Challenge-Based Learning Through Making
Representing STEM Crosscutting Concepts Through Designing and Making in Middle School Engineering
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22044705 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Juan Torralba (0009-0004-7268-6934, Institute for the Future), Jorge Membrillo‐Hernández (0000-0001-7650-8116, Institute for the Future) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 15 |
| Issue | 10 |
| Pages | 1292 |
| Publication date | 2025-10-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Education Sciences (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2227-7102 • E-ISSN: 2227-7102 |
| Publisher | MDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT) |
| DOI | 10.3390/educsci15101292 |
| OpenAlex | W4414707009 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 35 |
Proportional reasoning is a crosscutting concept identified as necessary for student success in upper-level mathematics as well as science, technology, and engineering. Research on middle-grade mathematics learning shows that students tend to develop stronger understandings of mathematical concepts when they learn through constructionist real-world projects that are relevant and meaningful to them. In this qualitative exploratory research study, we developed and implemented a Challenge-Based Learning through Making project for a middle school engineering class to investigate how students demonstrate their understanding of proportional reasoning through designing and making physical and digital artifacts, mentored by industry experts, and within the context of a school makerspace. Our findings showed that students accurately represented their understanding of proportionality through their digital artifacts more than any other modality available, contrasting previous findings in the relevant literature. Findings regarding the integration of professional technology for digital 3D modeling, mentorship of industry experts, and the prevalence of mathematical estimation in digital modeling provide avenues for further research vis-a-vis the role of expert mentorship in middle school STEM design challenges and mathematical estimation in spatial reasoning for design. Implications for the practice and the field of STEM learning are discussed
Design-based research · Engineering education · Exploratory research · Mentorship · Project-Based Learning · Qualitative research · Strict constructionism · Biomedical and Engineering Education · Mechatronics Education and Applications · Teaching and Learning Programming
The Cambridge Handbook of the Learning Sciences
The Maker Movement in Education
Learning in the Making
The Maker Movement
Strategies for ensuring trustworthiness in qualitative research projects
Makerspaces and Contributions to Entrepreneurship
The Cambridge Handbook of the Learning Sciences
Systematic Review
Effectiveness of Challenge-Based Learning in Undergraduate Engineering Programs from Competencies and Gender Perspectives
Learning through Making and Maker Education
Professional Development Considerations for Makerspace Leaders, Part One
Learning through Making
Where do we go from here? Innovative technologies and heritage engagement with the MakerBus
Three Approaches to Qualitative Content Analysis
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |