Tyler A Herek, Connor Branick, Robert W Pawloski, Kim Soper, Liliana P Bronner, Misty S Pocwierz-Gaines, Shrawan Kumar, Regina E Robbins, Joyce C Solheim, Maurice Godfrey
{"title":"Cancer Biology and You: An Interactive Learning Event for Native American High School Students to Increase Their Understanding of Cancer Causes, Prevention, and Treatment, and to Foster an Interest in Cancer-Related Careers.","authors":"Tyler A Herek, Connor Branick, Robert W Pawloski, Kim Soper, Liliana P Bronner, Misty S Pocwierz-Gaines, Shrawan Kumar, Regina E Robbins, Joyce C Solheim, Maurice Godfrey","doi":"10.15695/jstem/v2i1.16","DOIUrl":"10.15695/jstem/v2i1.16","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation have made a compelling call to action not only to strengthen the pipeline of available STEM-trained talent, but in addition to foster students who are members of populations currently under-represented in science. Furthermore, the scientific community must not only increase the accessibility of STEM-related education, but also implement and test evidence-based practices. Presented here, we detail the proceedings of a hands-on, science-focused informal learning opportunity aimed at educating an underrepresented population in cancer biology. Fifteen undergraduate and graduate student volunteer instructors from the University of Nebraska at Omaha and the University of Nebraska Medical Center engaged with 89 high school students, mostly Native American, in an informal learning event called \"Cancer Biology and You Day.\" Throughout the event, students completed two independent lessons focusing on breast cancer and skin cancer and demonstrated strong learning gains associated with the lessons as assessed by KWL charts. Exit surveys of the students indicated high levels of satisfaction with the event, and positive attitudes associated with considering a career in science/research were evident in survey responses. Overall, we report the event as a success and outline how similar experiences may be achieved.</p>","PeriodicalId":73956,"journal":{"name":"Journal of STEM outreach","volume":"2 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7043323/pdf/nihms-1551923.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"37683416","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Preparing 8th Grade Students to Excel in Physical Science: HandsOn Physics (HOP)!","authors":"M. Dizbay-Onat, J. Michael Wyss","doi":"10.15695/jstem/v1i1.24","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.15695/jstem/v1i1.24","url":null,"abstract":"This study describes a program that the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) carried out in partnership with Birmingham City Schools (BCS) to test an educational intervention, i.e., Hands-On Physics (HOP), among 8th grade students in predominantly minority schools. It also evaluated teachers' demographics and educational backgrounds. The students conducted four physics experiments during a three day period. They performed better on post-tests. The actual and the percent gains in knowledge for each school were essentially equal for the schools that had passing versus failing grades in annual state assessment (20.4±5.6/49.0±5.6%, 20.4±2.7/48.4±8.3%, respectively). Most students (53%) stated that they were comfortable with science, 88% indicated that they were planning to enter higher education, and 86% agreed that higher education was very important for their future. The students' major perceived obstacles to higher education were education cost and low grades. The teachers were primarily between 40-59 years old (60%), female (80%) and African-American (93%), and 87% majored in biology (93%). Forty percent had a bachelor's degree and 60% had a master's degree. They reported that they needed more support teaching physics and reported that a lack of materials and time were the main obstacles to provide the highest quality science educational experiences.","PeriodicalId":73956,"journal":{"name":"Journal of STEM outreach","volume":"1 1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-11-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41335150","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Megan Macklin, Patrick Jagoda, Ian B Jones, Melissa Gilliam
{"title":"Game-Based Health Education: The Case of Hexacago Health Academy.","authors":"Megan Macklin, Patrick Jagoda, Ian B Jones, Melissa Gilliam","doi":"10.15695/jstem/v1i1.11","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.15695/jstem/v1i1.11","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>It is a well-documented fact that women and minorities are currently underrepresented in STEM higher education degree programs and careers. As an outreach measure to these populations, we established the Hexacago Health Academy (HHA), an ongoing summer program. Structured as an informal learning environment with a strong youth initiated mentoring component, HHA uses game-based learning as both a means of health education and stimulating interest in careers in medicine among adolescents from underrepresented minority populations. In this article, we describe the 2015 session of the Hexacago Health Academy, which focused on the topic of sexual and reproductive health (SRH). The overall structure of HHA, with its dual focus on game design and enabling youth interaction with science and health professionals, is discussed. Qualitative data from the 24 youths that participated in the 2015 summer session was collected. Results indicated that the initial session of HHA succeeded in its goals of developing critical thinking skills among participants, encouraging teamwork, broadening understanding of the health sciences, and encouraging risk-taking in education. The overall potential efficacy of informal learning environments that use game design as a core component to stimulate interest in STEM fields is discussed.</p>","PeriodicalId":73956,"journal":{"name":"Journal of STEM outreach","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8205025/pdf/nihms-1597238.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39239441","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kelly M. LaRue, Michael P McKernan, K. Bass, C. Wray
