Abstract
Thinking with Card is an online resource that encourages active learning through making activities linked to subjects within core STEM curricula. The (bilingual) resources are aimed at Key Stage 2 and 3 students (UK) and Middle School students (China) (approx age 7-14). The project was launched in July 2020 in response to the pandemic and corresponding need for stimulating activities suitable for home and remote learning. The free downloadable models can be printed and constructed using simple tools and have shown to help students understand complex concepts which are difficult to grasp from textbooks or even demonstrations (e.g. the relationship between magnetism and electricity, or the function of a four-stroke engine). The physical nature of these resources is also helpful for those looking for active learning approaches that are more inclusive in relation to dyslexia, where visual thinking and mechanical skills come more naturally.The development of future card models has been built into a course module for industrial design students that promotes and enhances prototyping skills.
Keywords
materiality, making, active learning
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/drs_lxd2021.01.221
Citation
Hughes, B.(2021) Thinking with card: Tactile and making-based resources for active remote learning in stem subjects, in Bohemia, E., Nielsen, L.M., Pan, L., Börekçi, N.A.G.Z., Zhang, Y. (eds.), Learn X Design 2021: Engaging with challenges in design education, 24-26 September, Shandong University of Art & Design, Jinan, China. https://doi.org/10.21606/drs_lxd2021.01.221
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
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Thinking with card: Tactile and making-based resources for active remote learning in stem subjects
Thinking with Card is an online resource that encourages active learning through making activities linked to subjects within core STEM curricula. The (bilingual) resources are aimed at Key Stage 2 and 3 students (UK) and Middle School students (China) (approx age 7-14). The project was launched in July 2020 in response to the pandemic and corresponding need for stimulating activities suitable for home and remote learning. The free downloadable models can be printed and constructed using simple tools and have shown to help students understand complex concepts which are difficult to grasp from textbooks or even demonstrations (e.g. the relationship between magnetism and electricity, or the function of a four-stroke engine). The physical nature of these resources is also helpful for those looking for active learning approaches that are more inclusive in relation to dyslexia, where visual thinking and mechanical skills come more naturally.The development of future card models has been built into a course module for industrial design students that promotes and enhances prototyping skills.