stem-like programs in victorian secondary...

Developing sTEm and imagineering in Victorian secondary schools

Dr Mike Brown, Dr Eva Dakich La Trobe UniversityFaculty of Education

And Brandon Darcy from Kardinia

My email: [email protected]

Alistair

Kurt’s electric car

Faye from Paynesville

Fay’s tug - Samson

Overview of the presentation

• From a design and technology education viewpoint • Not much STEM but some that are ‘STEM-like’• The pedagogy and the curriculum• The Year 3 homework task: a marble alley• The solar vehicles: models and full size• A theme on projects in developing countries• The hovercrafts• At VCE: sTEm = ‘Systems engineering’

The curriculum framework for design and technology education

Design

Make

Evaluate

VCAA curriculum structure for D & T

Year 11 D&T: Working to a brief – create a lamp that provides ‘mood lighting’

From the perspective of D & T

• CSF led to KLAs – and Vertical integration of curriculum• VELS extended this and encouraged horizontal integration of

curriculum and the design of multi-domain units• multi-domain units of work . . . • STEM became possible and was there for the take up by creative

teachers

STEM programs are possible . .

Three main forms . . .

1. A coordinated approach: timing of learning ideas and concepts is coordinated across a group of different subject teachers

2. A collaborative approach: a team of teachers plan out their units of work to support student learning of related ideas and concepts

3. An integrated approach an off-timetable event or project full integration of the STEM subjects whereby one teacher follows a project

across a range of lessons

What about Graham?

what has developed are some ‘STEM-like’ programs

• Year 3 Make a marble alley

• Year 8 Solar vehicles: in competition

• Year 9 Rockets

• Year 10 (and VCAL) hovercrafts

• VET: the sustainability trailer

• VCAL: slot car racing

• VCE: Systems Engineering

Year 3 homework project: design and make a marble alley

Years 3 & 4

Years 7 & 8: solar vehicles competition

Year 9: rockets

Years 10 & VCAL: hovercrafts

VCAL: racing slot cars

VET within VCAL

VET: the sustainability trailer

VCE Systems Engineering

A quick overview of a study in VCE

• VCE ( and VCAL) cover study in Years 11 & 12• VCE subjects are detailed in a Study Design• Each Study Design is divided into four units – to be studied over

two years (unit = semester)• Units 1 & 2 = Year 11; Units 3 & 4 = year 12• Each of the Units, is subdivided into area of studies and each

area has an assigned outcome• Usually 2 or 3 outcomes per unit• An assessment task for each outcome• Assessment occurs through SACs, SAT and Exam• Final Study scores are out of 50 . . . . • Study scores feed into the ATAR

Chose twenty SAT projects in Top Design

• Visited the schools and interviewed the twenty teachers and tracked down the twenty students associated with these SAT projects;

• Analysed a range of each student’s work (folios)• Reviewed the teacher’s teaching program• Undertook extensive in depth interviews with other

leading teachers in this field• Analysed the curriculum and assessment

documentation (VCAA)• Analysed a range of textbooks and teachers notes

VCE Systems Engineering

• . . . it is all based around the students’ projects and their project management, so the students choose a unique electrical and electronic and mechanical project to build, something they are inspired to build and they then have to go and research if it’s at all possible. I often let them do things which I have no idea whether they are possible and they’re outside of my range of expertise. The research I find then is very genuine . . . they go off and research and design and come up with a starting point and often will start building their production, and they design and research as they go along … it’s more like an invention for maybe half of the students … The product dominates Systems Engineering.

• (Interview with a VCE Systems Engineering Teacher )

VCE: Systems Engineering (Joseph)

VCE: Systems Engineering

VCE: Systems Engineering Nathan

KERWYN JOSHUA ALDERSON Catholic Regional College, Sydenham

• Amphibious Rescue Hovercraft Turnigy 25A ESCs, brushless motors, servo motor, 11.1V Li-Po battery, breakout cables, 2.4 GHz radio module, LED scanner kit, LED chaser kit, 3-colour LED strips, proximity sensors, relay, buzzer, 9V battery, wire connectors, switches, 6x4 propellers, plywood, balsa wood, aluminium, rip-stop nylon

• I produced the Amphibious Rescue Hovercraft to assist emergency crews in flooded and marine environments. The versatility, lighting and amphibious capabilities of the hovercraft made it ideal for such tasks. The hovercraft was challenging to produce, as the design and electronics needed to be revised in order to achieve lift-off.

