your admin may then choose to publish your group's revised pitch into your personal Community pages.

Your group is going to write your pitch in the Creator space of Scholar. When the project is about to start, you will receive a notification in the top bar. One person in the group should take this link . Then go to Creator => About This Work => Creators and invite the other members of the group. They should check their Notifications for a "Creator Invitation". When they click on this, the work will appear in their list of Works. All members of the group will be able to see the same work in their list of Works.

Before you start writing, look at the rubric that other members of your maker group will use to evaluate your work. This will give you an idea of how to develop an excellent pitch.

Also use the Structure Tool to set up sections in your work. This will allow all group members to work at the same time in different sections. A lock will show that another student is working in a section. Other group members will be able to look at that section but not work in it at that time.

Comment: What's the reason for making a pitch? Are there times you have made a pitch? What has it been like?

For the Teacher

In this learning module, we offer two possible works/projects that the students/makers in your class/group might create.

  • Make a Pitch (Group Project) - in which students/makers clarify their ideas, attempt to convince other members of their class that their project is worthwhile, and get feedback on the project before they start.
  • Showcase Your Group STEM Project - in which students/makers document their STEM project.

You may choose to activate either or both of these options by taking the "Start Project" button. The button below will start the first of these projects, the "Make a Pitch" Group Project. You will be directed to a project setup where you will need to step through the project wizard, adding deadlines for your project. The default is random selection of feedback contributors, who will be asked to provide reviews, annotations and publication recommendations. Creators and reviewers will be anonymous. However, if people in your group already know what each other is thinking of doing, it may be sensible to change this default setting in the Advanced Settings area of the Feedback phase. In any event, do check that all the default settings suit you before you commence the project.

Setting up the Groups

As you step through the Invitation and Draft Settings stage of the project setup, you will see that “Allow Creators to add Co-Creators” has been selected in the Advanced Settings. Once students receive their Notifications to start their project, admins should advise creators to invite co-creators (see Tutorial 3.2.2). When they do this, the number of works in a Multi Work project is reduced from one work per person to one work per group of co-creators.

Following is the review rubric for the "Making a Pitch"Group Project. As the admin, you can edit this rubric before you start the project (though not after it has been started).

If you want to set up a project that advances manually from step to step, or one that spaces phases by durations rather than fixed dates, you will need to create a new project. You will still be able to use the rubric "Review of a Maker Pitch". Selecting the "Start Project" below will copy the rubric into your Publisher so you can access it. (In this case, do not follow the steps in the project wizard to actually start the project!)

If your students have not used Scholar before, you may wish to post these updates from the Getting Started in Scholar Learning Module. The best time to make these posts is when the group is about to move into each phase of the project.

  • Starting a Work in Scholar
  • Working in Scholar's Creator Space
  • Giving Feedback in Scholar
  • Revising in Scholar
  • Writing a Self-Review
  • Getting Published in Scholar

Australian Curriculum

Design and Technologies Processes and Production Skills

Years 5 and 6 Content Descriptions

Critique needs or opportunities for designing, and investigate materials, components, tools, equipment and processes to achieve intended designed solutions (ACTDEP024)

Generate, develop and communicate design ideas and processes for audiences using appropriate technical terms and graphical representation techniques (ACTDEP025)

Negotiate criteria for success that include sustainability to evaluate design ideas, processes and solutions (ACTDEP027)

Years 9 and 10 Content Descriptions

Critique needs or opportunities to develop design briefs and investigate and select an increasingly sophisticated range of materials, systems, components, tools and equipment to develop design ideas (ACTDEP048)

Develop, modify and communicate design ideas by applying design thinking, creativity, innovation and enterprise skills of increasing sophistication (ACTDEP049)

Evaluate design ideas, processes and solutions against comprehensive criteria for success recognising the need for sustainability (ACTDEP051)

4. How are You Doing?

For the Student

Learning Goal: To reflect on your progress so far.

Comment: So, how are you doing? Comment on:

  • Successes?
  • Challenges?
  • Possibilities?
  • Help me!

Then give other students feedback, make suggestions, offer help. So everyone knows who you are speaking to, start with an @, followed by the maker's name.

Telling others how you are doing

For the Teacher

This is an optional update that you might make a number of times during a maker project. You might even use it as a less formal alternative to more detailed peer review of the Scholar documentation project, "Showcasing your STEM Project". And don't forget you can make updates that you have created yourself!

