Transforming Students through Cloud Computing: A Collaborative Approach in Preparing Future Science and Technology Professionals Drs. Alisha Malloy, Donna Grant and Joshua Bogues-Hill North Carolina Central University IBM Cloud Academy Conference April 19, 2012

Outline  Introduction  FUTURES/T.A.G.S Implementation  Survey Findings  VCL Usage and Statistics  Conclusion  Questions

Introduction Over the past 10 years, growth in STEM jobs was three times faster than non-STEM jobs. 60% of the new jobs in the 21 st century will fall into the STEM professions and require skills possessed by only 20% of the current workforce. One way to mitigate this potential shortage is to introduce innovative and collaborative STEM programs in K-12.

Introduction Collaborative effort between faculty members in the Biology and Computer Information Systems programs. Interdisciplinary collaboration combined the efforts of two existing university programs: Fostering Undergraduate Education Through Research and Education in the Sciences (FUTURES) and Technically Aspiring Global Students (T.A.G.S.) FUTURES/T.A.G.S. program was designed using Project Based Learning (PBL) to educate students on skills such as problem- solving, creativity, leadership, teamwork and critical thinking through the use of cloud computing.

Introduction The theme chosen for the FUTURES/T.A.G.S. summer program was : Addressing Global Obesity. The objective of the program was to increase interest and aptitude of high school students in science and technology. The program allowed participants to embrace science and technology through solving a real world problem to improve our global society.

FUTURES/T.A.G.S Implementation The FUTURES/T.A.G.S. program was : Designed as project based learning with 5-6 students per team who researched and addressed solutions for Global Obesity in 5 specific countries: Egypt, Mexico, Puerto Rico, United Kingdom and United States. Mixture of hands-on modules in chemistry and biology that dealt with nutrition and diabetes; mathematical modules for data analysis and synthesis; and technology components that introduced students to website design and development.

FUTURES/T.A.G.S Implementation Schedule: Program was 4 weeks and included biology, chemistry, math and technology modules focused on obesity. The 8 day technology component encompassed concepts for the design and development of team websites. Concepts included, but were not limited to, website planning and design, page layout, story boarding, HTML, Cascading Style Sheets, hyperlinks, tables, forms, working with images and multimedia. Students engaged in individual reflection through daily journals writings.

Survey Findings Demographics of the participants: – 29 students representing 11 high schools in the Raleigh, Durham, Cary, and Wake Forest areas – 13 females in the program (12 African American, 1 Hispanic) – 16 males (14 African American, 1 Asian, 1 Indian) – 27 were rising seniors and 2 were rising juniors

Survey Findings Pre/post survey assessments of the FUTURES/T.A.G.S. program were developed to document the following objectives: – increase students’ awareness of and interest in science and technology careers – increase students’ understanding and application of website development – increase students’ knowledge of VCL

Survey Findings 82% of the students said they had a better understanding of the opportunities in the STEM field. 74% said the summer’s coursework challenged them to think critically and in innovative ways about STEM careers. 28 % gain in student understanding and use HTML coding and their tags to design and build their websites. 74% thought VCL was easy to use. 67 % thought that most people would learn to use VCL quickly.

VCL Usage and Statistics Total VCL Usage: 254 reservations, 469 hours Software Programs Used: NetLogo, Vensim, AgentSheets, Microsoft Office 2007 and Microsoft Expression

Team Egypt Audience for Website: Goal: Raise Awareness VCL Usage: 44 reservations, 75 hours Judges Comments: consistent, great color scheme & information

Team Mexico Audience for Website: Goal: Importance of getting obesity under control VCL Usage: 54 reservations, 104 hours Judges Comments: detail, balance of pictures & text, easy-of-use

Team Puerto Rico Audience for Website: teenagers and adult parents Goal: Ways to maintain healthy lifestyle VCL Usage: 57 reservations, 109 hours Judges Comments: great color scheme, effectively used different styles and characters

Team United Kingdom Audience for Website: total population Goal: Provide information regarding obesity VCL Usage: 55 reservations, 104 hours Judges Comments: use of links and U.K. flag & colors

Team United States Audience for Website: Goal: Causes, problems and solutions to obesity VCL Usage: 44 reservations, 75 hours Judges Comments: use of video, look & feel of website

Conclusion The results reveal the following: – The use of cloud computing, specifically VCL, had a positive impact of students perception of technology (i.e. its ease of use, ability to learn, value, etc.). – A majority of the students wanted to use VCL during the summer program and at home. – Student increased their understanding and use of HTML on average by 28%. – On average, students’ interest in using and experimenting with new technologies increased. Summer 2013 – 2 nd Joint FUTURES/T.A.G.S. 4 week Summer Program

Questions Contact information: Dr. Alisha Malloy (919) Dr. Donna Grant (919)