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Browsing by Subject "IUPUI Nanotechnology Discovery Academy (INDA)"
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Item Learning at the Nano-level: Exploring the unseen and accounting for complexity in how (and why) secondary STEM teachers learn(Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2014-04-11) Fore, Grant; Sorge, Brandon; Feldhaus, Charlie; Agarwal, Mangilal; Varahramyan, KodyThis study utilizes IUPUI’s Nanotechnology Discovery Academy (INDA) for secondary Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) teachers (n=13) as its starting point for exploring issues related to teacher learning and professional development (PD). Pilot data was collected as part of an evaluation of INDA during the summer of 2013. Teacher professional learning is often represented as the measurable change (e.g. content knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, self-efficacy, etc.) that occurs via PD “best practices.” However, following constructivism, the processes of knowledge construction are complex, and what is learned — and, more importantly, how and why it is learned — is itself an assemblage of experiences oftentimes particular to the individual learner. Our preliminary findings suggest that while teacher perceptions of their pedagogical development and confidence may increase, their learning outcomes and subsequent practice take shape in relation to each individual’s teaching/learning history and the political and socioeconomic reality of their school. With teacher PD remaining an important focus of U.S. educational policy, it is important to correctly characterize the emergent outcomes of PD interventions to better understand how teachers learn, what constrains their learning and practice, and how teacher professional learning can, in turn, be mobilized to empower both teachers and their students.Item Understanding the INDA Student Summer Camp Experience(Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2014-04-11) Scheive, Melanie; Fore, Grant; Sorge, BrandonSERI conducted an evaluation of IUPUI’s Nanotechnology Discovery Academy (INDA) for students (n=47) during the summer of 2013. SERI evaluators utilized an explanatory sequential mixed methods evaluation plan comprised of surveys (pre- and post-), observations, and four student focus groups. Using a mixed methods approach facilitates a dialogue between quantitative representations of change and the everyday experiences and perceptions of participating students, thereby constructing insights into the complexity of the learning process and its effects. Student learning outcomes and comfort with collaborative learning were measured through pre- and post-question change. A student Nanoscore was determined using survey questions assessing nanotechnology comfort, confidence, and understanding. Both the change in student Nanoscore and their comfort with collaborative learning had statistically significant increases. Qualitative data was used to elaborate on the significance of these changes, suggesting that INDA provided an educational environment that emphasized and improved nanotechnology awareness and collaborative abilities. However, findings from this evaluation also reveal that many participants struggled with the interdisciplinarity of nanotechnology. More specifically, students who had yet to take high school physics reported struggling with INDA content due to their lack of physics knowledge.