Designing Sci-dentities:
How Sci-Fi, Re-Mix, and Social Media can
Promote Youth Interest in Science
June Ahn1,2,3, Mega Subramaniam1,4, Amanda Waugh1,
Greg Walsh1,3, Allison Druin1,3, Kenneth Fleischmann1,3
College of Information Studies1, College of Education2,
Human-Computer Interaction Lab3,
Information Policy and Access Center4
University of Maryland
May 23, 2012
“People said that 2012 the world
would end, we would all be
consumed in fire, end of story.
THEY WERE WRONG!! If and
when the world ends it will be by
water……”
From “Polar Ice: When all the ice is gone” by a Student
Stuart-Hobson Middle School
Project Goals
Context
Langdon Educational Campus
Francis-Stevens Educational Campus
Stuart-Hobson Middle School
Sousa Middle School
Approach: Design Based Research
Design:
Socio-cultural Learning Theory
Participatory Design w/
Children and Librarians
Implement:
Iterate:
4 Public School Libraries
Learning Program
Middle School Youth
Technology
Online Community
Research:
Ethnographic Data Collection
Designing Learning Environments to
Foster STEM Identity and Interest
Designing for Multiple Literacies
Co-Designing with Librarians and Students
Designing Online Community to Foster
Positive, Enhancing Learning Interaction
Take Aways
• Designing deep learning experiences that
build personal identity requires careful
integration of:
– Pedagogy
– Setting
– Technology
– Relationships
• Design EXPERIENCES, not mere curriculum or
technology
Thank You
{juneahn, mmsubram, awaugh, gwalsh,
allisond, kfleish} @umd.edu
@ahnjune, @mmsubram, @adruin,
@amandainmd, @gxwalsh
Many thanks to the National Science Foundation
for their generous support of this research.
www.scidentity.umd.edu