Collaborative Research: Conference: STEM Learning for the Construction Industries of the Future

The construction industry--which increasingly relies on rapidly evolving technologies related to Artificial Intelligence and building information modeling--remains vital to economic development across the United States. Although this industry accounts for a significant proportion of the Gross Domestic Product, there are few empirically-based approaches that foster pathways to high-demand, lucrative construction careers among K-12 learners. To address this issue, this conference will bring together construction industry members, K-12 educators, educational researchers, extension specialists, and instructional designers to identify promising approaches and trajectories for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) learning that builds youths' awareness of, interest in, and competencies related to construction careers of the future. This conference will focus on rural regions, given the need for continued infrastructural and economic development in these regions, and given the unique educational circumstances faced by many rural schools. Conference participants will use cutting-edge technologies while engaging in STEM practices on construction sites, in addition to participating in interactive and vision-setting conference sessions. They will discuss innovative and effective strategies for supporting K-12 youth in using emerging and evolving technologies, as embedded within STEM practices, in preparation for construction careers. Syntheses from the conference discussions will be shared with relevant networks of practitioners and researchers, such as 4-H Extension Networks. In this collaborative project, several institutions will host a two-day in-person conference, with virtual elements, on advancing practice and research related to K-12 STEM learning for the construction industries of the future. K-12 educators, who currently teach innovative construction practices in the context of STEM learning, will partner with construction industry members to generate and share ideas related to promising educational practices, particularly in rural regions across the United States. A mixed-method modified Delphi study will be used to ascertain and synthesize expert opinions on technology-infused K-12 learning that can foster US global leadership in the construction industries of the future. Results will be disseminated through high-traffic, peer-reviewed curricular repositories used by K-12 educators; through state, regional, and national professional organizations that serve practitioners in rural settings; and through national networks of STEM educators and educational researchers. This project is funded by the Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) program, which supports projects that build understandings of practices, program elements, contexts and processes contributing to increasing students' knowledge and interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and information and communication technology (ICT) careers. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.