Downingtown, PA – A contaminated water supply; destroyed infrastructure; and, an injured, sick, and hungry population are the aftermath of a seismic disaster in a metropolitan area. This is the scenario facing Chester County high school and middle school students taking part in the Real World Navy Challenge.
According to Dr. John P. Branson, coordinator of the Chester County Intermediate Unit’s (CCIU) Innovation Institute, initiatives such as the Real World Navy Challenge are the model of what education ought to be doing – preparing students to find real-world solutions to real-world problems using critical thinking skills built upon a strong academic foundation.
“In order for the United States to be competitive in the 21st century, we need to equip students with the skills to succeed,” said Branson. “Our students need to be able to collaborate with people from all over the world. They have to broaden their areas of thought, and develop problem finding, as well as problem solving skills in science, technology, engineering and math.”
The goal of CCIU’s newly created Innovation Institute, according to Branson, is to identify and evaluate programs like the Real World Navy Challenge, and then to pilot them as appropriate in our schools with the hope of building a base of exciting and innovative educational projects that can be replicated throughout the commonwealth and even the country.
For example, the Real World Navy Challenge, a joint effort of the United States Navy, the Delaware Valley Industrial Resource Center, The 21st Century Partnership for STEM Education and the Chester County Intermediate Unit, is a problem-based learning exercise in which students and teachers interact among themselves and with students and teachers from other schools to solve a real-world problem using science, technology, engineering and math education skills.
Another project identified by the Innovation Institute include the Student Assessment in a Virtual Environment (SAVE) Science project. According to Diane Thomson, CCIU program development coordinator, the SAVE Science project came to the CCIU Innovation Institute thanks to Diane Ketelhut of Temple University and Brian Nelson of Arizona State University. SAVE Science works to create an innovative means to measure learning in science while increasing student interest and confidence in the field.
SAVE Science utilizes computer technology to determine if virtual learning environments offer a valid method of learning and assessment that is a practical alternative to traditional pen and paper tests.
Last year’s pilot study consisted of students finding solutions to problems existing within a virtual farming community located in the virtual world “Scientopolis.” Students, via their online characters, descended upon the virtual community to gather data on its sheep herds, determine the causes of differing health conditions among the herds, and then identified possible solutions for the sheep farmers.
“These tasks most effectively flourish with widespread collaboration,” said Thomson. “Partnerships with administrators, educators, students, and experts in the fields for which students are preparing are essential to the students’ development. And, curriculum councils have been very welcoming and receptive to what we’re trying to accomplish with the Innovation Institute. They recognize the void the institute is trying to fill.”
Another partnership that has emerged for the 2009-10 school year is with Explore Your Future, an online, interactive experience in which students explore science-related career information and videos, and take a quiz to find out for which career in science they are best suited.
“Between the partnerships formed and the support received from the educational community, the Innovation Institute has experienced what many would call considerable success in its inaugural year,” said Branson. “And, though the Innovation Institute is being solidified, it is very much a work-in-progress. The Institute is ever-changing and growing. It will continuously develop as student needs are identified and partnerships are established.”
If your business or school is interested in becoming involved with the Innovation Institute, please contact Dr. John Branson at the CCIU Innovation Institute at 484-237-5000 or visit our website at http://innovation.cciu.org.
Chester County schools currently participating in Real World Navy Challenge include: Valley Forge Middle School, North Brandywine Middle School, the Center for Arts and Technology Pickering Campus, the Chester County Alternative Education STEPS Program and the 21st Century Cyber Charter School.
