Classroom Games and Activities that Motivate Exploration of Foundational Understandings of Mathematics Concepts while Inadvertently Scaffolding Computational Thinking and Engineered Design
Sharie Kranz, Catherine Tabor, Art M. Duval, Kien H Lim, Amy E. Wagler, Eric Freudenthal · 2020
Abstract iMPaCT-STEM: games & activities that motivate exploration of foundational algebra concepts—while inadvertently scaffolding computational thinking and engineered designStudy of quantitative science and engineering requires a conceptual understanding of mathematics.iMPaCT-STEM consists of threaded sequences of games and project-based-learning activities beingdesigned for infusion within conventional high school and college mathematics courses. These activitiesare intended to build these understandings while simultaneously introducing them to programming andengineered design.iMPaCT-STEM is an approximate acronym for Media-Propelled Computational Thinking for STEMClassrooms, which fairly reflects our ambitions – that engagement with graphical programmingchallenges that focus student attention towards exploring mathematics principles and the modeling ofsimple kinematics will propel students towards exploration of science, computational thinking andengineered design.While iMPaCT-STEM is a work-in-progress, there is sufficient teaching material and evidence of itseffectiveness to motivate further efforts to replicate, extend, and more deeply examine its pedagogy. Apilot study during the 2010-2011 academic year indicated dramatic improvements in learning outcomesand student engagement. A remarkable outcome of this pilot study is that one quarter of high schoolstudents attending mathematics classes that included iMPaCT-STEM activities voluntarily elected toattend an elective programming class the next semester – with demographics and gender distributionsapproximating the school population.iMPaCT-STEM’s first substantial dissemination is to Algebra-1 classrooms in two El Paso high schoolsduring the 2011-2012 academic year and will affect the education of approximately one thousandstudents.This paper describes iMPaCT-STEM’s pedagogy project objectives, methods and underlying theory inthe context of an overview of iMPaCT-STEM activities for Algebra-1 classrooms. This paper alsodescribes the project’s evaluation strategy and early results from this dissemination.