In this episode of ‘I can see CLRiE now’ we delve into Laurier’s 'Mission on the Moon' project, an interactive coding and robotics course tailored for students in grades 6-9, with a particular focus on lunar rovers. The project aims to introduce students to the fundamentals of coding and robotics in an enjoyable and engaging way, while also nurturing their creativity, problem-solving skills, and teamwork abilities. Our guests, Janice Cudlip, Julie Mueller, and Joe Monks, discuss the various aspects of the project, its origins, goals and challenges.
Glossary of Terms
Guests on the Episode:
Support & Funding
Resources
SPEAKERS
Julie Mueller, Janice Cudlip, Shawna Reibling, Joe Monks
[Intro music]
Shawna Reibling 00:15
Welcome to the ‘I Can See CLRiE Now’ podcast. This podcast is designed to fulfill the mission of the Center for Leading Research in Education to mobilize leading education knowledge completed by their members and students involved in the research center to the wider public and those who can benefit from the knowledge.
[Musical Break]
Shawna Reibling 00:42
Welcome to this CLRiE episode around the ‘Mission on the Moon’ project. Today, we have with us, Janice Cudlip from the CSA. If you would like to start with introducing yourself and your role.
Janice Cudlip 00:57
My name is Janice Cudlip. And I lead the youth stem initiatives team at the Canadian Space Agency. I joined the agency in February 2021. So I'm relatively new to the team. But the team is also relatively new. And they come with a wealth of public service experience creating opportunities for people and ideas to come together. But I also have this deep curiosity about the power of hands on approaches to learning. My team funded opportunities for organizations with activities connecting youth to Canada's contributions to exploring the moon, and the Center for Leading Research and Education was part of this successful application. And we're really excited about the insights that we can gain from their work.
Shawna Reibling 01:43
I wanted to ask you, Julie, what your role is in the project?
Julie Mueller 01:47
Thanks, Shawna. I am the primary investigator or the lead researcher on the mission on the moon project. That means, that has a key part of putting together the proposal, and ensuring that it moves ahead, as expected.
Shawna Reibling 02:04
And Joe, could you tell me your role in the project?
Joe Monks 02:08
So, I'm the Outreach Coordinator, and I'm essentially sort of connecting with the different bodies, organizations and individuals that we are pushing the program out to,
Shawna Reibling 02:18
Great, thank you for introducing yourselves. What was the genesis of the call for proposals around lunar rover science and AI enabled space robotics for youth.
Janice Cudlip 02:29
The genesis around this particular call for proposals for lunar rover science and AI enabled robotics initiatives for youth, really, is the stem strategy that the Canadian Space Agency as following. And one of the guiding principles of that strategy is to work with partners. So, our team is very small. So, we have to use our resources very shrewdly. And we know there are many, many organizations with great ideas across the country. And so we wanted a chance to see what was out there in terms of ideas and approaches to exciting youth about robotics, and making hands on learning opportunities that would really kindle that curiosity and inspiring space interest. So, we wanted to make sure that we had our own ideas for activities that could be brought to different learning contexts across the country, but that we were making space to see what else was out there. So the idea for this open call for proposals was to also find new partners that we weren't already working with.
Shawna Reibling 03:42
Why did you choose to work with Dr. Mueller and the mission on the moon and educational program for Canadian youth and her team?
