STEM Motivation Workshop for a Sustainable Pipeline: A Global Perspective

Student motivation is vitally important for an effective teaching and learning experience. In the case of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), student motivation reaches far beyond the classroom experience, and is immensely complicated to frame.

Staying globally competitive and fueling increasingly technology-based economies with skilled workers is important to all nations. Some factors that have intensified the need for more and better qualified STEM graduates include the rapid advancement of technology, paired with seamless mobility of labor and jobs across the globe. Maintaining a sustainable STEM pipeline requires collaboration among secondary schools, higher education institutions, policy makers, and labor market.  One potential mechanism fostering such collaboration is through studying the driving forces of STEM students before and during college. If we understand what factors and practices motivate individuals, we then maybe able to appropriate and allocate resources more efficiently; develop better education policies; and maintain a healthier and more sustainable STEM pipeline.  Since the concern is not country specific but rather global, ICEMST meeting is an ideal platform for the workshop. Individuals from all over the globe, including but not limited to STEM faculty, administrators, policy makers, and industry representatives, can benefit from this workshop.  Topics of discussion may include student confidence in their math and science capabilities, high school experience, college readiness, the role of faculty, institutional experience, environmental factors, government education policies, and the labor market.

This workshop series is designed to give participants an opportunity to share knowledge from their respective institutions and countries as well as brainstorm for global solutions. Additionally, participants of this workshop will be invited to gather and share data for potential collaborations.

Workshop Goals:

1. Obtain a global perspective in needs of STEM fields and sustainable STEM pipelines
2. Define the importance of precollege (middle school and high school) STEM exposure and experience
3. Examine classroom and institution experience in keeping college students in STEM fields
4. Investigate external factors, such as economy and labor market influence, in STEM motivation
5. Describe potential methods to improve number and quality of STEM graduates
6. Define the next step and call for collaboration

Workshop Agendas:

Workshop Session 1: April 23, 2015 (1-1.5hours)
Welcome
Workshop Overview and Context
Brainstorming: Wild and Fearless
Turn the Problem Upside Down: Additional Ideas
Framing & Discussion

Workshop Session 2: April 24, 2015 (1.5-2hours)
Precollege STEM Exposure and Experience
Classroom and Institution Experience at College or University
External factors: Economy and Labor Market
Other Motivation Factors from Session 1
Link the Ideas

Workshop Session 3: April 25, 2015 (1.5-2hours)
Overview of Session 2     
Viable Methods to Improve the Number of STEM Students and Quality of STEM Graduates
Bringing it All Together: Major Messages and Future Research
Define the Next Step
Closing Remarks

Additional Information for the Participants

1. Participation is free.
2. Limited capacity, please register in advance.
1. Representing multiple countries
2. Representing high school and college/university faculty and administrations with various backgrounds.
3. Presence of policy makers and industry reps can be helpful.
4. This will be highly interactive workshop; all participants are expected to contribute.
3. Workshop materials will be provided by the conference administration.

NOTE: Please send us an email (icemst2015@gmail.com) to register for the workshop.