An Action Research approach to STEM Soft Skills curriculum evolution: Students as ‘digital makers’.

Abstract

A contemporary challenge for education in STEM is the need to produce work-ready graduates for a fast-changing and technology-driven workplace. This study focuses on first-year undergraduate computing students who failed to engage with a traditional, didactic approach to teaching soft skills. A radical curriculum redesign implemented a new methodological integration of action research, mobile technology, and constructivist pedagogy. Students created interactive artefacts with an augmented reality app, on mobile devices, to promote and enhance teamwork and communication skills. Following an action research methodology, students develop soft skills as an emergent aspect of a blended approach to their professionally-inspired project work. This more authentic approach, using their own mobile devices, captured the imagination of students and directed attention to the significance of broader skills relevant to industry. Over the four-year study period, submissions rose from 66% to 93%, with student satisfaction significantly enhanced.