History of ELSA
BACKGROUND
The ELSA: STEM in Schools Program builds upon the success of the Early Learning STEM Australia (ELSA) preschool Program, developed by the STEM Education Research Centre (SERC) team at the University of Canberra (UC).
The ELSA preschool Program was a key initiative supporting the ‘Inspiring all Australians in digital literacy and STEM’ measure, which sought to increase the participation of Australian children in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education, and improve their digital literacy under the National Innovation and Science Agenda.
The ELSA preschool Program provided the opportunity for young children to explore a play-based learning environment rich in STEM concepts, delivered through a series of mobile applications (apps) for tablet devices, embedded within a larger program of connected hands-on activities.
Iteratively developed over five years, the final ELSA preschool Program successfully engaged preschool children in STEM learning, which included a strong evidence base for substantial learning growth in 4-year-old children’s spatial reasoning skills and numeracy development.
ELSA STEM IN SCHOOLS
Program content
The ELSA: STEM in Schools Program will bundle STEM learning activities across three themes:
Community will be the focus for children in Foundation Year.
We recognise that STEM learning occurs best when it occurs with others in local communities.
STEM Practices in Communities encourages children to develop an understanding that STEM is not just an activity for self; rather, learning occurs best when it is connected to the communities in which children live.
Context will be the focus for children in Year 1.
We acknowledge that children and teachers in the Program will be from a diverse range of geographical and socio-economic learning contexts.
STEM Practices in Contexts develops a range of attributes that support the use of STEM Practices in diverse STEM contexts, especially in rural and remote environments.
Culture will be the focus for children in Year 2.
We celebrate the diverse cultural backgrounds of children and teachers in the Program, and respect and incorporate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of STEM knowing.
STEM Practices in Cultures provides rich opportunities to engage children as they develop an understanding of STEM ideas, methods and values from their own cultural perspective.
ELSA tools
Our digital tools
The ELSA: STEM in Schools Program will feature 3 digital tools for children, as well as a digital tool for educators and one for families.
Children’s digital tools
The three children’s digital tools will go beyond the screen and encourage active engagement that supports STEM Practices within classroom and home environments. This will enable children to revisit concepts multiple times, and to draw upon themes that reflect their everyday life.
The digital tools will provide children with opportunities to develop their cognitive skills, through an emphasis on spatial reasoning and logical reasoning skills, using STEM as the knowledge base.
Children will be provided opportunities to experience success, through supported challenges, thereby developing a range of important dispositions, including persistence and resilience, as they undertake the Program activities.
Teacher tool
The Teacher Tool will provide teachers with a comprehensive range of ‘Experience’ and ‘Apply’ activities (within the ERA framework) that are specifically tailored to support them in engaging students in STEM learning experiences.
The ‘Experience’ and ‘Apply’ activities will be designed to support and extend ‘Representation’ activities on the respective digital tools.
The Teacher Tool will incorporate classroom management tools, structured lesson plans, support information and a data dashboard that enables teachers to monitor the progression of student learning in the Program.
Engagement tool
The Engagement Tool will explore STEM-literacy concepts present in the everyday experiences of children. This tool will integrate with the Teacher Tool to enhance the sharing of learning experiences between school and home and will support parents in STEM based experiences in the home.
Connecting the classroom and home
Connectivity between the Engagement Tool and the Teacher Tool will provide opportunities for families to engage with learning that has occurred in the classroom and provide suggestions for connecting this learning to meaningful, contextualised STEM learning in their home environment.
These two digital tools will provide support to participating teachers and will engage families and/or supervisors and thus enhance the sharing of learning experiences between school and home, and support parents and/or guardians in STEM-based experiences in the home.
Outcomes
The intended outcomes of the ELSA: STEM in Schools Program include:
- developing and disseminating innovative, high-quality online Australian-Curriculum-aligned STEM resources and support materials for school teachers
- providing a high-quality experience for users, incorporating contemporary pedagogies
- strengthening the STEM capabilities of Foundation to Year 2 teachers and supporting school leaders, students and families
- ensuring widespread awareness and uptake of the resources and associated pedagogical approaches in schools across Australia
- ensuring the resources meet school communities’ needs by continuous monitoring
- strengthening students’ STEM skills
- supporting all young people to become more STEM capable