stem girls grow confidence with science sue caley opsal, co-pi illinois valley community college...
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STEM Girls Grow ConfidenceWith Science
Sue Caley Opsal, Co-PIIllinois Valley Community College
04/19/23Building an Engineering Technology
Workforce: A Plan for Reaching Young People, Adults, and Women
Grant Team
• Sue Caley Opsal, Co-PI• Dorene Perez, PI• Jim Gibson, Co-PI• Rose Marie Lynch, Co-PI• Kristi Eager, Middle School Science Teacher• John Fusinatto, Middle School Science Teacher
04/19/23Building an Engineering Technology
Workforce: A Plan for Reaching Young People, Adults, and Women
The Challenge• Women still underrepresented in engineering
technology
– Encourage girls to consider science, technology, engineering, and math careers
– Prepare for advanced course work in high school
– Foster independent thinking
04/19/23Building an Engineering Technology
Workforce: A Plan for Reaching Young People, Adults, and Women
Middle School Program• Began Spring 2010• Two Co-Lead middle school teachers• Co-PI Coordinates• Focus on girls• One full day campus visit per semester• All activities hands-on– Assessments– Integration of STEM– Career exploration
04/19/23Building an Engineering Technology
Workforce: A Plan for Reaching Young People, Adults, and Women
Best Practices for Success
• Partners • Participants• Parents • Hands-on STEM tasks• Long-term program• Campus visits• College honor students • Research and evaluation
04/19/23Building an Engineering Technology
Workforce: A Plan for Reaching Young People, Adults, and Women
Choosing Partners• Passionate teachers
• Excited about your goals
• Understand population
• Administrative buy-in
04/19/23Building an Engineering Technology
Workforce: A Plan for Reaching Young People, Adults, and Women
Choosing Participants:STEM Girls
• Not based on grades• Based on interest • Will follow through
• 23 girls this year – 48% Hispanic
• 68% poverty level
04/19/23Building an Engineering Technology
Workforce: A Plan for Reaching Young People, Adults, and Women
STEM Girls Name
• Girls christen themselves….
»Smart»Team where»Everyone »Matters
04/19/23Building an Engineering Technology
Workforce: A Plan for Reaching Young People, Adults, and Women
Parent Participation
04/19/23Building an Engineering Technology
Workforce: A Plan for Reaching Young People, Adults, and Women
Hands-on STEM Tasks
• Robots• Computer hardware• Genetics and DNA• Diodes• Rockets• Forensic science• Microscopy • Math
04/19/23Building an Engineering Technology
Workforce: A Plan for Reaching Young People, Adults, and Women
Science
04/19/23Building an Engineering Technology
Workforce: A Plan for Reaching Young People, Adults, and Women
Lego Mindstorm Robots
04/19/23Building an Engineering Technology
Workforce: A Plan for Reaching Young People, Adults, and Women
Making Diodes
04/19/23Building an Engineering Technology
Workforce: A Plan for Reaching Young People, Adults, and Women
Long-term Program
• Began spring 2010 and continues today• Multiple college instructors from many
disciplines• Most activities are periodic• Lego Mindstorm NXT (robots) ongoing• One campus visit per semester
04/19/23Building an Engineering Technology
Workforce: A Plan for Reaching Young People, Adults, and Women
Completed Robot
04/19/23Building an Engineering Technology
Workforce: A Plan for Reaching Young People, Adults, and Women
Campus Visits
04/19/23Building an Engineering Technology
Workforce: A Plan for Reaching Young People, Adults, and Women
04/19/23Building an Engineering Technology
Workforce: A Plan for Reaching Young People, Adults, and Women
Research and Evaluation
• Surveys
• Interviews
• Random sample studies– Effect of Parent Participation (Diodes)– Boy-girl Behavioral study (March 2011)
04/19/23Building an Engineering Technology
Workforce: A Plan for Reaching Young People, Adults, and Women
Pre and Post Survey Questions
• Boys can design and build things• Girls can design and build things• I like to think about the way things work• I like to explore how mechanical gadgets work• Girls can be as good as boys in math• My parent has suggested I consider a career in
STEM– *Likert scale suggestions
04/19/23Building an Engineering Technology
Workforce: A Plan for Reaching Young People, Adults, and Women
Interviews• Evaluate pre and post activity confidence• Sample questions:– I prefer to complete hands-on tasks alone– I prefer to complete hands-on tasks with a team
• Likert scale confidence questions – Programming robots– Building robots– Performing math problems– Taking apart computer/reassembling
04/19/23Building an Engineering Technology
Workforce: A Plan for Reaching Young People, Adults, and Women
Computer Activity Clip
04/19/23Building an Engineering Technology
Workforce: A Plan for Reaching Young People, Adults, and Women
Outcomes: Confident in…
• Working alone: 28%• Working with team: 94%• Millennium generation characteristics
04/19/23Building an Engineering Technology
Workforce: A Plan for Reaching Young People, Adults, and Women
Outcomes: Confident in…• Building/constructing, using tools, hardware
(legos, screwdrivers) BEFORE 33%• Building/constructing, using tools, hardware
(legos, screwdrivers) AFTER 72%
• Video interviews 1
04/19/23Building an Engineering Technology
Workforce: A Plan for Reaching Young People, Adults, and Women
Outcomes: Confident in…• Programming a robot: BEFORE 27%• Programming a robot: AFTER 76%
• Computer: BEFORE 28%• Computer: AFTER 55% – Video clip: Interviews 2
04/19/23Building an Engineering Technology
Workforce: A Plan for Reaching Young People, Adults, and Women
Random Sample Studies• Build a diode activity– Effect of parent participation– Girls participating with a parent had more positive
attitudes towards science, technology, and engineering careers (95% confidence level)
– Both groups said the activity increased their confidence in technical skills
– Involving parent in activities may be an effective recruiting strategy for girls
04/19/23Building an Engineering Technology
Workforce: A Plan for Reaching Young People, Adults, and Women
04/19/23Building an Engineering Technology
Workforce: A Plan for Reaching Young People, Adults, and Women
Future Research
• Explore gender roles - have they changed with the millennial generation
• Behavioral study of STEM girls paired with a boy completing a hands-on task
• Behavioral study of non-STEM girls paired with a boy completing a hands-on task
04/19/23Building an Engineering Technology
Workforce: A Plan for Reaching Young People, Adults, and Women
For More Information
• Grant website: www.ivcc.edu/nsf
• Grant Team Phone Numbers:– Sue Caley Opsal: 815-224-0412– Dorene Perez: 815-224-0221– Jim Gibson: 815-224-0453– Rose Marie Lynch: 815-224-0209– Kristi Eager & John Fusinatto: 815-223-0933
04/19/23Building an Engineering Technology
Workforce: A Plan for Reaching Young People, Adults, and Women