STEM Oriented Online Platforms Embracing the Community of Practice Model: A Comparative Study and Design Guidelines
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education is a strong case of a multidisciplinary teaching and learning process, apt for transforming the conventional instructor based courses into ones, where the syllabus focus is on problem solving and discovering exploratory learning. In t...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Graz University of Technology
2019-12-01
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| Series: | Journal of Universal Computer Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://lib.jucs.org/article/22682/download/pdf/ |
| _version_ | 1818434968559288320 |
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| author | Olga Fragou Christos Goumopoulos Christos Tsompanos |
| author_facet | Olga Fragou Christos Goumopoulos Christos Tsompanos |
| author_sort | Olga Fragou |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education is a strong case of a multidisciplinary teaching and learning process, apt for transforming the conventional instructor based courses into ones, where the syllabus focus is on problem solving and discovering exploratory learning. In this context the adoption of the Community of Practice (CoP) model can enhance the learning process. Although existing web portals provide STEM educational material and teamwork tools to active members they fall short to support state of the art trends in science education. To advance STEM education a fusion of diverse tools like learning management systems, computer-supported collaborative learning, online CoP management and contemporary technological platforms (e.g. Internet of Things, mobile and pervasive computing technologies) is advocated. This paper first identifies the common features required to build CoP enabled online platforms to support STEM education and classifies them in seven axes to form an evaluation framework for this domain. A comparative analysis of fifteen (15) STEM oriented web based platforms is conducted, based on features of the defined evaluation scheme. A critical presentation of their design characteristics is highlighted by exploring tools and services on the technology viewpoint and underpinning learning theories on the education viewpoint. Important findings presented in this paper form a generic framework of design guidelines for building STEM oriented online platforms that embrace the CoP model. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T16:45:25Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0adeef1c70b64c779648a0497a889b56 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0948-6968 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T16:45:25Z |
| publishDate | 2019-12-01 |
| publisher | Graz University of Technology |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Universal Computer Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-0adeef1c70b64c779648a0497a889b562022-12-21T22:54:12ZengGraz University of TechnologyJournal of Universal Computer Science0948-69682019-12-0125121554158810.3217/jucs-025-12-155422682STEM Oriented Online Platforms Embracing the Community of Practice Model: A Comparative Study and Design GuidelinesOlga Fragou0Christos Goumopoulos1Christos Tsompanos2Hellenic Open UniversityUniversity of the AegeanUniversity of the AegeanScience, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education is a strong case of a multidisciplinary teaching and learning process, apt for transforming the conventional instructor based courses into ones, where the syllabus focus is on problem solving and discovering exploratory learning. In this context the adoption of the Community of Practice (CoP) model can enhance the learning process. Although existing web portals provide STEM educational material and teamwork tools to active members they fall short to support state of the art trends in science education. To advance STEM education a fusion of diverse tools like learning management systems, computer-supported collaborative learning, online CoP management and contemporary technological platforms (e.g. Internet of Things, mobile and pervasive computing technologies) is advocated. This paper first identifies the common features required to build CoP enabled online platforms to support STEM education and classifies them in seven axes to form an evaluation framework for this domain. A comparative analysis of fifteen (15) STEM oriented web based platforms is conducted, based on features of the defined evaluation scheme. A critical presentation of their design characteristics is highlighted by exploring tools and services on the technology viewpoint and underpinning learning theories on the education viewpoint. Important findings presented in this paper form a generic framework of design guidelines for building STEM oriented online platforms that embrace the CoP model.https://lib.jucs.org/article/22682/download/pdf/STEM educationcommunity of practice (CoP)Inter |
| spellingShingle | Olga Fragou Christos Goumopoulos Christos Tsompanos STEM Oriented Online Platforms Embracing the Community of Practice Model: A Comparative Study and Design Guidelines Journal of Universal Computer Science STEM education community of practice (CoP) Inter |
| title | STEM Oriented Online Platforms Embracing the Community of Practice Model: A Comparative Study and Design Guidelines |
| title_full | STEM Oriented Online Platforms Embracing the Community of Practice Model: A Comparative Study and Design Guidelines |
| title_fullStr | STEM Oriented Online Platforms Embracing the Community of Practice Model: A Comparative Study and Design Guidelines |
| title_full_unstemmed | STEM Oriented Online Platforms Embracing the Community of Practice Model: A Comparative Study and Design Guidelines |
| title_short | STEM Oriented Online Platforms Embracing the Community of Practice Model: A Comparative Study and Design Guidelines |
| title_sort | stem oriented online platforms embracing the community of practice model a comparative study and design guidelines |
| topic | STEM education community of practice (CoP) Inter |
| url | https://lib.jucs.org/article/22682/download/pdf/ |
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