STEM Project-Based Learning

 technology and engineering teacher  September 201125
Engaging Students in STEM
Careers with Project-Based
Learning—MarineTech Project
By Alok K. Verma, Daniel Dickerson, and
Sue McKinney
Introduction
Old Dominion University and Norfolk State University, in
collaboration with the marine industry and local school sys-
tems, is improving STEM preparation using innovative expe-
riences for students and teachers in the nation’s major ship-
building and repair areas through MarineTech and SBRCD
projects. The MarineTech project will be serving 60 students
in grades eight through twelve over a period of three years
by providing 144 hours of instruction and hands-on learning
experiences in the fields of marine engineering and physical
sciences, with a shipbuilding focus. The program includes
eight Saturdays during academic years, with an additional
two-week academy during each summer. MarineTech’s pro-
gressive curriculum covers foundational skills and knowledge
of basic physical science as it relates to shipbuilding through
the application of these principles in a culminating ship-de-
sign competition. The curriculum is enriched with program
activities such as field trips to shipbuilding and repair com-
panies, marine science museums, and career-day events.
MarineTech concurrently targets 60 math, science, and tech-
nology education teachers for grades eight through twelve,
each of whom will receive 40 hours of summer professional
development and 40 hours of follow-up training and support.
Teachers will work an additional 40 hours with their students
to build a SeaPerch underwater robot and design and build a
human-powered container ship for competition. Participat-
ing teachers will be fully trained in curriculum implementa-
tion and will be given materials and resources necessary to
replicate MarineTech activities in their classrooms.
MarineTech addresses the urgent
need to enhance underrepresented
students' interest and performance
in STEM courses while fostering
skills that are important prerequi-
sites for STEM careers, particularly
in marine engineering, physical sci-
ence, and information technology.

MarineTech addresses the urgent need to enhance under-
represented students’ interest and performance in STEM
courses while fostering skills that are important prerequi-
sites for STEM careers, particularly in marine engineering,
physical science, and information technology. In the near
term, the project will incorporate activities designed to boost
student scores on academic achievement measures (SOLs).
However, the project also addresses the critical shortage of
qualified workers needed to sustain the defense shipbuilding
and repair industry in the U.S. Support for the project from
shipbuilding companies and professional organizations and
government agencies is evidenced by letters of commitment
to assist with the project by providing opportunities for stu-
dents to see marine industries at work.
Under a previous project funded by the National Shipbuild-
ing Research Program, four hands-on activities were devel-
oped for middle and high school students. The project team,
consisting of university faculty, industry personnel, and
school and community college teachers, developed these four
Marine Kits, MK-1-4 and five Instructional Modules, IM-1-5,
to impart learning experience related to shipbuilding and
repair. These activities and associated curriculum have been
designed as an integrated experience, and each one builds
upon the knowledge gained during the previous activity.
Marine Kit-1 is related to shipyard operations and provides
a big picture of how a shipyard operates. Marine Kit-2 deals
with cost estimation and construction of a ship. Marine Kit-3
teaches about ship design and stability, while Marine Kit-4
deals with ship disaster investigation. The first Instructional
Module deals with the terminology and history of ships; the
second module deals with the structure of ships; the third
module is about the design of the hull of a ship; the fourth
module teaches different loading operations; and the fifth
module is related to environmental issues during shipbuild-
ing. Student comments point to a very stimulating learning
experience. The article discusses the design and development
of these activities and its subsequent implementation within
the classroom.
Project-Based Learning as a Teaching Tool
Project-Based Learning has a proven record as a teaching
tool. The constructivism learning theory suggests that people
learn better by actively participating in the learning process.
In order to involve students in the participatory learning pro-
cess, the interaction among students and between students
and the instructor in a classroom becomes very critical.
Effectiveness of Project-Based Learning is well recognized.
Edgar Dale’s Cone of Learning as shown in Figure 2 supports
the benefits of Project-Based Learning.
Educators have been designing, using, evaluating, and writ-
ing about Project-Based Learning (PBL) for more than 20
years; however, it has not found widespread acceptance in
classrooms. Project-Based Learning is a systematic teaching
method that engages students in learning knowledge and
skills through an extended inquiry process structured around
complex, authentic questions and carefully designed prod-
ucts and tasks (Jones, Ramussen and Moffitt, 1997). Another
important use of Project-Based Learning in education is to
facilitate efforts at what has become known as “bridging the
gap” between academics of a profession and practice of that
profession. PBL is ideal for connecting factual knowledge,
principles, and skills to their application within a profession.
Figure 1. MarineTech Curriculum
Figure 2. Cone of Learning by Edgar Dale

