Enhancing Digital STEM Erasmus Project

Project Title

Enhancing Digital STEM

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Partnerships for Digital Education Readiness

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Pedagogy and didactics

Project Summary

As a response to the COVID pandemic universities around the world have rapidly adopted online and blended models of teaching and learning within STEM. This has seen considerable investment in supporting systems but has highlighted a lack of an accessible evidence base to inform educators’ decisions within these systems. As defined by Devlin and Samarawickrema (2010) two components of effective teaching are broadly accepted; 1.) a set of practices and skills as identified by research (Penny, 2003) 2.) a selection of strategies that are suited to the context in which they are employed (Devlin, 2007). Currently, educators practicing within digital STEM environments face an unreasonably high barrier of entry to the evidence base as it is fragmented across dozens of potentially relevant sources containing 100,000+ potentially relevant papers. It should be noted that the STEM disciplines have unique learning goals that reflect the nature of the disciplines, as such it is essential that any evidence-based strategy used is suited to the context in which they are employed. Compounding this problem is the background of the typical STEM educator who is formally educated in the natural science or engineering disciplines and as a result, has not had the opportunity to develop the capability to critically engage with an evidence base. This need is confirmed by the EU Digital Education Action Plan (2021-2027) which reported that almost 60% of the respondents had not used distance and online learning before the crisis and 95% consider that the COVID-19 crisis marks a point of no return for how technology is used in education and training. This report builds on the previous 2018-2020 in which the primary conclusion was “making better use of digital technology for teaching and learning”. By employing evidence-based strategies in Digital STEM this can be achieved.

In order the enhance the effectiveness of digital STEM teaching and learning this project will achieve the following objectives:
Objective 1 – Collate evidence-based practices that are compatible with STEM online learning environments and needs
Objective 2 – Increase capability to critically engage with evidence base through Professional Development Events
Objective 3 – Create a Digital STEM Hub to support adopters of evidence-based practice

To realise these objectives this project will create a Digital Short Course that will develop participants ability to identify, implement and evaluate evidence-based practice within digital STEM environments. In order to provide a theoretical base for this Digital Short Course the project will also collate an evidence base of relevant research materials using the PRISMA methodology. This will result in a focused quality assured evidence base that will lower the barrier for entry to evidence-based practice within digital STEM. Both the Short Course and Evidence Base will be housed within the Digital Hub. This Hub will provide a centralised reserve of supporting resources and structures. In addition, it will include the functionality to allow for future sources of evidence to be submitted in order to ensure that practice continues to evolve.

Through the assorted professional development events and resources developed by this project, 140 digital STEM educators will develop their capacity to implement evidence-based practice. These events will encourage engagement with the resources and structures developed by the project. This will positively impact approximately 17,000 students with the first 18 months of the project. The structures created by the project will continue to support capacity development for a minimum of 10 years after completion and will ultimately positively impact over 100,000 students over its lifetime.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 277560 Eur

Project Coordinator

UNIVERSITY OF LIMERICK & Country: IE

Project Partners

• RHEINISCH-WESTFAELISCHE TECHNISCHE HOCHSCHULE AACHEN
• CHALMERS TEKNISKA HOEGSKOLA AB