STEMGames

A Collaborative platform for Open Online and Ongoing Learning through STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) games. We publish projects periodically, which are specially designed to inculcate STEM habits among participants. This platform is developed keeping in mind 21st Century Learning Goals.

Build a STEM Lab if you don’t have one. Make it active and vibrant if you already have one.

Cube_Lab

What are STEMGames?

STEM Games are gamified STEM project challenges:

Most STEM research projects need a lab (unless they are field projects). Many schools and colleges do not have a lab.By participating in the projects, you can create a lab or makerspace if you don’t have one, and those of you who already have a lab can make your lab/makerspace more active and vibrant space. These projects become a context to cultivate and recognize STEM habits.

Cube_Investigation

MakerSpace

What does STEM stand for?

The acronym “STEM” is widely expanded to Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics. Often people ask if Art and Design are part of STEM. Is sociology or economics part of STEM? So, the following may help you resolve or clarify these questions.

We make a distinction between content and research practices. Any subject area can be researched. STEM is considered here more synonymous with research and research tools and not identified because of content. Interpreted this way, STEMGames refer to research/academic practices.

MakerSpace

Why not STEAM Games?

The added ‘A’ refers to art. We interpret the four components of STEM as sub-cultures of art itself. Thus, art is the broader umbrella of human culture. Creative use of media and tools is Art. So, STEM is subsumed under the arts.

Designing and creating tools and media is engineering. Thus, the design is an integral part of engineering. We grant a collection of badges for design thinking. Research projects as a context for learning and teaching define the scope of STEMgames.

STEM Habits

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.

STEM Habits Summary

Why Games?

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.

CUBE

Badges

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.

STEM Badges are classified into

Badges

Badges_2

Pedagogical Framework

The project is inspired by constructionist, and connectionist models of education.

Cube_Caserie

A Safe, Civilized, Collaborative Platform

The platform is carefully designed and crafted for civilized discussion of research and development projects supporting:

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.

If you are a teacher: The best mode of participation for teachers is to gather a group of students and send @referees of this platform a message to create a group for you. In case you want to invite other teachers or other students from the platform, please invite them to your group. Since STEM games are collaborative, group formation is recommended. Keep encouraging the students to gain badges and cultivate STEM habits, and in the process use this opportunity to see how we recognize STEM habits.

If you are a student: Please try to form into a group and invite a teacher/mentor who is known to you to guide/mentor while you do the projects. If you cannot find a teacher due to some reason (after you gave a serious try) please select one of the students as a mentor. We are always there to mentor through online dialogue. Group membership need not be rigid, you may invite others whom you get to know at this platform as well.

If you run a STEM Lab and you are a researcher: Please write a note in “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.

If you are a STEM education researcher: You can investigate whether STEM habits are actually getting cultivated, whether STEM habits enhance conceptual understanding, examine the pedagogical and design principles of the games/projects, critique any of the processes happening here, provide feedback on the effectiveness of the activities, provide help to @referees and the participants. If you wish to join as a referee, design a project keeping the author guidelines in view and send your proposal to @referees.

If you are a Citizen Scientist: This is a great place to be in, because we provide citizen science profile to most projects to encourage participation from any interested citizen, and not limited to formal educational institutions. You are free to become part of a project/activity based on your interest. If you want to form a STEM club or you already have a club in your locality, we strongly encourage you to send us a request to form a group preferably by your club name.

If you are a Home Schooling Parent: If your child has an email, this could be your children’s safest online academy. Please select a project that is suitable for your children, and encourage them to learn by participating in a project. Create a community of other such parents and children and encourage your children to learn through investigative projects. This community could mentor your children to develop STEM habits among others.

If you are a STEM Activist: You may have already got a community as well as projects. We can recognize your community members, by recognizing the STEM habits that you are cultivating among citizens. You can also host your projects at this platform. We would also be happy to encourage our members to take part in your activities, to promote your STEM project. Write blogs about your projects and stories from the field to inspire the visitors here, and tell members how they can join your projects.

If you are an administrator: By administrator, we mean principals/head of the departments/dean/director of schools or colleges. Please encourage your teachers and students to participate in the STEM games. Provide them a space to form a STEM club in the campus. Send us a message to our @referees, who can conduct an orientation session at your place. We can try our best to travel to your place if possible, otherwise, we can always schedule a webinar (online meeting) with your teachers/students/staff. The projects at this site are a great opportunity to make your labs active. If you do not have facilities, we can provide ideas on how they can be sourced or fabricated. The tinkering projects at the site help you to build a lab from scratch at a minimal expense but enhanced learning. If you have an Atal Tinkering Lab in your school/college, we have great project ideas.

If you are a curious member of civil society: You can become any one of the above, depending on what role you wish to play in the STEM games. You could navigate around the platform and participate in any activity in any which way you wish. Since this platform is open, online and ongoing we have a place for any curious mind interested in STEM.

Access Through Mobile App https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.stemgames
Access Through Internet Browser https://metaStudio.org/
Follow us Through Twitter https://twitter.com/COOOLSTEMGames
Write to us: Email stemGames@gnowledge.org

We invite academic and implementation partnerships with private or public organizations, schools, colleges, universities and Govt departments.

Partners of STEM Games

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

Please write to us if your organization likes to join as a partner.

Open Educational Resource

The projects and resources published at the platform are released under Creative Commons License (CC By SA 4.0 unless mentioned otherwise by the contributors).

Free and Open Source Software

The Platform and Mobile App Source code is available from https://github.com/gnowledge/