Need for Project-Based Learning (PBL)
The results from Virginia’s Standards of Learning (SOL) as-
sessments reveal that there is an achievement gap between
minorities and Caucasians/Asians in all grade levels in
Southside Virginia. Achievement gaps may be caused by nu-
merous complex reasons such as economic or psychological
conditions, or family-school disconnects beyond a school’s
control. Nonetheless, many factors, such as curriculum, ef-
fective instruction, and classroom management are within
the control of the school environment and can be changed
through organized professional development programs.
This project aims to transform the pedagogical practices
in the high-needs schools by providing training in Project-
Based Learning. In initial preparation for this project, the
PIs interviewed many of the instructional specialists from
the participating high-needs schools. They stated that only a
few teachers of physical sciences and chemistry use inquiry-
based Project-Based Learning strategies in their classrooms.
However, research reveals that inquiry-based learning and
Project-Based Learning strategies develop communication,
problem-solving, and critical thinking skills and improve
student achievement (Barron et al., 1998).
MarineTech allows teachers to integrate real-world applica-
tions from a marine engineering perspective for teaching
math and science concepts in middle and high schools. The
project also provides professional development on marine
engineering concepts to science, mathematics, and technol-
ogy teachers. As a result, it is expected that teachers will
improve student achievement in math and science, bring
excitement to students that results in increased enrollment
in advanced math, science, and technical education courses,
and enhance the workplace and college readiness of high
school students.
Needs to Enhance Content Knowledge and
Instructional Practices of Teachers
The needs reported most frequently by school division lead-
ers include: (a) concentrated assistance in math and science
instruction; (b) better math and science preparation for
teachers; (c) professional development to encourage second-
ary teachers to have high expectations for all students and
to use a wide repertory of instructional strategies to meet
student needs; (d) professional development that is closely
linked with curriculum; (e) professional development on
research-based practices and better ways to manage use of
curricular materials; and (f) anytime, anywhere support for
teachers.
In alignment with the High Objective Uniform Standard of
Evaluation (HOUSE) of Virginia and the research on high-
quality professional development (CCSSO, 2005), Marine-
Tech will focus on improving the content knowledge of
teachers as they experiment with marine kits, learn to build
ships, and connect the math and science concepts to real-
world problems. The project will enhance the pedagogical
knowledge of teachers on using Project-Based Learning in
instruction, promote collaboration among students from di-
verse school districts that alleviates issues regarding teacher
efficacy (Holloway, 2003), encourage active learning and oth-
er technology resources to develop 21st century skills (Garet,
et al, 2001), and support teachers in developing instructional
modules in the content disciplines that are aligned with the
Virginia Standards of Learning in mathematics and science.
By providing year-long training activities with online sup-
port, the project will help teachers collaborate while develop-
ing learning modules.
Future Workforce Needs in Marine
Engineering and Technology
Marine engineers and naval architects are expected to
experience employment growth of 11 percent in the period
2006-2016. Excellent employment opportunities are expect-
ed for these professions because of growth in employment,
an aging workforce, and limited number of students pursu-
ing careers in these occupations. Another flourishing area in
Marine Kits 1-4.

