Science The World: An Engineering Education Research Group
Science The World Making STEM Comics and STEM Modules for Teachers Everywhere
Science The World is the research group of Dr. Lucas Landherr, Associate Teaching Professor in Chemical Engineering.
Finding ways to improve STEM education at all levels – this is what Science The World is all about.
Our Research
Finding ways to improve STEM education at all levels – this is what Science The World is all about.
Why focus on STEM?
The statistic is a little startling when you consider the current focus on science: only 1 in every 10 college degrees is in a STEM field. Other statistics focusing on demographics are disheartening as well: women represent 46 percent of the labor force, but only 10.8 percent of U.S. engineers; minorities make up 34 percent of U.S. population, but only 12 percent of undergraduate engineering degrees.
An effort clearly needs to be made – in particular, studies have shown that students can lose interest in math and science as early as the fourth grade, thus limiting the scientific opportunities and education that may be available later on. Thus, STEM concepts must be made both more applicable and more personal in order for students to maintain their interest, even as the concepts become more difficult.
What we do is important
Much of the current research being done now on the university level is certainly most directly relatable to high school physics, chemistry, biology, or other science classes, based on the difficulty level and concepts being discussed. However, making similar experiments for lower age ranges will help strengthen students’ interest in science at earlier ages, and reproducing the experiments at different levels with new focuses will allow for students to build off core concepts and make higher level information more relatable and readily grasped. Similarly, improving younger students’ learning through comics is a different and fun way to help students develop deeper understanding and remain more enthusiastic about science in general.
Our research currently has two major thrusts:
the development of research-inspired STEM modules for K-12 classrooms
the development of STEM comics for improving K-12, undergraduate, and adult learning/education
Composite Layers Visualization simulation
This simulation was coded and produced by Mark McVeigh as part of a course project in CHME 3312 Transport II at Northeastern University.
It can be accessed via this link.
Please let us know if you plan on using it in your course: sciencetheworld@gmail.com
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