At Home or in Person? A Comparison of Informal Learning Environments for Secondary Students

Autor/in	Baucum, Macie N.
Titel	At Home or in Person? A Comparison of Informal Learning Environments for Secondary Students
Quelle	In: Journal of Educators Online, 19 (2022) 2, (14 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
Schlagwörter	Informal Education; In Person Learning; STEM Education; Electronic Learning; Educational Environment; Vocational Interests; Secondary School Students; Camps; Student Attitudes + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Informelle Bildung; Nichtformale Bildung; STEM; Lernumgebung; Pädagogische Umwelt; Schulumwelt; Berufsinteresse; Sekundarschüler; Schülerverhalten
Abstract	Due to the sudden onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the comparison of online versus traditional face-to-face (FTF) environments has now come under review. The research of online informal learning spaces for K-12 education in particular is underdeveloped and requires more investigation. The purpose for this paper is to report an analysis of the differences in students' career interest after an online and a FTF STEM camp. One group (n = 45) of participants attended a one-week STEM camp online while another group (n = 62) attended a one-week STEM camp in person. In this mixed methods study, pre and posttest scores of a STEM career interest survey were analyzed and semistructured interviews were conducted. For the quantitative portion, p-values from paired-sample t-tests are reported as well as Cohen's d effect sizes. Interviews were coded using the constant comparative method and were analyzed using thematic analysis. The quantitative results indicate that both the online and FTF camps may improve different aspects of a student's career interest. The qualitative results consist of four main themes: social connections, learning and teaching, preference, and opportunities. Aspects of an informal learning environment may work in person but may not translate to an online environment. Therefore, improvements should be made based on the specific learning environment, not on the general product of a course. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	Journal of Educators Online. Grand Canyon University, 23300 West Camelback Road, Phoenix, AZ 85017. e-mail: CIRT@gcu.edu. Web site: https://www.thejeo.com
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01