Schnittka, C., & Evans, M. A., & Drape, T., & Won, S. G. L. (2013, June), Looking for Learning in After-School Spaces  Paper presented at 2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Atlanta, Georgia. 10.18260/1-2--22261

\bibitem{asee_peer_22261}
  Schnittka, C., \& Evans, M. A., \& Drape, T., \& Won, S. G. L. (2013, June), \emph{Looking for Learning in After-School Spaces}
  Paper presented at 2013 ASEE Annual Conference \& Exposition, Atlanta, Georgia.
  10.18260/1-2--22261

Christine Schnittka, Michael A Evans, Tiffany Drape, and Samantha Gwai Lan Won.  "Looking for Learning in After-School Spaces".  2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Atlanta, Georgia, 2013, June.  ASEE Conferences, 2013.  https://peer.asee.org/22261 Internet.  19 Jun, 2024

\bibitem{asee_peer_22261}
  Christine Schnittka, Michael A Evans, Tiffany Drape, and Samantha Gwai Lan Won.
  "Looking for Learning in After-School Spaces".
  \emph{2013 ASEE Annual Conference \& Exposition, Atlanta, Georgia, 2013, June}.
  ASEE Conferences, 2013.
  https://peer.asee.org/22261 Internet.  19 Jun, 2024

@INPROCEEDINGS{asee_peer_22261
author = "Christine Schnittka, Michael A Evans, Tiffany Drape, and Samantha Gwai Lan Won"
title = "Looking for Learning in After-School Spaces"
booktitle = "2013 ASEE Annual Conference \& Exposition"
year = "2013"
month = "June"
address = "Atlanta, Georgia"
publisher = "ASEE Conferences"
note = {https://peer.asee.org/22261}
number = {10.18260/1-2--22261}
}

TY  - CPAPER
AB  -                      Looking for Learning in After School SpacesThe structured after-school space has long demonstrated educational benefits (Gerber, Cavallo,& Marek, 2001; Tamir, 1990). After-school settings typically provide homework support,helping students build self-confidence (Beck, 1999). They are safe places for socializing andforming relationships with caring adults (Payton et al., 2008). However, there is a lack ofresearch on determining what academics students might learn in after-school settings without thetesting rigor of in-school classrooms. When the after-school curriculum encompassesengineering design, the challenge is greater due to the difficulty in assessing intangibles such asdesign and deep conceptual knowledge. In this study we designed an after-school experience in astudio setting, using research-validated engineering design-based curriculum (Author, 2009;2010; 2012) and gave the youth different opportunities and methods to demonstrate what theylearned through the process. In this study we examined three after-school settings for 8 weeksand looked at storyboarding, blogging on a social network site, videotaped conversations withvolunteer facilitators, presentations the youth made at the end of the program, and structuredinterviews to look for evidence of learning in after-school spaces.Using a discursive psychology framework (Davies & Harré, 2000) we identify ways in which thefacilitators’ words and actions helped students’ problem-solving abilities and conceptualunderstanding. Findings suggest that the elicitation strategies adopted by facilitators had asignificant impact on the ways that the youth were able to engage in the design process and toconstruct new conceptual knowledge. Throughout the course of the after school program,students moved from making general statements on the social networking site to makingconcrete suggestions to other participants, offering feedback, and having authentic conversationsabout their project.Findings indicate that the relaxed freedom youth experienced in a setting after the school daywas over was indeed conducive to learning. When mediated by the support of adult volunteerfacilitators who bounce ideas, focus excess energy, and challenge the youth to think deeply, thisimpact was even greater. Students in the studio settings were able to apply the new knowledgethey gained to engineering design activities, and demonstrated that knowledge through discourse,chatting online, drawing, and presenting in ways not normally accomplished in the school-dayclassroom. This study has implications for how STEM programs can be integrated after schoolto reinforce school curriculum while providing safe, secure, social outlets for developing youth.ReferencesAuthor, 2009.Author, 2010.Author, 2012.Gerber, B.L., Cavallo, A.M.L., & Marek, E.A. (2001). Relationships among informal learning       environments, teaching procedure and scientific reasoning. International Journal of       Science Education, 23(5), 535-549.Tamir, P. (1990). Factors associated with the relationship between formal, informal, and       nonformal science learning. Journal of Environmental Education, 22, 34-42.Beck, E. L. (1999). Prevention and intervention programming: Lessons from an after-school       program. Urban Review, 31(1), 107–124.Payton, J. et al. (2008). The positive impact of social and emotional learning for kindergarten to       eighth-grade students: Findings from three scientific reviews. Chicago, IL: Collaborative       writing 1990-1999, B. Davies (Ed.), 87-106. Walnut Creek, CA: Altamira Press.       for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning.Davies, B., and Harré, R. (2000). Positioning: The discursive production of selves. In A body of
AU  - Christine Schnittka
AU  - Michael A Evans
AU  - Tiffany Drape
AU  - Samantha Gwai Lan Won
CY  - Atlanta, Georgia
DA  - 2013/06/23
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Looking for Learning in After-School Spaces
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/22261
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--22261
ER  -