STEMGames is an online platform teacher, students, educators, researchers, parents, or any citizen can collectively participate in the process of knowledge construction via participating in discussion and project challenges. It's a collaborative Platform for Open Online and Ongoing Learning to nurture research practices. We publish STEM(Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) projects periodically, which are specially designed to inculcate STEM habits among participants. This platform is developed keeping in mind 21st Century Learning Goals.
There are two ways to participate:
- Attempting the project challenges There are some series of 20+ project challeges already documented. Participate in those and share the progress of your journey with the wider community.
- Participating/Initiating a STEM chat STEM chat is a space where you can start any new post in form of asking questions, sharing some observations or insights. This is a space where you can either seek feedback or help others with their ideas. Currently, we have 2 sub-chats of STEM Chat STEM Chat
- CUBE Chat
- Design Chat
What are badges? Badges
STEM Habits [justify]This platform is specially designed and crafted to recognize and cultivate the habits/practices that promote STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) culture in society. Each project we publish here will be mapped to specific STEM habits, and those who complete the project will be credited by awarding the specific badges. If you are interested in designing projects, you are invited too! Some of you could become referees of these projects and could grant badges to participants or design projects by becoming Staff (organizers) of this platform.[/justify]
Why Games? [justify]Games are rule-following practices, and the rules are known to the players as well as to the spectators. Academic practices also follow rules. Often the rules are not made explicit in the conventional STEM education. When we make the rules explicit, not only the practitioners but also the spectators can develop an understanding of research and development activities that happen in STEM labs. For wider appreciation and participation of STEM projects, we label the practices in the form of habits that can be cultivated as well as recognized.[/justify]
Badges [justify]We grant two kinds of badges: for COOOL Habits and for STEM Habits. COOOL habits are about how civil, engaging and collaborative we are, while STEM habits are required for becoming proficient STEM practitioners. COOOL badges are granted automatically by the platform, while the STEM Habits are granted by the qualified referees whenever participants display proficiency in any of the mentioned STEM habits. Most of these badges can be granted multiple times to participants. Certificates will be awarded based on cumulative score. Eventually, we will opt for recognition from certifying agencies like education boards, UGC, academies and employment agencies like industries, entrepreneurs, Govt bodies.[/justify] STEM Badges are classified into
- Mathematical
- Empirical
- Experimental
- Design
- Social
- Communication
- Thinking and Reasoning
The project is inspired by constructionist, and connectionist models of education.
- The best context for learning is written, verbal and expressive conversation in a constructive playful environment.
- The context for conversation is a research and development project.
- Bring cultural practices, such as STEM habits, into the foreground, while keeping the content in the background.
- Learning happens through assimilation and accommodation of knowledge in the form of a network of actions performed by socially networked agents.
- Knowledge is generated and propagated through recurring action patterns (action schemas), called habits.
- A collaborative, friendly, safe and negotiable learning environment is required for inclusive education.
- A learning environment to be kept as close-to-life and as close-to- professional practices as possible.
- Learning to be made visible to and experienced by the learner.
A Safe, Civilized, Collaborative Platform The platform is carefully designed and crafted for civilized discussion of research and development projects supporting: ➔ Conversing with each other and in groups ➔ Recognition of habits through conversational interaction by granting badges supported by state-of-the-art badging engine ➔ Curating projects and resources ➔ Collaborative editing of documents (Wiki) ➔ Control mechanisms for stopping fake and indecent communications ➔ Customizable notifications, email alerts and summaries ➔ Multilingual content ➔ Accessible through mobile as well as desktop computers ➔ Inclusive membership ➔ Dedicated space for partners and working groups ➔ And many more ...
Who can participate in the STEM games? Students, teachers, teacher educators, researchers, citizen scientists, homeschooling parents/students or in fact, any curious mind. This means it is open to all. “STEM Chat” about the work your lab does, the problem you are investigating, and opportunities of participation by others (particularly students and teachers) in your project. When you and your group of investigators join STEMGames, we can create a group for you where you can discuss your research on a regular basis, even if it is among your group. This way you give everyone an opportunity to be a spectator of your STEM labs work. The regular lab practices help us to develop STEM Habits, but most students and teachers of STEM have little access to these practices because they do not happen in an accessible space. Consider using STEM Games arena (this platform) as a place to have conversations about your research project, Every lab that joins us will be recognized as a lab partner of this platform.
If you have Tinkering Lab We offer several challenging and innovative projects for those who like to design, fabricate or just enjoy making innovative computing, robotic, IoT and electronic instruments/devices. We offer special training through workshops if you want to setup a lab at your place.
Access Through Mobile App https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.stemgames Access Through Internet Browser https://stemGames.metaStudio.org/ Follow us Through Twitter https://twitter.com/COOOLSTEMGames Write to us: Email: stemGames@gnowledge.org
The COOOL STEM Games is brought to you by Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education, TIFR in association with partners. Centre for Education Innovation and Action Research, TISS Central Institute of Educational Technology(CIET), a constituent unit of NCERT