Janice Cudlip 03:50
So, in the short time that we have been operating, our youth stem initiatives team, it's become very clear to us how pivotal educators are in influencing youth to keep their interest and their curiosity alive in their learning of STEM subjects. There are many factors influencing young learners and the learning experience. This is something that we have seen on the ground, but we've also read about so we know there are many, many people and conditions that will make something impactful and inspiring and leave a young learner with the feeling of competence and an eagerness to learn more. So, in our short time as the youth stem initiatives team at CSA, we know educators are a super important part of that mix. And so, what excited us about the proposal was not only that there would be modules that would introduce young people in that pivotal group around grades six to eight, but also that there was an element of helping educators feel competent and confident in doing space curriculum, space activities. So, we also use this really broad definition of educators. So, we know there are people in a young person's world that are bringing perspectives in indirect ways, and influence their perceptions about whether science, technology, engineering, and math is for them, whether their interest in space is something they should follow, and whether they belong in that sphere, or in that world they create for themselves in the future. So, those educators who are formally in their schools and environment, they're also the folks who run after school programs. They're the museum animators. They're the volunteers who work with outreach groups, and their parents and their uncles and aunts and grandmas, and aunties, who are the ones who are kindling and nurturing that interest in space, and STEM subjects in general. So we are keeping all of those educators in mind at CSA and this project, looking at those teachers and training was a really important part of the puzzle for us, we want to see how intervening at that early stage of a teacher's development influences the youth in their continued interest and pursuit and feeling of competence in STEM subjects. We were also really excited about the evaluation of that impact. So, an element of the project where the impact on the educators and the students will be included in the research. What we also appreciated very much in the proposal was the recognition that our traditional approaches to educating teachers in Canada has not honored and celebrated the contributions of indigenous peoples women, black and other people of color to STEM fields. So, we wanted to see how integrating diverse perspectives, worldviews, content. So, we wanted to see how changing that approach to be more inclusive, to value those contributions and celebrate them celebrate the inclusion of different worldviews, for example, in our STEM learning, would also influence how youth perceive STEM fields as a place where they can belong, and where they would feel well received. And the diversity of views that they would bring could also be accepted and nourished and welcomed. So one of the things that we recognize and are actively pursuing is this concept, that space really is for everyone. And it needs everyone. It needs, the creativity, it needs the diversity of worldviews, it needs, the thinking that comes from different life experiences. And it needs to be clear that that is what we're opening, that is what we're pursuing, right from primary education. So, the fact that these modules that are being developed, target the grade six to eighth, grade six to nine, that's when people are making decisions, even at that very young age, about what's for them and what's not for them. And so if they have a perception that this is a pathway or doors that are open to them, that space has a lot of potential, and they can continue to pursue their curiosity and nurture their ability to learn, but also feel valued for the contributions that they can make, then we will start to see that show up in post secondary enrollment and the kinds of workplaces and opportunities that these youth can pursue in the future. Children are naturally curious about space. And the Canadian Space Agency sees a responsibility to do its part in inspiring and empowering future generations through STEM learning, but also real missions. So, we connect all of these STEM organizations and activities to what's really happening now and what's planned for the future. So that the vision that curiosity can be grounded in future possibilities. We also see we have this real responsibility, not only to help grow the skill sets and the talent and the interest to feed this innovative space economy that is just I'm going to explode in the next 10 years, but also so that we can have a science literate population who can engage in making decisions about where Canada is, and how Canada influences where the world is going and it's space exploration. So, there are some really significant questions about what we do in space. What happens next? What kind of responsibilities do we have as celestial citizens, I guess, to exploring and protecting the universe, sharing the knowledge that we gain. And reflecting on how that can help us best on Earth, we have some very big challenges that need collaboration and solutions urgently. So, we need not only young people to be part of that experience in endeavor, we also need them to be prepared to engage in the questions where we have to make choices about where that endeavor goes. Not everyone wants to be an astronaut, or an engineer, we need artists, we need dancers, we need politicians, we need people who are engaged in thinking about how communities stay together and function well and take care of the emerging issues that we're experiencing on the planet. Those folks need to be science literate, they need to understand the choices that are being put in front of them, by our specialists, by our scientists, by our mathematicians even. So, being able to engage in those conversations, even if you're not an expert is a really important skill in something our citizenry needs to keep, and maintain and grow. So, one of the things that I love about the work that we do at CSA is we make space for the youth who, it's not their instinct to sign up for a STEM camp during the summer, they'd rather do athletics, they'd rather do home cooking, they'd rather do outdoor adventure. And while all of those things can be connected to space context, and we're happily working on that, we also want to convey that you can still contribute, you can still be a part of space STEM activities, they can connect to your life experience in very real ways. And you have something that you can gain something, even if you're not the highest achiever in your chemistry class, or physics isn't the thing that gets you up in the morning, there's still a lot that you can bring to space STEM, and just space conversation. So, that's one of the things I really value in our small team. We have a fairly diverse team. Right now it's spread out across the country, we have people who have been public servants like myself for their career, people who are skilled in project management, people who are very skilled in communications and outreach. And folks who have degrees in astrophysics, who are teachers. And it's that diversity of the team that helps us also be open to ideas. So, we don't come to our projects with a fixed mindset, we're really looking for innovative opportunities coming from the broader environment of education and space stem interests, and then we're able to fill in the gaps. So, one of the things that is also interesting about this call for opportunity, it's one of many channels that we are using. So, one of many approaches that we are using to connect youth to our upcoming lunar rover mission in 2026. So we know not everybody starts off with high high enthusiasm for jumping right into the science and technology of a rover mission. Some might need to start way back, you know, in terms of sparking their interest in participating in a row for science activity, some walk in with absolutely no experience or interests at all. And we have to find a way for them to feel excited and competent and interested. By the end of that activity. We also have the folks who are just raring to go. They're watching for like, where's the next opportunity I can sign up for where's the camp that I can enroll in, and they live and breathe STEM activities every single day. So the beauty of our team is that we're designing and thinking about that whole spectrum of youth out there who can and should continue to be inspired by space. If we're doing our job. Well.
Shawna Reibling 14:56
I love that answer and how you're meeting youth where they're at, and inspiring the youth of today with the future possibilities, be those in space be those in Canadian society helping making policy decisions, or just as a citizen who's pretty proud to be part of our science initiatives, I love that your strategy both embraces partnerships to do that, as well as is open to meeting youth where they're at to get them excited about the possibilities. Not everyone wants to be an astronaut, which is a really important message. And that space affects every aspect of our lives in terms of policies, how our governance happens on the national level, and even on the local level, and to get folks engaged from all levels of education is something that will really I think, strengthen the diversity of your program. And I love that you're doing that, and working with folks like Julie's team who's based out of CLRiE who, as you know, the research center at of Laurier. CLRiE is really intentional about inter weaving vines, where education, and Technology and Literacy and inclusivity and all those things come together to form a really rich research environment for students, and for faculty members and for public and Canadian organizations that engage with CLRiE so I'm I'm so glad that you're working on this project together. You mentioned some different ways that you're working to strengthen inclusivity within your programs, are there any that you want to touch on specifically?
Janice Cudlip 16:37
At the Canadian Space Agency, our strategy has been informed by research about underrepresented groups in STEM fields, specifically space STEM fields. And so, that has heavily influenced our approach to programming. And we see that or you can see that in the way we put out our calls for opportunity. We are really trying to encourage mindfulness about the diversity of learners and their specific needs. And so we'd love to see presentations, we'd love to see applications where there's some acknowledgement and a action plan to work with those underrepresented groups to understand their implicit and explicit needs, and to design engagements and activities that respond directly to those needs. So, that's one way. Our the other way is sharing, creating a space that you don't normally see on a government of Canada website, for recognition of other ways of knowing. So, even three years ago, you'd likely only see the sort of Western approach to science, from a government science based organization. And so opening up that space to acknowledge other ways of knowing about our world and our universe and our place in it by the inclusion of Moon stories from Cree elder Wilfred Buck, so that communities can see that there's room for incorporating their culture, their understanding, their way of learning and engaging with the universe, in a STEM activity. And so, you'll start to see that as we are building partnerships with organizations that are making room for culturally relevant content, that are including connections to culture, in their delivery, who are including members of those communities and the decision making about how learning happens, where it happens, and also the kinds of priorities that they're putting on learning activities for their youth. So, we will also see it in our efforts to increase representation on our website in our career profiles, for example. So you will see professionals who are in space related STEM fields, and their career paths. So that's another key message for us is that there are many, many ways you can find yourself in a STEM job, a space stem job might not have existed five years ago, and certainly will be very different five years from now, and that there are individuals for many, many communities that contribute to those organizations. And so, we know representation really matters. And so we're thinking about the kinds of partnerships we make, which means sometimes working with very small organizations that may have a population that reach about 35 to 40 students, and that's okay. We are not always trying to get the full national coverage coast to coast to coast, because that's not going to work for every group, every community. So being able to work with smaller organizations that are really doing amazing things on a very local level is an important part of our strategy as the STEM team at CSA.