the marine field is merchant marine—phenomenal employ-
ment growth of 16 percent is expected in this field. There are
good prospects in the engineering technician field that also
require good STEM skills. Employment growth for environ-
mental engineering technicians over the period of 2006-16
is expected to be 25 percent. The occupation of an Industrial
Engineering Technician is also a high-growth area, with the
employment growth rate of 10 percent. While we are prepar-
ing our students to improve their knowledge of math and
science and to develop technological skills, it is critical that
we provide awareness about various types of STEM careers
such as marine engineering. In this project, teachers will be
able to understand about the demand for marine engineers
and have an increased understanding about the way students
need to enter the career.
Survey to Assess Students' Knowledge about
Shipbuilding and Repair
A survey was designed to assess the impact of the PBL
activities on the students’ knowledge about shipbuilding and
repair. This survey contains questions about ships’ compo-
nents, ship design, and physics principles like buoyancy. Stu-
dent responses are aggregated, and average score is obtained
on a scale of 1-10. Students are assessed using the same
instrument after they have gone through the four simulation
sessions. The difference in the score between the pre- and
post-survey provides a measure of change in the knowledge
base of the students.
Delivery Method
The course is instructor-led classroom training combined
with in-class, hands-on activities designed to invite class
participation. This approach aids in the individualized
instruction given to the participant. Instructional methods
include facilitated discussion, hands-on activity, and on-the-
job practical applications. PowerPoint presentations are used
to deliver the course, supplemented by a series of videotapes
from Society of Manufacturing Engineers and Productivity
Inc.
Marine Kits – Activities Related to
Shipbuilding and Repair
The four simulation activities are related to operation of a
shipyard, ship construction, ship stability, and best practices
in the shipping operations.
a) Shipyard Operation Activity simulates operations
within a shipyard. Plasma cutting, bending, and weld-
ing shops are simulated. Students use card stock paper
to build a container ship. This simulation demonstrates
modular construction of a ship. Topics covered: Compo-
nents of a ship; Operations within a shipyard; Methods
of ship construction; and Design calculations.
b) Ship Construction Activity simulates construction of a
clipper ship and a submarine. This simulation also covers
calculations related to the cost of material, sales tax, and
labor cost. Topics covered: Basic ship terminology; Fun-
Figure 3. 5E Learning Cycle in Marine Kit Activity
Figure 4. Learning Cycle Applied to Marine Kit-4

damentals of ship construction; and Processes involved
in cost estimation and part acquisition.
c) Ship Stability Activity involves the understanding of
center of gravity, center of buoyancy, and Archimedes
Principle. This simulation uses foam hull shape to con-
duct experiments to identify center of buoyancy and ob-
serve the effect of salinity on buoyancy. Topics covered:
Finding the Center of Buoyancy; Applying Archimedes
principle to find weight and volume of displaced water;
and Observing the effect of salinity on the draft.
d) Ship Disaster Investigation simulation involves ship
disaster case studies. Students play the roles of Ship
Disaster Investigation Agency (SDIA) agents analyzing
the ship disaster. They identify possible causes behind
the disaster. In this open-ended, problem-based simula-
tion, students learn fundamentals of ship design, basic
terminology used in the shipbuilding and shipping in-
dustry, and the correct practices followed in ship design,
construction, and the shipping industry. Topics covered:
Basic ship terminology; Fundamentals of ship design and
construction; and Best practices followed in ship design,
construction, and the shipping industry.
Students perform each activity in groups of four to five.
Students are provided with handouts and manuals that
include instructions to carry out hands-on activities. The kit
comes with a teacher’s manual and model solutions for the
simulations. Among the four activities, shipyard operation
and ship construction simulations are more structured, while
ship stability and ship disaster investigation are open-ended
activities in which students are given clues and encouraged
to find solutions.
Instructional Modules
The five Instructional Modules developed under the NSF
MarineTech program include History and Terminology of
Ship Building, Ship and Offshore Structures, Hull Design,
Ship Operations, and Environmental Issues in Ship Opera-
tions and Shipbuilding.
a) History and Terminology of Shipbuilding covers
history of ships, terminology of ships, different types of
naval vessels, ship architecture, and different processes
involved in shipbuilding. Students build a log boat and a
raft using Play-Doh and craft sticks. Topics covered: His-
tory of Shipbuilding; Ship Terminology; Naval Vessels;
Ship Architecture; and Shipbuilding.
b) Ship and Offshore Structures covers basic fundamen-
tals of design of ship structures and offshore structures.
This simulation involves building structural frames,
measuring deflections in structure, and building offshore
structures. Topics covered: Evolution of Ship Structures;
Ship Structure – Beams; Trusses; Structural Loads on
Ships; and Offshore Structures.
c) Hull Design covers different designs of ship hulls. This
simulation uses a foam hull model to test different hull
shapes and also includes calculations for the resistance
of ships for different hull shapes. Topics covered: Evolu-
tion of Ship Hull; Different Hull Shapes; Different Hull
Applications; and Hull Design Fundamentals.
d) Ship Operations covers different loading operations of
ships and basic concepts on stability of ships. Students
use a paper ship model to perform loading operations,
perform experiments to calculate metacentric height and
effects of free surface on ship stability. Topics covered:
Types of Ships; Ship Organization; Ship Cargo Opera-
tions; and Stability of Ships.
Students were divided into groups of four to five to conduct
hands-on activities for each module.
Implementation of the Marine Kits and
Associated Instructional Modules
As mentioned above, these activities are conducted in groups
of four or five students and done in a session lasting for about
three hours for instructional Modules and two hours for Ma-
rine Kits. The teacher explains the activity with a PowerPoint
presentation and then the students are given the kits. At this
point students begin the activity by going through the manu-
als and instruction sheets provided with the kit. Students use
K’NEX parts to construct a clipper ship. Students first count
parts required to construct a given ship by examining the
detailed drawings and assembly instructions provided in the
manuals. This activity tests students’ skills for visualization
and blueprint reading, project management, cost estima-
tion, and supply chain management. After identifying the
parts needed to construct the ship, students prepare a bill of
material and order the parts from the teacher, who serves as
the supplier. Groups are penalized for not having an accurate
count of parts. If the group ordered fewer parts, then they
can purchase the parts during assembly at double the price.
If the group ordered too many parts, then they have to pay a
20% restocking fee to return the parts.

