Developing a useful and integrative STEM disciplinary language

Abstract

STEM disciplinary language is a necessary component for STEM success. It can be developed through experiences and attention to the development of STEM activities that are rich in language and can be acquired through practical experiences and systematic practice. Secondary students participated in an informal STEM summer camp where they learned to use Google Sketchup® and a 3-D printer to design their own objects. They interacted with peers and collaborated on issues as they arose, to solve problems. They took the Aural/Spatial Interactions and Invariant Components of Vocabulary for STEM instrument pre and posttest, and the results were analyzed qualitatively. Students progressed through styles of communication that were precipitated by terminological inexactitude, cognitive negotiation and then analogous/metaphoric, clarifying, and technical discourses to build mutual understanding and success.