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Informal learning has the potential to play an important role in helping children develop a life-long interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). The goal of this review is to synthesize the evidence regarding the features of effective informal learning, provide effective ways to support learning within these contexts, and illustrate that cooking is an optimal opportunity for informal STEM learning. We review evidence demonstrating that the most effective informal learning activities are authentic, social and collaborative experiences that tap into culturally-relevant practices and knowledge, although there are limitations to each. We propose that cooking provides a context for authentic, culturally-relevant learning opportunities and includes natural supports for learning and engagement. Specifically, cooking provides many opportunities to apply STEM content (e.g., measuring and chemical reactions) to an existing foundation of knowledge about food. Cooking is also a family-based learning opportunity that exists across cultures, allows for in-home mentoring, and requires no specialized materials (beyond those available in most homes). It may help overcome some limitations in informal STEM learning, namely scalability. Finally, cooking provides immediate, tangible (and edible) results, promoting interest and supporting long-term engagement.
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Examining teenagers' spontaneous play in a STEM-based out-of-school time experience for refugee-background youth.
This linguistic anthropological case study examines one episode of play involving refugee-background teenagers participating in an informal STEM learning experience. This empirical case shows how the disciplinary practices of cosmic ray detector building were productively interwoven with spontaneous play directed by participating youth. The analysis reveals the need for a greater focus on play, which designers and researchers may initially dismiss as “off-task,” but may in fact be an important component of disciplinary practice. Furthermore, we call for attention to play as a potentially important feature of designing and researching culturally sustaining pedagogies (CSPs) with and for diverse learners in informal STEM learning contexts.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2005973
- PAR ID:
- 10556301
- Editor(s):
- NA
- Publisher / Repository:
- ICLS/ISLS Repository (https://repository.isls.org//handle/1/9878)
- Date Published:
- ISBN:
- 9781737330677
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Location:
- ICLS/ISLS Repository (https://repository.isls.org//handle/1/9878)
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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