Presentation Overview:
The demand for graduates in STEM disciplines continues to increase due to the critical contributions of science, technology, engineering, and math to a multitude of national goals. The nation finds itself slipping in the quality and quantity of its engineers and scientists, and in response, the country has put considerable emphasis on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education at all levels. As a critical national technology, M&S is rapidly evolving, with applications in a variety of fields. However, with an increasingly diminishing and unqualified workforce, there are serious implications on the operation and growth of numerous industries and organizations in th...e United States, as well as the economic growth of the nation. One limitation for attracting future modeling and simulation professionals starts with the U.S. public education system, which faces challenges in getting students interested in disciplines related to modeling and simulation fields. Consequently, in recent years, there has been a concerted effort in the U.S. to increase performance in these fields and to bolster interest in related fields. A primary focus of these efforts includes substantial revisioning of K-12 education. One specific reform effort involves the development of a high school modeling and simulation curriculum in central Florida, a particularly robust modeling and simulation professional community.
The focus of this presentation will be the processes and lessons learned throughout the design, development, and implementation of a high school M&S curriculum and associated certification program. Specifically, the presentation will address: 1) building on the work of others, 2) the development of a multi-sector collaborative environment, 3) models of addressing the need for qualified teachers, 4) lessons learned, and 5) future research and directions. Lastly, this presentation will provide general overview of the curricular goals and instructional content of the M&S curriculum, as well as an examination of the development process for supportive curricular materials.
Speaker Biography:
Richard Hartshorne is an Associate Professor and Coordinator for the Instructional Design & Technology program at the University of Central Florida (UCF). He earned his Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with a focus on educational technology production and technology and teacher education from the University of Florida. Prior to his tenure at the UCF, Richard was an Assistant and Associate Professor of Instructional Systems Technology at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte for seven years and a physics instructor at Ed White High School in Jacksonville, FL for seven years. At the University of Central Florida, his teaching focuses on the integration of technology into the educational cape, as well as instructional design and development. His research interests primarily involve the production and effective integration of instructional technology into the teaching and learning environment. The major areas of his research interest are rooted in technology and teacher education, the integration of emerging technology into the k-post-secondary curriculum, and online teaching and learning. His articles have appeared in such publications as the Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, the International Journal of Gaming and Computer-Mediated Simulations, the Journal of Digital Learning in Teacher Education, Internet and Higher Education, the Journal of Educational Computing Research, and others. He has also authored numerous book chapters and serves in editorial capacities for a number of journals in the field of educational technology.
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