The Contribution of the Health Crisis to Young Children’s Nano-literacy through STEAM Education


Abstract views: 951 / PDF downloads: 708

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51724/hjstemed.v2i1.18

Keywords:

STEAM education, digital technologies, mobile applications, nano-technology, early childhood, size and scale, virus

Abstract

Nano-Science and nano-Technology (NST) is a new interdisciplinary field that promises to provide solutions to timeless global challenges. Given that NST deals with elements that cannot be observed with the naked eye, their understanding by young children undoubtedly requires appropriate teaching methods. These distinct aspects of NST align well with the capabilities of smart mobile devices, the critical feature of which is their ability to display interactive simulations and playful visualizations. This article aims to emphasize the feasibility of empirical research of how digital technologies support NST teaching to young children in the wake of the sudden pandemic outbreak based on a comprehensive literature review. With the virus as the central entity of nanoscale, following the current demands of the unprecedented health crisis, and developing appropriate educational applications in digital games, young children can be introduced to the fundamental concepts of NST.  NST is an interdisciplinary field that can enhance children's perceptions of the interconnectedness of nature with different fields of knowledge, such as Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics (STEAM).

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biography

Pandora Dorouka, PhD candidate, School of Education-Department of Preschool Education, The University of Crete

Pandora Dorouka is a PhD candidate in the Department of
Preschool Education at the University of Crete, Greece. She has graduated
from the Department of Primary Education of the University of Ioannina,
Greece, and received her MSc in Education from the Department of Preschool
Education of the University of Crete. She has been working many years as a
primary school teacher in public primary schools and private educational
centres. She has published a couple of articles in journals and has presented a
few papers in conferences. Her research interests include science teaching and
learning at early childhood education, STEAM education, ICT in preschool and
primary education, mobile learning and nanotechnology in early childhood.

References

Aho, A. V. (2012). Computation and computational thinking. Computer Journal, 55(7):832 – 835.

Ampartzaki, M., Kalogiannakis, M., & Papadakis, S. (2021). Deepening Our Knowledge about Sustainability Education in the Early Years: Lessons from a Water Project. Education Sciences, 11(6), 251.

Adams, J., Avraamidou, L., Bayram Jacobs, D., Boujaoude, S. B., Bryan, L., Christodoulou, A., Couso, D., Danielsson, A. T., Dillon, J., Evagorou, M., Goedhart, M., Kang, N-H., Kaya, E., Kayumova, S., Larsson, J., Martin, S. N., Martinez-Chico, M., Marzàbal, A., Savelsbergh, E. R., ... Zembal-Saul, C. (2018). The role of science education in a changing world. Lorentz Center Leiden.

Aladé, F., Lauricella, A.R., Beaudoin-Ryan, L. and Wartella, E. (2016). Measuring with Murray: touchscreen technology and preschoolers’ STEM learning, Computers in Human Behavior, 62, 433–441.

Allina, B. (2018). The development of STEAM educational policy to promote student creativity and social empowerment. Arts Education Policy Review, 119(2), 77-87.

Blonder, R. & Yonai, E. (2020). Exposing School Students to Nanoscience: A Review of Published Programs. In K. D. Sattler (Ed.), 21st Century Nanoscience–A Handbook: Public Policy, Education, and Global Trends (Volume 10), 61-71. CRC Press.

Bryan, L., & Guzey, S. S. (2020). K-12 STEM Education: An Overview of Perspectives and Considerations. Hellenic Journal of STEM Education, 1(1), 5-15.

Burgess, S., & Sievertsen, H. H. (2020). Schools, skills, and learning: The impact of COVID-19 on education. VoxEu.οrg, 1.

Bybee, R.W., Trowbridge, L.W., & Powell, J.C. (2008). Teaching Secondary School Science: Strategies for Developing Scientific Literacy. New Jersey: Merrill.

Darma, D. C., Ilmi, Z., Darma, S., & Syaharuddin, Y. (2020). COVID-19 and its Impact on Education: Challenges from Industry 4.0. Aquademia, 4(2), ep20025.

Delgado, C., Stevens, S. Y., Shin, N., & Krajcik, J. (2015). A middle school instructional unit for size and scale contextualized in nano-technology. Nano-technology Reviews, 4(1), 51-69.

Delgado-Ramos, G. C. (2014). Nano-technology in Mexico: Global trends and national implications for policy and regulatory issues. Technology in society, 37, 4-15.

Dorouka, P., Papadakis, St. & Kalogiannakis, M. (2022a). Nano-literacy in early childhood with interdisciplinary digital applications as a result of the pandemic: Pilot application in children, Proceedings of the 12th Panhellenic Conference on the Teaching of Natural Sciences and New Technologies in Education: "The Role of Education in the Natural Sciences in the Society", Ioannina, November 19-21, 2021, (under publication). [In Greek].