Australian Curriculum

Design and Technologies Processes and Production Skills

Years 5 and 6 Content Descriptions

Critique needs or opportunities for designing, and investigate materials, components, tools, equipment and processes to achieve intended designed solutions (ACTDEP024)

Negotiate criteria for success that include sustainability to evaluate design ideas, processes and solutions (ACTDEP027)

Years 9 and 10 Content Descriptions

Critique needs or opportunities to develop design briefs and investigate and select an increasingly sophisticated range of materials, systems, components, tools and equipment to develop design ideas (ACTDEP048)

Evaluate design ideas, processes and solutions against comprehensive criteria for success recognising the need for sustainability (ACTDEP051)

Develop project plans using digital technologies to plan and manage projects individually and collaboratively taking into consideration time, cost, risk and production processes (ACTDEP052)

5. Showcasing Your Maker Project

For the Student

Learning Goal: To document your STEM maker project and to use feedback to revise it for publication.

In order to get DIT (do-it-together) feedback, you need to document or record your making processes.

It is one thing to do the making, and another thing to document it. Documenting can serve many useful purposes:

  • To help clarify your objectives
  • To plan the resources required: materials, tools, including their availability for free or at a cost
  • To define and co-ordinate roles when the project involves more than one person
  • To anticipate the research, support from experts and learning you will require to meet your making objectives
  • To describe in words or illustrate the underlying science, technologies, techniques or designs
  • To list the steps in the making process
  • To develop a timeframe
  • To describe the object and user testing processes
  • To describe the ways in which user feedback will be collected
  • To discuss the challenges expected before starting and actually encountered
  • To evaluate the outcomes of the project
  • To tell the world about what you have made

We are going to go through two drafts of your documentation for the Maker Project Showcase.

  • Draft 1: Before you start making
  • Draft 2: When your making is done (at least for the time being!)

You will send out your second draft for peer review, before revising and publication in Scholar's Community space by your admin.

To create your first version, hover over the Save button, and you will see 'Save as a new version' appear. Some important tips: 1) Only do this once, when you have completed your first draft at the beginning of the project. Important - do not submit this version for peer feedback. 2) Write your second version when the project is finished, updating your thinking based on your actual experience of the project. When you are finished, submit for peer feedback. 

Comment: Give an example of documentation in a particular jobs, or particular place of research or learning. What's the point of documentation?

For the Teacher

If students have not already used the Creator space in Scholar to write and review a pitch, you may wish to post these updates from the Getting Started in Scholar Learning Module. The best time to make these posts is when the group is about to move into the next phase of the project.

  • Starting a Work in Scholar
  • Working in Scholar's Creator Space
  • Giving Feedback in Scholar
  • Revising in Scholar
  • Writing a Self-Review
  • Getting Published in Scholar

We recommend that the participants make two drafts of their work, one at the beginning of their STEM maker project, and a second when they have completed the project. This way, they (and you) have a record of how their thinking and work has evolved. They should save a new version of their work and only submit the second version after they have completed their project.

Following is the rubric for the Maker Showcase review:

Australian Curriculum

Design and Technologies Processes and Production Skills

Years 5 and 6 Content Descriptions

Critique needs or opportunities for designing, and investigate materials, components, tools, equipment and processes to achieve intended designed solutions (ACTDEP024)

Generate, develop and communicate design ideas and processes for audiences using appropriate technical terms and graphical representation techniques (ACTDEP025)

Select appropriate materials, components, tools, equipment and techniques and apply safe procedures to make designed solutions (ACTDEP026)

Negotiate criteria for success that include sustainability to evaluate design ideas, processes and solutions (ACTDEP027)

Develop project plans that include consideration of resources when making designed solutions individually and collaboratively (ACTDEP028)

Years 9 and 10 Content Descriptions

Critique needs or opportunities to develop design briefs and investigate and select an increasingly sophisticated range of materials, systems, components, tools and equipment to develop design ideas (ACTDEP048)

Develop, modify and communicate design ideas by applying design thinking, creativity, innovation and enterprise skills of increasing sophistication (ACTDEP049)

Work flexibly to effectively and safely test, select, justify and use appropriate technologies and processes to make designed solutions (ACTDEP050)

Evaluate design ideas, processes and solutions against comprehensive criteria for success recognising the need for sustainability (ACTDEP051)

Develop project plans using digital technologies to plan and manage projects individually and collaboratively taking into consideration time, cost, risk and production processes (ACTDEP052)

 

5a. Showcasing Your Group STEM Project

For the Student

Learning Goal: To document your STEM maker project and to use feedback to revise it for publication.

In order to get DIT (do-it-together) feedback, you need to document or record your making processes.

