Diving into the Ocean Twilight Zone: Inspiring Creativity and Innovation Among Secondary School Students Solving Authentic Deep Sea Exploration Challenges
Abstract
Abstract Diving into the Ocean Twilight Zone (OTZ) is an innovative STEM program that equips high school students with adaptable skills, knowledge, and exposure to multiple careers to meet the rapidly evolving workforce needs of the Navy and Department of Defense(DoD). The OTZ is a little explored region of the world s oceans of significant scientific, commercial and strategic importance. There is heightened urgency to deepen our understanding of this critical environment, which is driving rapid innovation in engineering, science, and technology. Diving into the OTZ will produce three exciting hands-on, real-world challenges inspired by critical problems addressed by the OTZ initiative of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), funded by the Audacious Project. Each activity begins with a scientist or engineer introducing an OTZ autonomous vehicle problem that challenges students to work together to imagine and present solutions. Challenge Topics are 1) Teaching Robots Curiosity, 2) Mechatronics and Marine Science, and 3) Stealth Stalking a Sea Creature. Students will be taught how to modify their program-provided robots, equip them with sensors, and direct them via code through a gamified OTZ environment that includes engaging twists, turns, and 2- and 3-dimensional features. Each challenge consists of 4-weeks of lessons aligned with state standards (NGSS and computer) and the Naval Priorities and Objectives of Augmented Warfighter, Integrated and Distributed Forces, and Sensing and Sense-Making. Activities will be scaffolded using an ONR-funded award winning learning platform, Scoutlier, and created so they are flexible enough for both middle school and high school students and for different learning needs. Activities can be used during science, engineering, computer science, for CTE pathways or during after-school programs. Activities will integrate cutting-edge authentic content, which is collected and developed by OTZ researchers, with real-world datasets, robotics, coding, engineering design thinking and collaboration. The program culminates in a capstone event for students to virtually present their challenge solutions to a panel of diverse researchers and scientists from local institutions, including WHOI, the Naval Undersea Warfare Center, and DoD Industries. This panel will select a subset of students with the bestsolutions to attend a program-funded field trip to WHOI, where they will collect physical measurements and biological samples onboard a vessel, tour the WHOI docks and OTZ robotics and biological laboratories, receive feedback from panel members, and learn about Naval and OTZ-related careers. We will deliver our program to a Southern New England cohort of teachers from Navy- and DoD-connecteddistricts, plus those with high percentages of racial minorities. Two teachers per district will receive enriching professional development and support to successfully implement the program with diverse students. We will pilotthe program in Rhode Island with 16 teachers from 8 schools, and then expand throughout Southern New England to include 8 more districts and 16 teachers per year, with the potential to reach more than 2,000 students. Our objectives, with a particular focus on racial minorities and females, are to 1) broaden student interest in and awareness of ocean science, DoN and DoD careers, and cultivate motivation to pursue more technical pathways; 2) improve student science achievement and science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) technical and soft skills; and 3) Examine how student STEM identity evolves. Our long-term goal is to create a more technologically capable, culturally sensitive, and diverse STEM workforce within the DoN and DoD.Approved for Public Release
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Feb 06, 2023
- Source ID
- N000142312241
Entities
People
- Donna Ottaviano
Organizations
- East Bay Educational Collaborative
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy