Browsing by Subject "informal learning"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
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    Designing embodied interactions for informal learning: two open research challenges
    (ACM, 2019-06) Cafaro, Francesco; Trajkova, Milka; Alhakamy, A’aeshah; Human-Centered Computing, School of Informatics and Computing
    Interactive installations that are controlled with gestures and body movements have been widely used in museums due to their tremendous educational potential. The design of such systems, however, remains problematic. In this paper, we reflect on two open research challenges that we observed when crafting a Kinect-based prototype installation for data exploration at a science museum: (1) making the user aware that the system is interactive; and, (2) increasing the discoverability of hand gestures and body movements.
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    Making “it” matter: developing African-American girls and young women’s mathematics and science identities through informal STEM learning
    (Springer, 2022-03) Morton, Crystal; Smith-Mutegi, Demetrice; School of Education
    This article describes a summer enrichment science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) camp for African-American girls and young women aimed at addressing mathematical and science self-efficacy and reinforcing the importance and usefulness of mathematics and science with a socially transformative curriculum. The research questions guiding this study are (1) How do African-American girl participants describe their experiences in Girls STEM Institute (GSI)? and (2) How does the STEM program experience affect their mathematics and science self-efficacy and valuing of mathematics and science? The data, which included journal entries and interviews, were collected and analyzed from four participants and indicated that participating in the Girls STEM Institute led to improved mathematics and science self-efficacy and increased perceptions of the value of science and math knowledge.
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    Self-Directed Learning in Teacher-Lead Minecraft Classrooms
    (ACM, 2017-05) Faas, Travis; Lin, Chaolan; Human-Centered Computing, School of Informatics and Computing
    Minecraft, an online multi-player sandbox video game, is now being used as a teaching tool for course subjects ranging from digital literature to computer science. To understand how Minecraft was being adopted as a classroom tool, we interviewed 16 teachers and 10 students who had used Minecraft inside a classroom setting. Analysis revealed three key ways in which Minecraft enables and motivates students to work towards their own learning goals: the ability to customize context, live through stories, and assume roles in the virtual world. Drawing from these themes we propose a set of design recommendations for online informal learning spaces.