Shawna Reibling 20:26
What benefits do you hope to see through initiatives like the Mission on the Moon initiative?
Janice Cudlip 20:33
We have high hopes for the Mission on the Moon initiative not to add any pressure but one of the aspects that we're watching very closely is the pre- service teacher interaction and development. So, we want to see how that works, and how it proliferates across the country. So, we're excited by, you know, the 190 teacher candidates at Wilfrid Laurier, who are going to be engaged on the six modules that have been developed. And then we want to see how that is received by faculties of education across the country. So the next phase is really exciting for us. Because it also helps us to decide where to put our limited energy. So, if we see that reaching those teacher candidates at this particular point in their development, before they do their their placements, helps them have the confidence to work with specially designed education modules, builds their interest in brings space STEM activities into the classroom with them. That helps us to know how to respond to those needs, and how much more energy, more emphasis we should place on working with these groups. So, when we see the results from from this work, they will definitely help inform our thinking about our future strategy of who we engage. So, we're engaging educators in many, many different ways. And knowing how much emphasis they put on this particular group at this particular time and their formation would really help us to decide how we distribute our effort and distribute our resources. The other benefits are that we have youth who are really engaged by these modules, working with the inksmith's uh rover K8 robots, and that that that activity and the sets of activities make their way through the education system. And we start seeing higher interest in the senior level science classes within schools, that we start seeing interest in undergraduate programming across the country. I mean, those are obviously our big long term goals. But that we also just, we understand that kids feel that they're not intimidated by these kinds of activities. They're not intimidated by coding robots that do things on the moon, they're not intimidated by something they don't know, facing something they don't know. So, that's a really key part of learning. Being open to diving in, being a beginner, and understanding you don't know everything right away, and that you'll fail. And you'll try again, and you'll keep learning. And it'll be a real fantastic celebration when you get it right. And so that there's that, that's what this, this activity is all about getting in there. Trying the effort means a lot.
Shawna Reibling 23:39
Creating an environment where pre-service teachers are empowered to incorporate stem into the classroom is a very powerful tool for including youth into, you know, our Canadian self actualization as celestial citizens as people that are involved in space in whatever that role turns out. And it's important that all learners understand that they can be science literate, and I love that mission on the moon is giving them the tools to involve their citizens in learning more about space, and so that kids learn about space from their teachers in the classroom. And I wonder what the importance is of having partners in that sort of work is to share space research with Canadians of all walks of life.