Each group’s activity is assessed using a rubric containing
performance criteria. The group that builds the ship with
minimum cost, in the shortest amount of time, with the least
number of defects and most accurate calculations wins the
competition.
Results
The MarineTech curriculum and associated project-based
learning activities have been received equally well by both
students and teachers. Comments at the end of the work-
shop reveal that students enjoy learning about ships, ship
construction, ship design, and operations. Figure 5 shows the
bar chart of student responses from the pre- and post-train-
ing evaluations. The x axis represents the questions asked
before and after the workshop. The chart shows substantial
increase in the “strongly agree” category after the students
participated in the Marine Kits activity. Figure 6 shows the
results from the evaluation of teacher workshops conducted
during the summer of 2009. The chart shows that a major-
ity of teachers believed that the workshop using Marine kits
was extremely beneficial to them and that they enjoyed the
hands-on activities.
Conclusions
The MarineTech project has successfully developed and
integrated Project-Based Learning activities within the
middle and high school curriculum. The Marine Kit activi-
ties and the Instructional Modules complement the Stan-
dards of Learning for middle and high schools. The project
demonstrates that learning about ship design, construction,
ship operations, and ship stability concepts is made easier by
incorporating Project-Based Learning activities within the
curriculum. Student learning is enhanced by incorporating
these activities where students work in groups to accomplish
problem solving. Open-ended problems provide opportuni-
ties for group discussion and creative thinking. Students’
comments from course evaluations indicate that students
find these learning experiences very enjoyable. Participating
teachers believed that the activities were well designed and
will engage students in classroom. Widespread use of Marine
Kits and associated Instructional Modules will successfully
engage students and attract them toward STEM based-ca-
reers in the Marine Industry.
Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful to National Shipbuilding Research
Program for funding the research project for the develop-
ment of Marine Kits 1-4 and to National Science Foundation
for the development of Instructional Modules 1-4.
References
Abel, S. & Roth, W. M. (1992). Constraints to teaching
elementary science: A case study of a science enthusiast
student. Science Education, 76(6), 581-595.
Barron, B. J. S., Schwartz, D. L., Vye, N. J., Petrosino, A.,
Zech, L., Bransford, J. D., & The Cognition and Tech-
nology Group at Vanderbilt. (1998). Doing with un-
derstanding: Lessons from research on problem- and
project-based learning. Journal of the Learning Sciences,
7(3&4), 271-311.
Barstow, D. & Geary, E. (2001). Blueprint for change: Report
from the National Conference on the Revolution in
Earth and Space Science Education. In National Confer-
ence on the Revolution in Earth and Space Science Edu-
cation, edited by D. Barstow. Cambridge, MA: Center for
Earth and Space Science Education, TERC.
Boe, T. (1989). The next step for educators and the technol-
ogy industry: Investing in teachers. Educational Technol-
ogy, 29(3), 39-44.
Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved from: www.bls.gov/oco/
ocos027.htm
Czerniak, C. & Schriver, M. (1994). An examination of pre-
service science teachers’ beliefs and behaviors as related
to self-efficacy. Journal of Science Teacher Education,
5(3), 77-86.
Edelson, D. (1997). Realising authentic science learning
through the adaptation of scientific practice. Northwest-
ern University 1997. PDF File, available from www.covis.
nwu.edu/info/papers/pdf/edelson-handbook-97.pdf
Fisher, N., Gerdes, K., Logue, T., Smith, L., & Zimmerman,
I. (1998). Improving students’ knowledge and attitudes of
Figures 5 and 6. Plots for student responses.

