Increasing Inclusivity in STEM with Digital Storytelling

All of the partners felt that they need to find new ways of introducing the practical application of the theory covered in STEM(science, technology, engineering, mathematics) subjects to students. How can we make the theories and formulas of STEM subjects more accessible? Three of the partners have already been working together on the application of digital story telling as a method of researching cultural heritage, so we decided to use this method as a way to apply the curricula of STEM in practice.

We wanted to make upper-secondary better at communicating the concepts and real-world application of STEM subjects. We also hoped that this would make more students interested in STEM and consider applying to study them further. We aimed to achieve this by using digital storytelling as a method.

The project was divided into four different and distinctive topics that each take into consideration a separate field of STEM. Each topic was it's own entity and consisted of an assignment that introduced the topic, a training event that helped the students research the topic and produce materials through real-world application in cooperation with a science center or university. Finally the students concluded the topic with an assignment at their own school and then share the results with the other schools.

The project produced materials that outline the benefits of different approaches, assignments and training events and it offers the exercises and results that the students did. These are compiled in teacher-friendly packets on the project website. We will also documented parts of the training events on video and present a short compilation on the methods and workflows to help teachers and students better understand the nature of the exercises. The digital stories that the students produce during assignments and training events are distributed on the project website for everyone to see.