Dorouka, P., Papadakis, St. & Kalogiannakis, M. (2022b). The empirical justification of digital applications through the example of the health crisis: 21st century children of early childhood become nano-literate, Science Education "Research and Practice", (under publication). [In Greek].

Dorouka, P., Papadakis, St., & Kalogiannakis, M. (2021). Nano-technology and Mobile Learning: Perspectives and Opportunities in Young Children's Education, Int. J. Technology Enhanced Learning, 13(3), 237-252.

Dorouka, P., Papadakis, S. & Kalogiannakis, M. (2020a). Tablets and apps for promoting robotics, mathematics, STEM education and literacy in early childhood education, International Journal of Mobile Learning and Organisation, 14(2), 255–274.

Dorouka, P., Papadakis, St., & Kalogiannakis, M. (2020b). The influence of digital technology on young children's "nano-literacy." In K. Plakitsi, E. Kolokouri & A.-C. Kornelaki (Eds.), ISCAR (International Society of Cultural-historical Activity Research) Regional Conference ‘Crisis in contexts’, e-proceedings, 308-320, University of Ioannina, 19-24 March 2019.

English, L. D. (2016). STEM education K-12: Perspectives on integration. International Journal of STEM Education, 3(1), 1-8.

Finardi, U. (2018). La ricerca nelle nanotecnologie in Piemonte: Casi di enti pubblici e privati. Quaderni IRCrES, 3(5), 3-12.

Gess, A. H. (2017). Steam education: Separating fact from fiction. Technology and Engineering Teacher, 77(3), 39-41.

Gilbert, J. K., & Lin, H. S. (2013). How might adults learn about new science and technology? The case of nanoscience and nano-technology. International Journal of Science Education, Part B, 3(3), 267-292.

Höst, G., Palmerius, K., & Schönborn, K. (2020). Nano for the Public: An Exploranation Perspective. IEEE computer graphics and applications, 40(2), 32-42.

İpek, Z., Atik, A. D., Tan, S., & Erkoç, F. (2020). Opinions of Biology Teachers about Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Education in Turkey. International Journal of Progressive Education, 16(1), 205-222.

Jackman, J. A., Cho, D. J., Jackman, J. S., Sweeney, A. E., & Cho, N. J. (2020). Training Leaders in Nanotechnology. In K. D. Sattler (Ed.), 21st Century Nanoscience–A Handbook: Public Policy, Education, and Global Trends (Volume 10), 19-30. CRC Press.

Jacobs, J. A. (2014). In defense of disciplines: Interdisciplinarity and specialization in the research university. University of Chicago Press.

Jamali, H. R., Azadi-Ahmadabadi, G., & Asadi, S. (2018). Interdisciplinary relations of converging technologies: Nano-Bio–Info–Cogno (NBIC), Scientometrics, 116(2), 1055-1073.

Jones, M. G., Paechter, M., Yen, C. F., Gardner, G., Taylor, A., & Tretter, T. (2013). Teachers’ Concepts of Spatial Scale: An international comparison. International Journal of Science Education, 35(14), 2462–2482.

Kalogiannakis, M., Papadakis, S., & Zourmpakis, A. I. (2021). Gamification in Science Education. A Systematic Review of the Literature. Education Sciences, 11(1), 22.

Kalogiannakis, M., & Papadakis, S. (2020). The Use of Developmentally Mobile Applications for Preparing Pre-Service Teachers to Promote STEM Activities in Preschool Classrooms. In Mobile Learning Applications in Early Childhood Education, 82-100. IGI Global.

Kalogiannakis, M. (2010). Training with ICT for ICT from the trainer’s perspective. A Greek case study. Education and Information Technologies, 15(1), 3-17.

Kähkönen, A. L., Laherto, A., Lindell, A., & Tala, S. (2016). Interdisciplinary nature of nanoscience: Implications for education. In K. Winkelmann & B. Bhushan (Eds.), Global perspectives of nanoscience and engineering education, 35-81. Springer, Cham.

Kucirkova, N. (2018). Personalized learning with digital technologies at home and school: where is children’s agency? In Oakley, G. (ed) Mobile Technologies in Children's Language and Literacy: Innovative Pedagogy in Preschool and Primary Education, 133–153. Emerald Publishing.

Liao, C., Motter, J. L., & Patton, R. M. (2016). Tech-savvy girls: Learning 21st-century skills through STEAM digital artmaking. Art Education, 69(4), 29-35.