BASIL ANASTASI Newhaven College, Newhaven

• Automatic Goat Feeder steel, zinc sealed steel, pop rivets, drill motors, wind screen wiper motor, bicycle axle and hub, auger blade, valve springs, Picaxe 18M2+ microcontroller, resistors, tantalum capacitors, transistors, voltage regulator, RFID reader, OLED display, push button switches, reed switches, neodymium magnets, heat sinks, electrical wire, two-prong plug, hex inverter, AND gate, quad-line driver, IC sockets, LDR, diodes

• The Automatic Goat Feeder is designed to mix a daily supplement and feed it to goats. The frame is welded together with the sheets attached using rivets. The design was tricky because it required many elements working in unison to remain efficient. A major challenge was learning how to weld in order to construct the frame

KARL VOSS Kardinia International College

• Tri-rotor Unmanned Aerial Vehicle perspex, square aluminium tubing, 1000kv brushless motors, 20A electronic speed controllers, 2100mAh 12V battery, power distribution board, Arduino Nano, 3-axis accelerometer, 3-axis gyroscope, 3-axis magnetometer, 2.4gHz 6-channel radio receiver, cable ties

• The Tri-rotor Unmanned Aerial Vehicle is the product of my fascination, from a young age, with remote-controlled helicopters and other flying objects, I had always wanted to make one of my own. Although it proved very difficult to program and construct to the exact specifications, it was a worthwhile challenge.

VCE Systems Engineering (S&T)

2001 2002 2003 2004Successful completion of Unit 1 (start of Yr11)

2251(80)

2161(99)

1948(62)

1721(45)

Providers of Unit 1

165 159 141 127

Successful completion of Unit 4 (end of Yr12)

1302(29)

1220(18)

1109(23)

1029(13)

Providers of Unit 4

139 133 123 123

VCE Systems Engineering2010 2011 2012 2013

Successful completion of Unit 1 (start of Yr11)

1311(26)

1356(47)

1328(36)

1315(35)

Providers of Unit 1

94 102 104 96


766(15)

778(10)

875(19)

765(18)

Providers of Unit 4

86 87 94 89

VCE Systems Engineering2014 2015 2016

Successful completion of Unit 1 (start of Yr11)

1444

(33)

1316

(40)

Providers of Unit 1 97 104


778

(19)

833

(17)

Providers of Unit 4 85 89

EMILY JANE BREBNER Gladstone Park Secondary College

• Solar Powered Rope Pump rope, PVC pipe, MayTec, battery, train windscreen wiper motor, rubber, aluminium, wood, plastic, steel

• I was inspired to create a project that could be used in developing countries after my family sponsored a boy living in Ethiopia. Despite some production setbacks, I was able to design a system that could enhance the lives of its users by incorporating solar energy, as well as helping protect the environment through clean energy.

Emily’s Rope pump

KIMBERLY HARRISBeaconhills College, Pakenham

• LED POV display Arduino microcontroller, 12V motor, dot board, plywood, rare earth magnet, SMD LEDs, SPST switches, 9V battery, 1.5V batteries, cable ties

• I have always struggled to interest my friends in systems engineering, which led me to construct a product that is both engaging and entertaining. Its theme was inspired by my love for the game Pac-Man. Persistence of vision (POV) was something I had not tried before; but after researching the topic, I decided it would be suitably entertaining while also challenging my skills.

BILLY HOGAN St Bede’s College, Mentone

• Remote Operated Underwater Vehicle 12V bilge pumps, 12V relays, arcade style joysticks, hard plastic safe case, PVC pipe and fittings, wire, switches, 12V LED downlights, perspex, camera, LCD screen, switches and 12V batteries

• Inspired by my love of marine life, I decided to make a vehicle capable of diving underwater and relaying a live image to the surface. Throughout this project I faced many complications that enabled me to further understand the methods and theory behind such complex design and construction principles.

JAMES MORANDO Beaconhills College, Pakenham

• NO HANDS! Foot Adjustable Guitar Effects Pedal perspex, aluminium, 3 to 1 plastic gears, potentiometers, PCB circuit board blank, 28 LEDs, wooden balls, delay circuit kit, DC power supply, heavy duty switch

• The inspiration for my project came from a problem my guitar teacher has when performing on stages with limited space and accessibility. The challenge was assembling the circuitry and gearboxes I had designed, because they had to be compact, neat and accessible. My processes included routing the perspex enclosure, and assembling and painting the final product.

