NASA Human Research Program Investigators' Workshop (2012)
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2012 HRP/NSBRI EDUCATORS WORKSHOP: LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY TO ADVANCE STEM
AND SPACE LIFE SCIENCES EDUCATION ACROSS THE EDUCATIONAL CONTINUUM
C. W. Lloyd1, L. J. Abadie1,W. A. Thomson2, N. P. Moreno2, B. Z. Tharp2, R. L. McNeel2, G. L. Vogt2, M. V.
Trevathan3, P. Granger3, N. D. Lloyd3, C. F. Young4, K. K. Reeves5, Y. L. Garcia5
1
NASA Human Research Program Education and Outreach (chalres.w.lloyd@nasa.gov), 2NSBRI, Baylor College of
Medicine, Center for Educational Outreach (wthomson@bcm.edu or nmoreno@bcm.edu), 3Tietronix Software, Inc.,
4
Education Technology, Texas Instruments, 5Wyle Integrated Science and Engineering Group
ABSTRACT
The Human Research Program Education and Outreach Project (HRPEO) and the National Space Biomedical
Research Institute (NSBRI) education teams have been engaged in science, technology, engineering and
mathematics (STEM) education outreach to communicate the significance and excitement of space life sciences
research to local, national and international audiences. These teams are successfully transferring and disseminating
knowledge gained by NASA and NSBRI-sponsored scientists through a wide range of educational programs and
activities that target teachers and students across the educational continuum, as well as the general public.
Multiple approaches have been applied to encourage and engage learners, all with the overarching goal of producing
the next generation of space life scientists. These strategies include teacher professional development, space life
sciences curriculum development, training programs, postdoctoral fellowships, online graduate resources, summer
research internships, web-based K-16 resources, informal space-life sciences outreach to the general public and
international education programs. New activities, such as Mission X: Train Like an Astronaut, Math and Science @
Work (MS@W), Exploring Space Through Math (ESTM), and educational experiments flown on the International
Space Station, are impacting K-16 students and teachers around the world, and contributing to the creation of a
learning continuum aligned with NASA’s 2011Strategic Plan. From NSBRI, the Butterflies in Space and Plants in
Space projects involved more than 300,000 students from 26 countries in investigations that compared organisms
living in the International Space Station microgravity environment with similar organisms on Earth. The Mission X:
Train Like an Astronaut project, led by HRPEO, involved 12 countries and 4,164 students in online and face-to-face
activities focused on fitness and nutrition.
There is an urgent need for effective communication and educational strategies that 1) enhance awareness among
young learners and the general public about NASA’s contributions to space science and education; 2) encourage
innovation and participation across a variety of STEM fields, including space life sciences research and
development; and 3) strengthen the US economy1. Technology - ever more advanced, user-friendly and affordable holds great promise to meet this need. The National Education Technology Plan2 issued by the Obama
administration in November 2010, calls for the application of advanced technologies used in our personal and
professional lives to the entire educational system, to improve student learning, accelerate and scale up the adoption
of effective practices, and exploit data and information for continuous improvement. In furtherance of this directive,
this workshop will focus on: 1) how K-16 educators can best leverage technological advances to improve their
teaching and enhance learning among the next generation of space explorers; 2) practical experiences with, and
curricular uses of hand-held computer tools that promote student interest and achievement in science and
mathematics; and 3) updates from HRP and NSBRI educators on recent achievements and best practices in the use
of technology to achieve their missions.
Recent space life science education programs have leveraged technology to engage large numbers of students in
authentic scientific problems and challenges. The HRP Education and Outreach panel will address the influence
technology has had on education beginning with a keynote address followed by an example of technology in the
classroom. The NASA MS@W and ESTM project activities demonstrated will give participants the opportunity to
work with the Nspiretm technology to graph, collect and manipulate data and run simulations. The panel will
conclude with open dialog on how others are using technology in their education projects.
REFERENCES
[1] National Research Council. (2011) A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts,
and Core Ideas. Committee on a Conceptual Framework for New K-12 Science Education Standards. Board on
Science Education, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. Washington, DC: The National
Academies Press
[2] U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Technology. (2010) Transforming American Education:
Learning Powered by Technology. Washington, D.C.