MAPLE GRANT
Part of the National Science Foundation Discovery Research K-12 program, the MAPLE project sought to understand barriers to STEM learning in public school makerspace classrooms.
Overview
Last Updated October 2018
The makerspace movement has gained recognition and momentum, which has resulted in many schools integrating makerspace technologies and related curricular practices into the classroom. Our study focuses narrowly on establishing a foundational understanding of how to ameliorate barriers to engaging in makerspace learning in public school STEM classrooms through the use of metacognitive strategies. The MAPLE project aspires to translate and apply research on the use of metacognitive strategies in supporting struggling learners to develop approaches that teachers can implement to increase opportunities for students who are the most difficult to reach academically.
Our work is part of the National Science Foundation Discovery Research K-12 program (DRK-12), which seeks to significantly enhance the learning and teaching of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) by preK-12 students and teachers, through research and development of innovative resources, models and tools (RMTs).
Research Questions
The aim of our research is to answer preliminary questions about instructional strategies to support students with learning disabilities in classroom-based makerspace activities:
- What learning barriers are present during the design-redesign and problem/project process common to makerspace and early STEM experiences, especially for struggling learners?
- How can instruction that supports metacognitive strategies be integrated within typical K-12 classroom makerspace activities to address those barriers?
- How can the effectiveness of those strategies be evaluated by measuring engagement and learning?
We believe this work is particularly salient given national efforts that inform DRK-12 research, such as the Reinforcing Education Accountability in Development (READ) Act, which stresses the development of comprehensive strategies to address key barriers to retention and completion (HR601).
Resources for Teachers
Our team is actively engaged in professional development with our partner middle school teachers. So far all we have ready for the public is a preliminary worksheet for curriculum development: Project Scaffolding for a Universal Design Approach to Making.
Full Award Posting and Initial Proposal
Presentations
Papers
- Towards an Inclusive Model of Makerspace Educator Professional Development: Implications for Students with Disabilities and At-Risk
- Understanding Instructional Challenges and Approaches to Including Middle School Students with Disabilities in Makerspace activities: A cross-case analysis.
- Implementing Making Experiences for Struggling Learners