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Title: Innovation Competitions in STEM Education: A Comprehensive Analysis of Attributes and Student Experiences
In order to gain technical and professional experience, many students in STEM fields participate in extracurricular activities, called such as Innovation Competition and Programs (ICPs). ICPs can offer students a hands-on experience in their field, fostering creativity and entrepreneurship while also solving problems as a team. While the literature emphasizes the many benefits that ICPs offer and examples of different types, there is not yet a broad discussion of different ICP attributes, or many documented student testimonials. This paper aims to establish a precise categorization of the various attributes found in such programs and examine actual student ICP experiences to understand how to adjust these attributes in order to provide students with the most positive experience possible. It is helpful to outline the potential attributes of ICPs due to their open-ended and university-dependent nature. In addition, student interview data provides insight into the overall experiences that students have had when participating in these programs, allowing connections to be made between student goals and the structure of the programs themselves.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
2120936
PAR ID:
10546280
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ;
Publisher / Repository:
IEEE
Date Published:
ISBN:
979-8-3503-5280-1
Page Range / eLocation ID:
1 to 6
Subject(s) / Keyword(s):
entrepreneurship innovation competitions student experiences innovation mindset
Format(s):
Medium: X
Location:
Princeton, NJ, USA
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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