It is one thing to do the making, and another thing to document it. Documenting can serve many useful purposes:

  • To help clarify your objectives
  • To plan the resources required: materials, tools, including their availability for free or at a cost
  • To define and co-ordinate roles when the project involves more than one person
  • To anticipate the research, support from experts and learning you will require to meet your making objectives
  • To describe in words or illustrate the underlying science, technologies, techniques or designs
  • To list the steps in the making process
  • To develop a timeframe
  • To describe the object and user testing processes
  • To describe the ways in which user feedback will be collected
  • To discuss the challenges expected before starting and actually encountered
  • To evaluate the outcomes of the project
  • To tell the world about what you have made
  • We are going to go through two drafts of your documentation for the Maker Project Showcase.

Draft 1: Before you start making
Draft 2: When your making is done (at least for the time being!)

You will send out your second draft for peer review, before revising and publication in Scholar's Community space by your admin.

To create your first version, hover over the Save button, and you will see 'Save as a new version' appear. Some important tips: 1) Only do this once, when you have completed your first draft at the beginning of the project. Important - do not submit this version for peer feedback. 2) Write your second version when the project is finished, updating your thinking based on your actual experience of the project. When you are finished, submit for peer feedback. 

Comment: Give an example of documentation in a particular jobs, or particular place of research or learning. What's the point of documentation?

For the Teacher

If students have not already used the Creator space in Scholar to write and review a pitch, you may wish to post these updates from the Getting Started in Scholar Learning Module. The best time to make these posts is when the group is about to move into the next phase of the project.

  • Starting a Work in Scholar
  • Working in Scholar's Creator Space
  • Giving Feedback in Scholar
  • Revising in Scholar
  • Writing a Self-Review
  • Getting Published in Scholar

We recommend that groups make two drafts of their work, one at the beginning of their STEM maker project, and a second when they have completed the project. This way, they (and you) have a record of how their thinking and work has evolved. They should save a new version of their work and only submit the second version after they have completed their project.

Following is the rubric for the Maker Showcase review:

 

Australian Curriculum

Design and Technologies Processes and Production Skills

Years 5 and 6 Content Descriptions

Critique needs or opportunities for designing, and investigate materials, components, tools, equipment and processes to achieve intended designed solutions (ACTDEP024)

Generate, develop and communicate design ideas and processes for audiences using appropriate technical terms and graphical representation techniques (ACTDEP025)

Select appropriate materials, components, tools, equipment and techniques and apply safe procedures to make designed solutions (ACTDEP026)

Negotiate criteria for success that include sustainability to evaluate design ideas, processes and solutions (ACTDEP027)

Develop project plans that include consideration of resources when making designed solutions individually and collaboratively (ACTDEP028)

Years 9 and 10 Content Descriptions

Critique needs or opportunities to develop design briefs and investigate and select an increasingly sophisticated range of materials, systems, components, tools and equipment to develop design ideas (ACTDEP048)

Develop, modify and communicate design ideas by applying design thinking, creativity, innovation and enterprise skills of increasing sophistication (ACTDEP049)

Work flexibly to effectively and safely test, select, justify and use appropriate technologies and processes to make designed solutions (ACTDEP050)

Evaluate design ideas, processes and solutions against comprehensive criteria for success recognising the need for sustainability (ACTDEP051)

Develop project plans using digital technologies to plan and manage projects individually and collaboratively taking into consideration time, cost, risk and production processes (ACTDEP052)

6. How was It?

For the Student

Learning Goal: To reflect critically on your STEM Maker project

Now we're near the end of your project, how was it?

  • What were your triumphs?
  • ... and your disasters?
  • How would you do things differently next time?
  • And what about your next  project - what will it be?

Comment: Discuss each other's experiences and future plans.

Looking back at a project, and looking ahead ...

For the Teacher

This is another optional post, which you may wish to make in addition to, or instead of, the full, peer-reviewed "Showcasing Your Maker Project".

You may also wish to distribute a survey, asking your maker group about their experience, as well as getting their feedback on how they found Scholar as a community building and publishing space.

Australian Curriculum

Design and Technologies Processes and Production Skills

Years 5 and 6 Content Descriptions

Critique needs or opportunities for designing, and investigate materials, components, tools, equipment and processes to achieve intended designed solutions (ACTDEP024)

Negotiate criteria for success that include sustainability to evaluate design ideas, processes and solutions (ACTDEP027)

Years 9 and 10 Content Descriptions

Critique needs or opportunities to develop design briefs and investigate and select an increasingly sophisticated range of materials, systems, components, tools and equipment to develop design ideas (ACTDEP048)

Evaluate design ideas, processes and solutions against comprehensive criteria for success recognising the need for sustainability (ACTDEP051)