{"title":"Teaching the Genome Generation: Bringing Modern Human Genetics into the Classroom Through Teacher Professional Development.","authors":"Kelly M. LaRue, Michael P McKernan, K. Bass, C. Wray","doi":"10.15695/jso.v1i2.4552","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.15695/jso.v1i2.4552","url":null,"abstract":"Teaching the Genome Generation (TtGG) is a teacher professional development program and set of high school biology lessons that support interwoven classroom instruction of molecular genetics, bioinformatics, and bioethics. Participating teachers from across New England implement the modular elements of program at a high rate in a variety of biology classrooms. Evaluation data collected over three academic years (2014/15 to 2016/17) indicate that TtGG has increased teachers' abilities to integrate complex concepts of genomics and bioethics into their high school classes.","PeriodicalId":73956,"journal":{"name":"Journal of STEM outreach","volume":"1 2 1","pages":"48-60"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-04-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47072511","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ann Chester, Sara Hanks, Summer Kuhn, Floyd Jones, Travis White, Misty Harris, Bethany Hornbeck, Sherron McKendall, Mary McMillion, Cathy Morton, Mallory Slusser, R Kyle Saunders
{"title":"Social Media Based STEM Enrichment Curriculum Positively Impacts Rural Adolescent Health Measures.","authors":"Ann Chester, Sara Hanks, Summer Kuhn, Floyd Jones, Travis White, Misty Harris, Bethany Hornbeck, Sherron McKendall, Mary McMillion, Cathy Morton, Mallory Slusser, R Kyle Saunders","doi":"10.15695/jstem/v1i1.17","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.15695/jstem/v1i1.17","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Some STEM outreach programs connect students to real-world problems and challenge them to work towards solutions. Research shows one-third of children between ages 5-17 in the U.S. are overweight. Socioeconomic status, race, and parental educational attainment all influence this issue as well as living in a rural or urban area. A rural high school STEM outreach program used a social media curriculum focused on healthy lifestyles and measured impact on the health of adolescents from these backgrounds. Health screenings and college mentors were provided to 134 adolescents from 26 counties in WV. The social media intervention lasted seven months with participants using near-peer and mentor support to achieve personal health goals set at the initial health screening. The results of pre- and post-intervention health screenings were compared for any changes in health measures by student goal and participation. BMI decreased significantly in the group of participants who selected a weight loss goal, while those choosing to improve their nutrition significantly increased healthy cholesterol levels. A positive impact was seen on adolescent health outcomes through linking a high school STEM outreach program with a higher education institution to deliver STEM enrichment curriculum through social media.</p>","PeriodicalId":73956,"journal":{"name":"Journal of STEM outreach","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6959485/pdf/nihms-1028333.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"37542899","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kelly M LaRue, Michael P McKernan, Kristin M Bass, Charles G Wray
{"title":"Teaching the Genome Generation: Bringing Modern Human Genetics into the Classroom Through Teacher Professional Development.","authors":"Kelly M LaRue, Michael P McKernan, Kristin M Bass, Charles G Wray","doi":"10.15695/jstem/v1i1.12","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.15695/jstem/v1i1.12","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Teaching the Genome Generation (TtGG) is a teacher professional development program and set of high school biology lessons that support interwoven classroom instruction of molecular genetics, bioinformatics, and bioethics. Participating teachers from across New England implement the modular elements of program at a high rate in a variety of biology classrooms. Evaluation data collected over three academic years (2014/15 to 2016/17) indicate that TtGG has increased teachers' abilities to integrate complex concepts of genomics and bioethics into their high school classes.</p>","PeriodicalId":73956,"journal":{"name":"Journal of STEM outreach","volume":"1 2","pages":"48-60"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6821449/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141285497","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Paul Siciliano, Bethany Hornbeck, Sarah Hanks, Summer Kuhn, Alicia Zbehlik, Ann L Chester
{"title":"Taking a Look at the Heath Sciences and Technology Academy (HSTA): Student-Research Partnership Increases Survey Size, Hands-on STEM Learning, and Research-Community Connections.","authors":"Paul Siciliano, Bethany Hornbeck, Sarah Hanks, Summer Kuhn, Alicia Zbehlik, Ann L Chester","doi":"10.15695/jstem/v1i1.7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.15695/jstem/v1i1.7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This paper explores the dynamics of a research partnership between a practicing clinician/research and 34 West Virginia high school students participating in a precollege STEM intervention program. The collaboration provided a more diverse study sample to the clinician for examining attitudes about knee osteoarthritis in adults over 40. It provided students the opportunity to collect data from adults in their community within a highly structured research project and explore a range of research questions using the resulting cross-state data set. Data collection far surpassed the researcher's expectations of 100 surveys; student researchers collected 1,129 unique surveys over nine months from difficult to reach Appalachian communities. This project illustrates the intervention program's ability to support partner research efforts while opening the STEM pipeline to under-served youth by introducing aspects of community-based participatory research (CBPR) pathways to them in their formative years.</p>","PeriodicalId":73956,"journal":{"name":"Journal of STEM outreach","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6959972/pdf/nihms-1028344.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"37542900","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sebastian Diaz, Ashley Roseno, Virginia Stage, Shawn Moore, Allender Lynch, Dan Dickerson, Melani W Duffrin