Janice Cudlip 24:32
Having partners as a key part of our STEM strategy at the Youth stem initiatives team at CSA. We know that we certainly can't be everywhere and we know that people are paying attention to a diversity of challenges. They're always filtering through a bombarding of information and channels. So, for us having partners who are talking with them, opening up conversations with them where they're at, so, connected to their interests is a really important channel for us. So, they may not be scouring the internet for Canadian Space Agency sanctioned activities. But if they're tuned into the newsletter that comes from their faculty of education, and we appear there, that's one way of reaching them, where they're at and connecting to their needs and their priorities. So, partners help us with that, for certain partners also are a key feedback mechanism for us. So when we, you know, we don't have a direct line into educators who are not subscribed to our newsletter. So how can we get some feedback, some input from the groups that we are hoping to support and hoping to connect with, if not for our partners, so those partners provide for us a check on you know, hey, we're developing this, we're thinking this might be useful, what's the reading you have from your community, they help us give a feedback so that we are really targeting our efforts to something that's going to be used. So, we don't want to create resources that just fit on a website, hoping one day a teacher will come across them and find them amazing. We would love for our partners to say, Hey, these are amazing resources, we're missing this piece. What do you think about that? How could we build that piece, and they're also an important amplifier for us. So, having those partners, either creating activities that are really useful and appreciated, and then linking those back to CSA resources so that people can find more from us. Or they're saying, here are some resources from the CSA that you may find valuable. So I know, teachers educators are really crunched for time, they need that gut check from someone who's used it in the classroom, who's seen the sparkle in the kids eyes. Who knows that oh, my gosh, because we're talking about this for weeks, parents came back to me saying that my kids on fire they want every space book there is from the library, I mean that that endorsement is just a really important part that an educator is looking for when they're trying to choose from the myriad of options that they have. So for us partners, help us with that. Partners give us really valuable connection, and a channel for feedback. They give us a gut check on whether we're doing the right things, whether we are emphasizing or creating the right resources that are being used. And there are also creators for us of something that will meet the needs of their communities. So, we can't do what we do without partners.
Shawna Reibling 27:57
One of CLRiE's missions is to do knowledge mobilization, to get that research and to get those resources into the hands of folks that need them. And in a way that makes sense in the classroom. I was really inspired by what you said about students being able to see themselves as working in the space program and their teachers really helped them do that in the classroom. And as more teachers from equity deserving groups are in the classroom, they can see themselves both as students who are involved in space, through the role modeling from their teachers and using these resources to be able to enroll kids in that education. So this is a fabulous partnership, I think for mobilizing knowledge, evaluating it and creating fantastic resources for teachers. Is there anything that I haven't asked you that you wanted to mention about this partnership? Same question to you, Julie. Any comment that you wanted to make
Julie Mueller 28:58
In speaking about teacher education and the importance of ensuring that our educators are indeed educated around STEM, and especially space STEM topics and skills and perspectives is important. And that is, I think, where the connection between teacher education and research and partners is so key.
Shawna Reibling 29:27
There's a fantastic match between the partnership approach that CSA is taking and Julie's group through Cleary, the emphasis on trying to leverage your networks to make the biggest impact on the audience's that you're trying to reach is really fabulous. And it really shows through in the approaches and the back and forth between your groups to make sure that what you're doing makes an impact, that it's evaluated and you continue doing what works.
Janice Cudlip 29:55
Knowing we're always going to need a diversity of approaches When it comes to engaging young Canadians in space, that you will continue to see from the CSA. That's that's just how we're wired. But it's also really helpful for us to have some research that we are not in a position to undertake ourselves, that helps evaluate the impact of these kinds of efforts like working with your service teachers specifically. So that data set that we will gain from this project will be really, really helpful for us. I just wanted to say that the next 10 - ,15 years in space is super exciting. And the jobs that will exist when our grades six to eight, youth grade six to nine youth are graduating, they don't exist yet. And so, the imagination that those youth will bring to the future is rich and really important. We're trying to open as many opportunities as possible for us to continue to be curious to continue to imagine what the future will be like, we want educators along for that ride. And we know that kids are hard to keep up with. So, I'm always amazed when we do outreach, the kinds of things they already know. And they're informing me, because I clearly don't know everything there is to know about space. And their interest is just so wonderful to experience and to nurture. And so the beauty of space as a context for learning is it can apply to anything. So, if you are interested in kinesthetics, they're into sports, there's a role for them, if they're into medicine, there's a role for them, if they're into agriculture, for example, they love growing things, there's a role for them in the space for the future. So, we just want everyone to know that there's so much potential, so much possibility out there, and that we need their minds, their energy, their imagination, and educators play such a critical role in nurturing that and keeping it going. And certainly messaging that it's possible. So, when teachers are not intimidated, they're ready for a challenge, even if they don't know everything there is to know that's a really important message to transmit in behavior to the youth that they engage with. So yeah, it's exciting times.
