Fostering Naval STEM Workforce through Hands-On and Autonomous Robotics Education and CompetitionsONR Tracking Number: 20-000000532
Abstract
The United States Navy is in competition for maritime superiority. Sailors and Marines depend on retaining a technological advantage ew technological capabilities. The United States military is slowed by outdated behaviors and institutional factors that are encoura ging risk aversion over innovation. Internal fragmentation and disagreement over priorities are slowing technological advancement (N aval Research and Development). Future success depends not only on a STEM literate workforce but also on an increased pace of operat e Department, like much of the technology industry, is struggling to increase technological capabilities due to the lack of general STEM literacy and 21st Century skills, such as leadership and decision-making skills, amongst its workforce. Given the relatively s mall number of students graduating with STEM degrees, and the inability to forecast increases in demand for STEM skill sets to suppo rt national security needs, there is a dilemma in the alignment of workforce and demand (National Academy of Sciences, 2017).The gu iding principle behind Fostering Naval STEM Workforce through Hands-On and Autonomous Robotics Education and Competitions is that on e-time events such as camps or after-school programs are insufficient in creating long-term impact on student interest. Creating a S TEM ecosystem that develops, fosters, and sustains student interest in STEM and STEM careers is essential, as solidifying interest a nd self-efficacy requires repeated interaction withmaterial (Knowles, 2017). The Robotics Education & Competition (REC) Foundation is a global, nonprofit, educational organization that provides elementary, middle, and high school-aged youth with unique opportuni ties to participate in high-quality, evidence-based, and affordable robotics programs and competitions. The REC Foundation utilizes the VEX Robotics platform. Past evaluations of VEX programming have shown that exposure to STEM subject areas before college drasti cally increases the number of students entering STEM fields. A third-party evaluation performed by Michigan Tech indic of students that have participated in the VEX IQ Challenge and VEX Robotic Competition are more likely to take advanced science, te chnology, engineering and mathematics courses in high school or college. VEX programs aren t solely meant to train future engineers. Gaming and robotics after school programs aligned with community culture can foster computational thinking skills in a social setti ng where students interact, set goals, and work together (Leonard et al., 2017).Over the course of 3 years, the REC Foundation will start 150 new robotics teams in elementary, middle and high schools in Hawaii. Up to 150 teachers will have a chance to earn contin uing education credits through professional development. Approximately 3,000 people will be impacted directly by this effort and bot h students and teachers will be evaluated to measure gains STEM confidence and interest.This project will promote familiarity with military and civilian technical career opportunities that align with Naval workforce needs by creating career alignment with curren t VEX STEM Labs. Additionally, we will leverage our sustained partnership with the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and utilize Naval STE M professionals as mentors to our robotics teams throughout the state of Hawaii, a state where the high school graduation rate ranke d 34 out of 50 states in 2017 and expenditures for public education ranked 50th. Only 30% of Hawaiis 11th graders meet national sta ndards for math. For the purpose of this project, STEM Labs will align with the Augmented Warfighter DoN Framework priority.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Sep 03, 2021
- Source ID
- N000142112737
Entities
People
- Tarek Shraibati
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy