IMMERSIVE RESIDENCY
Sponsored by the Master of Arts in Learning & Emerging Technology program at SUNY Empire
State College
Contact Dr. Eileen O’Connor for details, on-boarding & access - eileen.oconnor@esc.edu
Join faculty and graduate students in this 1 day immersion in a virtual reality
environment to learn about AND experience existing and emerging technologies
that are allowing STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) enhanced by the
A for art as well as ALL CONTENT AREAS to reach new heights. You only need a
computer and internet to attend.
Saturday – Oct. 12, 2019 from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm (online)
Receive a Certificate of Attendance and an eBadge on completion

FROM STEM TO STEAM:
THEORY-GROUNDED AND
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
FOR INSTRUCTION
Eileen O’Connor, Ph.D.
Eileen.oconnor@esc.edu
Items shown here:
• Educational Grounding &
Standards
• Applications and Ideas
• SUNY ESC - MALET
• So, what’s the challenge?
NOTE: this presentation highlights the
STEM/STEAM field and presents selected work
by SUNY Empire’s graduate students. THERE
ARE NOT RESTRICTED TO MATH / SCIENCE
INTERESTED STUDENTS - the technology and
the arts are the bridge to essentially all
content areas - see if / where a STEM / STEAM
focus might be relevant to your interests - via
single courses or the STEM & Emerging
Technologies certificate in MALET
NOTE: this presentation is Creative Commons
license from Dr. Eileen O’Connor
Science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics (STEAM)
Open the slideshow, then click on the Settings/Gear
icon - click on the notes at the bottom to read the
text that explains the slides

STEM – Personal History (O’Connor’s
background in field)
• Middle school – St. Ignatius, Montana; Native American Reservation
• Chemist > science & tech at IBM
• STEMTEC – U. Mass & Amherst – 1999 – 2001 – NSF evaluator
• Science ed / tech ed / STEM Education certificate
• Before recent tech explosion – inquiry-based science
• A Framework for K12 Science Education > NSTA & NCR > Next Generation
Science Standards
• Practices with inquiry
• Inquiry – labs – cross disciplinary: have ALWAYS
been lauded in the research . . . .
So what’s the challenge?

NATIONAL K12
EFFORTS
Engineering design
now included
NOT limited to K12 – but K12
is ahead in articulation

NATIONAL K12
EFFORTS
What is STEAM?
STEAM programs can also be referred
to as “arts integration” or “STEM+Arts”
programs. Although there are slight
nuances to program implementation
based on the term used, the important
aspect of STEAM is integrated learning
that incorporates the ideas of
innovation, creativity, and design
from the arts and applies them to
observation, inquiry, and problem
solving processes found in STEM
activities.
https://www.csai-online.org/resources/stem-steam-resources-toolkit

. . . incorporates the ideas of innovation,
creativity, and design from the arts and
applies them to observation, inquiry, and
problem solving processes found in STEM
activities.
https://www.csai-online.org/resources/stem-steam-resources-toolkit
From creative designs to digital
story-telling the “arts” bring
innovation & enrichment that can
turn STEM > STEAM

. . . incorporates the ideas of
innovation, creativity, and design from
the arts and applies them to
observation, inquiry, and problem
solving processes found in STEM
activities.
https://www.csai-online.org/resources/stem-steam-resources-toolkit
Many new art, augmented &
3-d tools bring the arts &
innovations into STEAM

K12 - CONTINUING
GOVERNMENTAL
IMPRIMATUR …
AND GRANTS
https://innovation.ed.gov/files/2016/09/AIR-
STEM2026_Report_2016.pdf

THE CALL IS STRONG

THE CALL IS STRONG

CONSTRUCTING
MEANING
- THOUGHTS
FROM THE UK

THEORY-GROUNDING
“Constructivism is a learning theory that perceives learning as a process of
constructing knowledge based from experience. Issues of difficulty in
translating this learning theory into a teaching and learning practice have
become a debate among educational researchers. One of the learning
approaches that reflect the theory of constructivism is project-based learning or
PjBL. Terms such as “authentic learning activity” and “hands-on learning” is
commonly represented as constructivist which believes and addressed learning
through rigorous, relevant and hands-on practice.”
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/320558653_Project-
Based_Learning_from_Constructivism_Point_of_View

THEORY-GROUNDING
- CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS SLIDE
Suggestions:
• Learning tasks need to be designed in a way it
requires learners to engage in more cognitive
demanding tasks.
• Continuous assessment and monitoring is also
challenging in PjBL setting.
• Assessment for learning and learner’s reflection of
learning are also integral to PjBL.