• James’ work can be seen in more detail in a film screening within the exhibition.

THOMAS RANDLE Beaconhills College, Pakenham

The Automatic Dog Feeder acrylic, stainless steel auger screw, 4D Systems, capacitive touch screen, Arduino mega 2560 microcontroller, Arduino Ethernet shield, 12V DC stepper motor, stepper motor driver, electronic solenoid, TP-link wireless router, Ai-Ball Wi-Fi camera, reed sensor, resistors, transistors, male/ female headers, heat sink, heat shrink, DC power packs and sockets • I built a dog feeder that can give food and water

to my dog automatically or manually, using an iPhone or an LCD touch screen. The Arduino program contained over 1800 words. I also built an acrylic assembly to support the food, electronics and food transfer mechanism.

• Thomas’ work can be seen in more detail in a film screening within the exhibition.

THOMAS WENTWORTH Beaconhills College, Pakenham

• Exoskeletal Arm aluminium, Arduino Mega 2560 microcontroller, force sensitive resistors, mega moto motor driver board, linear actuators, wire, switches, LEDs, lubricated nylon, acrylic, header pins, plugs, strapping, Velcro

• The Exoskeletal Arm was designed for heavy lifting in confined spaces and for use in the medical industry to assist those with nerve damage and/ or weakened arm muscles. The Exoskeletal Arm was inspired by the XOS 2 military operations suit (created by Raytheon).

Dog feeder

Learning for the 21st century

• Complex knowledge demands of the 21st century

• Inter and trans-disciplinary knowledge

• STEM, and stem-like

• Authentic problems and design challenges

• Creating artefacts and solving problems

Irresistible learning

• Constructing a curriculum and, in turn,lessons and units that are purposeful,engaging and relative to the student’s life –something that gives students a reason to belistening and participating in their learning.

•The factors that are considered whenthinking about ‘irresistible learning’ include…

Irresistible learning

•Exciting student’s imagination•Fitting with how students learn•Aligned to adolescence•Resonating with students’ lives•Authentic learning•Practical and first hand

Ultimately irresistable learning is …

• Consists of constructing a curriculumthat considers the learner and thecontext in which they live and, as aresult, making learning purposeful,engaging and relative to the students’life both in and out of school.

Male & Waters, (2012:199) set out 9 principles that underpin a World-Class 21st Century Curriculum1. Inspire and challenge all learners, and equip them with the confidence, the ability and desire to make the world a better place2. Be based on clear, shared aims, principles and values that put the learner at their heart3. Excite imaginations and give learners access to the world’s major areas of learning4. Promote personal development and key competencies of learning and life5. Be located in the context of the learner’s life, and emphasise the interconnectedness of learning6. Provide for intellectual, physical, emotional, social, scientific, aesthetic and creative development7. Be international in its outlook, but rooted within its community 8. Address contemporary issues as well as the big ideas that have shaped the world in the past9. Promote independence of thought and creativity of mind through a wide range of learning approaches

Systems Engineering = an engaging pedagogy and curriculum(creating, thinking and doing with understanding)

Project based learning (learning through a student selected project)

+Inquiry and problem based to create and develop a response to

a design challenge+

Requires hands on/applied manufacturing of product+

Testing (and adjustment)+

Evaluation

Project based learning . . . also sits well with what we understand about learning theoryBased on the seminal work of Bransford, Brown & Cocking (2000), Kippermann & Sanders (2007) explain that technology orientated projects

align well to these principles of learning.

First, learning is an active process where learners construct new understandings based in part on what they already know.

Second, abstract ideas are learned more effectively if situated in a more familiar and concrete context (situated cognition).

Third, learners benefit enormously from discussion they have with others where they articulate their perceptions and ideas.

Finally, learners achieve their full potential when they get just enough assistance to enable them to move from what they currently know to a higher level of understanding,

(Kippermann & Sanders, 2007: 218 & 219).

Collectively, engagement with such endeavours and projects can be labelled as imagineering

Sculpture exhibition at Werribee

stem-like programs in victorian secondary...

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