{"title":"The Importance of Improving Youths' Attitudes Toward Science (ATS): A Validation of a Short Form Assessment of Attitudes in Science Constructs for Fourth Grade (AASC-4).","authors":"Sebastian Diaz, Ashley Roseno, Virginia Stage, Shawn Moore, Allender Lynch, Dan Dickerson, Melani W Duffrin","doi":"10.15695/jstem/v1i1.25","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.15695/jstem/v1i1.25","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>If children have opportunities to develop positive attitudes toward learning science, the pipeline to science careers can be maintained and enhanced. This article describes the development and validation of a short form, 24-item, ssessment of Attitudes in Science Constructs for Fourth Grade (AASC-4) for utilization in future research aimed at improving youths' Attitudes Toward Science (ATS). A researcher developed long form, 50-item AASC-4 was administered in an intervention and comparison, pre- and post-implementation science education study (n=1,117). Exploratory factor analysis was conducted to reduce the original 50-item AASC-4 to the current 24-item form. The current AASC-4 included 24 questions, and eight constructs. Reliability measures of the short-form AASC-4 improved reliability for Fear of Failure on Course from 0.200 to 0.694, Value of Science from 0.478 to 0.779, Attitudes of Family (Parents) toward Science from 0.706 to 0.754, and Perception of the Science Teacher from 0.700 to 0.791. Utilization of the validated constructs within the short-form AASC-4 may help researchers and educators identify science education intervention features that have positive impact on youths' ATS.</p>","PeriodicalId":73956,"journal":{"name":"Journal of STEM outreach","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8291743/pdf/nihms-1624977.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39211131","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Charles A. Wood, Debbie Tyrrell, M. Calinger, Jackie Shia, Lori Kudlak, Laura Ondeck
{"title":"Pandem-Sim: Development and Pilot Testing of a Live Simulation of Infectious Disease Outbreaks.","authors":"Charles A. Wood, Debbie Tyrrell, M. Calinger, Jackie Shia, Lori Kudlak, Laura Ondeck","doi":"10.15695/JSO.V1I2.4500","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.15695/JSO.V1I2.4500","url":null,"abstract":"Pandem-Sim is a live, distance-learning simulation where 10th-12th grade students perform as epidemiologists to investigate infectious disease outbreaks. Prior to a mission, teachers review content and introduce students to the sim interfaces. During the mission students analyze data concerning demographics, symptoms and patient histories for a disease outbreak somewhere in the world. Student teams make initial diagnoses and order medical tests. If the tests do not confirm the diagnosis, the process is repeated. Following correct diagnosis, students identify the transmission method, prescribe treatments, recommend procedures to contain the outbreak, and issue a public health alert. During the 90 minute simulation the Chief Epidemiologist (a STEM educator at Wheeling Jesuit University) asks students critical thinking questions. Pilot tests were conducted at four schools (78 students) with data analyzed from pre-post surveys, classroom observations, interviews with Chief Epidemiologists and teachers, and detailed logs of student work. The first pilot test revealed needed revisions of procedures and teacher preparation, which were made before subsequent testing. Differences in students' pre and post surveys showed a small but statistically significant increase in content knowledge. Additionally, students reported that they enjoyed participating in the experience and it increased confidence in their abilities necessary to pursue a health related career.","PeriodicalId":73956,"journal":{"name":"Journal of STEM outreach","volume":"1 1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"67175968","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Charles A Wood, Debbie Tyrrell, Manetta Calinger, Jackie Shia, Lori Kudlak, Laura Ondeck
{"title":"Pandem-Sim: Development and Pilot Testing of a Live Simulation of Infectious Disease Outbreaks.","authors":"Charles A Wood, Debbie Tyrrell, Manetta Calinger, Jackie Shia, Lori Kudlak, Laura Ondeck","doi":"10.15695/jstem/v1i1.15","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.15695/jstem/v1i1.15","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Pandem-Sim is a live, distance-learning simulation where 10th-12th grade students perform as epidemiologists to investigate infectious disease outbreaks. Prior to a mission, teachers review content and introduce students to the sim interfaces. During the mission students analyze data concerning demographics, symptoms and patient histories for a disease outbreak somewhere in the world. Student teams make initial diagnoses and order medical tests. If the tests do not confirm the diagnosis, the process is repeated. Following correct diagnosis, students identify the transmission method, prescribe treatments, recommend procedures to contain the outbreak, and issue a public health alert. During the 90 minute simulation the Chief Epidemiologist (a STEM educator at Wheeling Jesuit University) asks students critical thinking questions. Pilot tests were conducted at four schools (78 students) with data analyzed from pre-post surveys, classroom observations, interviews with Chief Epidemiologists and teachers, and detailed logs of student work. The first pilot test revealed needed revisions of procedures and teacher preparation, which were made before subsequent testing. Differences in students' pre and post surveys showed a small but statistically significant increase in content knowledge. Additionally, students reported that they enjoyed participating in the experience and it increased confidence in their abilities necessary to pursue a health related career.</p>","PeriodicalId":73956,"journal":{"name":"Journal of STEM outreach","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6557460/pdf/nihms-1031280.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"37318685","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}