MY COLLECTIONS:
MORE COMPREHENSIVE
• https://sites.google.com/site/ilsresear
chwriting/stem-resources

MY COLLECTIONS
https://sites.google.com/
view/stemsteam/home
Working definition
* Science, tech, engineering & math - with
the arts too; interdisciplinary problem
solving approaches that integrate
technologies and can be applied to most
any learning, communication scenario; the
arts help bring in creative solutions and
ideation

RELATED AREA
• https://sites.google.com/view/a
rvradvances/home
• https://sites.google.com/view/vr
marian/home
Advancing areas too
* Much more coming

HTTP://WWW.STEMOPPORTUNITYINDEX.COM/#&GID=1&PID=1

STEM & SERIOUS GAMES –
MODEL A SCIENCE ENTERPRISE
• Role playing – as scientists
• Discussions
• Presentations – critical peer review
• Actual scientist visits – bring in
background elements too / images,
links, PPT; a 2.5 minute video on an this
integrated healthcare application -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x
OtW4cAAlTE
• https://youtu.be/esPRsT-lmw8 -
fascinating TED talk on brain scans &
behavior; and how the mind can learn
how to change – could be a next step
for youth to pursue

DIGITAL
THINKERS –
JONES, HARMON,
O’GRADY JONES
(OLDER STUDY BUT THE
CHANGES IN STUDENT-
TYPES REMAIN)

JOIN w/ Higher Ed -
ESC Partners
STEM/STEAM
Project
- Multi-
dimensional
/ integrated
A Key
STEM
/STEAM
Tool or
System
Supportive
Website &
Videos
Cohesive
Purpose
Assessment

Citizen Science – data
probes; geology across
the state;
Maritime navigation – 360
camera ($20K grant)
3d ELA house – VoTech
Major cities / culture – 3d
Printers
Recipe Share – math &
cooking
Tiny bio- Phone-Shared
Microscope
Courses

MakerSpace – Canadian
Museum
AR – healthcare prototype
Scratch – coding –
elementary & high school
Google 360 – immigrant
population
Google MyMaps –
geology
VR – Corporate visioning &
corporate training
Courses

MAKER SPACES – IN A
CANADIAN MUSEUM

CODING IN HIGH SCHOOL

Telling stories with “live”
settings and scenarios -
from flat screen to scroll-
around 360 simulations

360 CAMERAS AND
OPERATING ROOM TRAINING
Perspectives on
procedures before
students are in the
actual sterile, high-
pressure settings

360 VR FOR VESSEL-DOCKING TRAINING

VR FOR CORPORATE “VISION”

SLOW-MATION FOR LANGUAGE INSTRUCTION
Students stories through animated,
video characters

ROBOTICS

PHYSICS & MOTION DETECTION

CODING IN PHYSICS CLASS

AR FOR EXTENDING MANIKIN WORK
IN NURSING CLINICAL TRAINING

3D DISASTER PREPARATION

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CODING

3D PRINTER
CITIES

Virtual Reality (VR) FOR
INSURANCE TRAINING

VR FOR
All Education - co-
workspaces
Join my VR co-working
education space pilot -
reduce the learning curve
and gather insights from
colleagues

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LEGO –
OCEAN POLLUTION CLEANUP
More commercial
support – such as
Legos

JOIN w/ Higher Ed -
ESC Partners
STEM/STEAM
Project
- Multi-
dimensional
/ integrated
A Key
STEM
/STEAM
Tool or
System
Supportive
Website &
Videos
Cohesive
Purpose
Assessment

Partner w/ Higher Ed -
SUNY Empire
STEM &
Emerging
Technologies
Certificate or
Courses Solo
Learning
&
Emerging
Tech
Assessment
in Digital
Era
STEM
Tools
STEM
Capstone
Contact Dr. Eileen O’Connor – eileen.oconnor@esc.edu
So lets embrace
the challenge

INFORMATION FROM SUNY EMPIRE’S
STEM AND MALET COURSES
https://www.esc.edu/graduate-studies/masters-degrees/education-programs/ma-learning-emerging-technologies/
• Eileen O’Connor, Ph.D.
• SUNY Empire State College
•Eileen.oconnor@esc.edu