Affordances of Virtual Worlds to Support STEM Project-Based Learning
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2013 Sense Publishers. All rights reserved. Unquestionably, throughout this text, authors have built a strong case as to why engaging students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning is so important. Perhaps topping the list, are the prominent shortages that we are faced with nationally related to the preparation and early recruitment of K-12 students into various STEM fields. Equally alarming are the disparities in recruiting underserved groups (e.g. women and minorities) in STEM (Bayer Corporation, 2010). In addition, the gaps in achievement across STEM areas between white students and students of color are an ongoing challenge (Flores, 2007). In addressing these challenges, two prominent and immediate needs appear to bubble to the top. First, various stakeholders agree that students must be immersed in authentic real-world projects that actively engage them in mathematics and science learning.