Liao, C. (2016). From interdisciplinary to transdisciplinary: An arts-integrated approach to STEAM education. Art Education, 69(6), 44-49.

Magana, A. J., Brophy, S. P., & Bryan, L. A. (2012). An integrated knowledge framework to characterize and scaffold size and scale cognition (FS2C). International Journal of Science Education, 34(14), 2181-2203.

Mandrikas, A., Michailidi, E., & Stavrou, D. (2021). In-service Teachers' Needs and Mentor's Practices in Applying a Teaching–Learning Sequence on Nano-technology and Plastics in Primary Education. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 1-12.

Mandrikas, A., Michailidi, E. & Stavrou, D. (2020). Teaching nano-technology in primary education, Research in Science & Technological Education, 38(4), 377-395.

Mercer, N., Hennessy, S., & Warwick, P. (2010). Using interactive whiteboards to orchestrate classroom dialogue. Technology, Pedagogy and Education, 19(2), 195-209.

Papadakis, St., Kalogiannakis, M., & Zaranis, N. (2021). Teaching mathematics with mobile devices and the Realistic Mathematical Education (RME) approach in kindergarten. Advances in Mobile Learning Educational Research, 1(1), 5-18.

Papadakis, S., Kalogiannakis, M., & Zaranis, N. (2018). Educational Apps from the Android Google Play for Greek preschoolers: A systematic review. Computers & Education, 116, 139-160.

Papadakis, St., Kalogiannakis, M., & Zaranis, N. (2016). Comparing tablets and PCs in teaching mathematics: an attempt to improve mathematics competence in early childhood education, Preschool and Primary Education, 4(2), 241–253.

Papadakis, St., Vaiopoulou, J., Kalogiannakis, M., & Stamovlasis, D. (2020). Developing and Exploring an Evaluation Tool for Educational Apps (ETEA) Targeting Kindergarten Children. Sustainability, 12(10), 4201.

Peikos, G., Spyrtou, A., Pnevmatikos, D., & Papadopoulou, P. (2020). Nanoscale science and technology education: primary school students’ preconceptions of the lotus effect and the concept of size. Research in Science & Technological Education, 1-18.

Psycharis, S. (2018). STEAM in education: A literature review on the role of computational thinking, engineering epistemology and computational science. Computational steam pedagogy (CSP). Scientific Culture, 4(2), 51-72.

Psycharis, S., & Kallia, M. (2017). The effects of computer programming on high school students’ reasoning skills and mathematical self-efficacy and problem solving. Instructional Science, 45(5), 583-602.

Psycharis, S. (2016). The impact of computational experiment and formative assessment in inquiry-based teaching and learning approach in STEM education. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 25(2), 316-326.

Rogowsky, B.A., Terwilliger, C.C., Young, C.A., & Kribbs, E.E. (2018). Playful learning with technology: the effect of computer-assisted instruction on literacy and numeracy skills of preschoolers, International Journal of Play, 7(1), 60–80.

Sahu, P. (2020). Closure of universities due to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): impact on education and mental health of students and academic staff. Cureus, 12(4).

Sattler, K. D. (Ed.). (2020). 21st Century Nanoscience–A Handbook: Public Policy, Education, and Global Trends (Volume 10). CRC Press.

Schacter, J., & Jo, B. (2017). Improving preschoolers’ mathematics achievement with tablets: a randomized controlled trial, Mathematics Education Research Journal, 29(3), 313–327.

Stevens, S. Y., Sutherland, L. M., & Krajcik, J. S. (2009). The big ideas of nanoscale science and engineering. NSTA Press.

Tretter, T. R. (2020). Teaching Nanoscience to High School Students. In K. D. Sattler (Ed.), 21st Century Nanoscience – A Handbook: Public Policy, Education, and Global Trends (Volume 10), 83-90. CRC Press.

Vojteková, J., Tirpáková, A., Gonda, D., Žoncová, M., & Vojtek, M. (2021). GIS Distance Learning during the COVID-19 Pandemic (Students’ Perception). Sustainability, 13(8), 4484.

Wang, G., Zhang, Y., Zhao, J., Zhang, J., & Jiang, F. (2020). Mitigate the effects of home confinement on children during the COVID-19 outbreak. The Lancet, 395(10228), 945-947.

World Health Organization. (2020). Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) advice for the public. Retrieved on April 19, 2021, from https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public

Downloads

Published

2021-12-13

How to Cite

Dorouka, P., Papadakis , S. ., & Kalogiannakis, M. . (2021). The Contribution of the Health Crisis to Young Children’s Nano-literacy through STEAM Education. Hellenic Journal of STEM Education, 2(1), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.51724/hjstemed.v2i1.18