Share Paper: A Tool for Evaluating Youth Engagement in an Informal STEM Setting: The WGG Observation Protocol

1. Caterina Almendral, Education & Language Acquisition Dept., City University of New York, LaGuardia Community College, United States
2. Bernadette Uzzi, Office of Educational Programs, Brookhaven National Laboratory, United States
3. M. David Burghardt, Engineering Department, Hofstra University, United States
4. Deborah Hecht, Center for Advanced Study in Education, City University of New York, The Graduate Center, United States

Abstract: This paper discusses findings from the use of the Wise Guys and Gals (WGG) Observation of WGG Youth Protocol in a blended learning environment. The protocol was used to assess youth engagement when completing blended engineering design challenges at two Boys and Girls Clubs. WGG is a project funded through a grant from the National Science Foundation and which brings blended learning design challenges to middle school aged learners in informal STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) settings. This paper explores the feasibility of using the observation protocol to collect data about youth engagement, and the potential use of the ...