science through use of hands-on activities. ERIC Docu-
ment Reproduction Service No. ED 436 352.
Guhlin, M. (1996). Stage a well designed Saturday session
and they will come! Technology Connection, 3(3), 13-14.
Harvey, J. & Purnell, S. (1995, March). Technology and
teacher professional development. Report Prepared for
the Office of Educational Technology, U.S. Department
of Education. Santa Monica, CA: Rand Corporation.
Hawkins, J. & MacMillan, K. (1993). So what are teachers do-
ing with this stuff? Electronic Learning, 13(2), 26.
Information Technology Association of America (ITAA).
(2000). Bridging the gap: Information skills for a new mil-
lennium. Arlington, VA: Author.
Jones, B. F., Rasmussen, C. M., Moffit, M. C. (1997). Real-life
problem solving: A collaborative approach to interdisci-
plinary learning. Washington, DC: American Psycho-
logical Association.
Ratzlaff, A. (2002). GIS job outlook 2002. GISJobs.com, 19
February 2002. Retrieved from www.directionsmag.com/
article.php?article_id=161
Lumpe, A., Haney, J., & Czerniak, C. (2000). Assessing teach-
ers’ beliefs and their science teaching context. (CBATS).
Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 37(3), pp 275-
292.
Mulholland, J. & Wallace, J. (1996). Breaking the cycle: Pre-
paring elementary teachers to teach science. Journal of
Elementary Science Education, 8(1), 17-38.
National Council for Social Studies. (1998, March). National
curriculum standards for social studies. Retrieved from
www.ncss.org/standards/teacherprepdraft.html
National Research Council. (1995). National science educa-
tion standards. Center for Science, Mathematics, and
Engineering Education (more titles from CSMEE). Re-
trieved from http://books.nap.edu/books/0309053269/
html
National Science Foundation. (2002). Program solicitation
NSF-02-147: Information technology experiences for stu-
dents and teachers (ITEST). Arlington, VA: Author.
North Central Regional Technology in Education Con-
sortium. (2002). Learning with technology profile tool.
(LTPT). Retrieved from www.ncrtec.org/capacity/pro-
file/profwww.htm
Pea, R., Edelson, D., & Gomez, L. M. (2003). Distributed
collaborative science learning using scientific visualiza-
tion and wideband telecommunications. Northwestern
University 1994 [cited 29 January 2003]. [PDF File].
Retrieved from www.covis.nwu.edu/info/papers/pdf/
pea-aaas-94.pdf
Pope, S. (1996). Singing the praises of on-site training. Tech-
nology Connection, 3(3), 16-17.
Riggs, I., Enochs, L. G., & Posnanski, Tracy J. (1998). The
teaching behaviors of high- versus low-efficacy elemen-
tary teachers. Presented at the annual meeting of the
National Association for Research in Science Teaching,
San Diego, CA.
Ross, J. A. & Regan, E. M. (1993). Sharing professional expe-
rience: Its impact on professional development. Teaching
and Teacher Education, 9(1), pp. 91-106.
Saam, J., Boone, J., & Chase, V. (1999). A snapshot of upper
elementary and middle school science teachers’ self-effica-
cy and outcome expectancy. Proceedings of the 1999 An-
nual International Conference of the Association for the
Education of Teachers in Science. Retrieved from www.
ed.psu.edu/CI/Journals/1999AETS/Saam_Boone_.rtf
Shelton, M. & Jones, M. (1996). Staff development that
works! A tale of four T’s. NASSP Bulletin, 80(582), 99-
105.
Tobin, K. & Espinet, M. (1989). Impediments to change: Ap-
plications of coaching in high school science teaching.
Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 26(2), 105-120.
Alok K. Verma, Ph.D. is Ray Ferrari
Professor and Director of the Lean Institute
at Old Dominion University. Dr. Verma
is interested in engaging K-12 students in
STEM careers and has developed a number
of project-based learning kits to accomplish
this. He can be reached via email at averma@odu.edu.
Daniel Dickerson, Ph.D. is an assistant
professor of science engineering in Darden
College of Education, Old Dominion Uni-
versity.
Sueanne McKinney is an associate profes-
sor in Darden College of education, Old Do-
minion University. She was a 2007 Darden
College of Education Teaching Innovation
and Excellence Award winner.
This is a refereed article.

Copyright of Technology & Engineering Teacher is the property of International Technology & Engineering
Educators Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv
without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email
articles for individual use.

STEM Project-Based Learning

More Related Content

What's hot (20)

Similar to STEM Project-Based Learning (20)

Recently uploaded (20)

STEM Project-Based Learning