Situated design for creative, reflective, collaborative, technology-mediated learning

STEM subjects are typically seen as boring, geeky, difficult to learn and with low relevance to real life. To counter this opinion, we aim to foster engagement with and curiosity about STEM subjects, through an approach to learning that facilitates the construction of understanding of key, threshold concepts (TCs). To achieve this, we engender creativity by using performance as a means of expression. We demonstrate how the process of collaboratively crafting a video to explain a TC students have been introduced to helps them to break down the concept, and through reflection on each piece of knowledge about it, build understanding about its different aspects, and further develop their knowledge. We aim through this approach to encourage students to work together to discover, explore, engage in lateral, visual thinking, and therefore develop deep, shared understanding of TCs in STEM subjects.

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