Shawna Reibling 32:36
It seems like partnerships like this one are the perfect example of how we can work together to increase representation, and also get youth excited about the future possibilities for their careers, through all the people that are involved in educating them in every aspect of life. And so, I wonder if partnerships are something that you're enjoying, and they're definitely something that contributes to your work, Janice, is that something that's true for you?
Janice Cudlip 33:05
Well, partnership is the only way we can go to space. So, especially for a small spacefaring nation like Canada. We know we need partners to do that work. And we draw on our strengths. We contribute our strengths to the strengths of others to make things possible. So, it's like a natural extension that everything we do at the space agency is with partners. And it's something that we hope transmits through the activities to kids. There's things that they need to develop on their own, but they need to work in partnership with others and that that's such a magical enriched, difficult sometimes, but, but really a wonderful skill set to develop, and definitely a need for the future.
Julie Mueller 33:52
Definitely, our Bachelor of Education program is built on partnerships with school boards, with the community. My research is built on partnership with our industry partners, our edtech startups and the necessity of perspectives from multiple, multiple contexts is so key to ensuring that you have the comprehensive picture of STEM education, and broader education of students. Public education by definition is representative of our society. So, placing something as critical as STEM education, space education and public education just make sense. And ensuring that teachers are as excited as the students are about this area of STEM education is also important and that's possible from a teacher education program. And part of a research center like CLRiE, also built on partnerships And just the example today of working on a podcast and having a conversation with our partners is not just exciting, but that's how we build knowledge that social construction of knowledge and motivation, and both are needed for action.
Shawna Reibling 35:18
Thank you.
Julie Mueller 35:19
This is an example of even that, you know, this sort of spark or the fuel in the spark was starting this project. We had an in-person workshop for our teacher candidates and I had them invite their associate teacher. So, we had peers and some of our faculty and ink Smith came in person, we had some food and fellowship, I did a little bit of a research introduction. And then we had a workshop, and we could see the change from the beginning of the workshop to the end. And we're measuring that teacher efficacy, which is so key to any of this happening for students, just across the two-hour workshop. So, we are measuring it and seeing it happen, just within those two hours. So, that's exciting to see.
Janice Cudlip 36:10
Yeah, absolutely. Great. I can't wait to hear more.
[Musical Break]
Shawna Reibling 36:24
The mission on the moon project is about strengthening inclusivity. And we heard from the Canadian Space Agency and how their goals are being met by the project. And I wanted to chat with you, Joe. And Julie, about your perspectives on project. Julie, how do you frame outreach in the context of this project?
Julie Mueller 36:42
Outreach is the main component or goal of the project. So the Canadian Space Agency is very interested in developing awareness of their lunar Gateway project and the exploration of the moon and the Artemis landing on the moon eventually, and we are involved in the education part of that. Our goals are lofty, we're trying to reach over 200,000 students, over 10,000, teachers, and 20%, of the faculties of education across Canada. So that's the goal of the outreach. And how we go about that is in many different ways we have done work within our Faculty of Education, developing courses, offering workshops, working in our practicum placements, having students take a leadership role, our teacher candidates, that is community outreach for elementary students. So, the outreach is really sharing the message of the mission on the moon, and providing opportunities for development in terms of coding, computational thinking, robotics and STEM education in general.
Shawna Reibling 38:02
Joe, how are you doing this outreach as part of the project on the ground and in classrooms?
Joe Monks 38:07
Yeah, the outreach is a multi level approach. I mean, essentially, we want the students to be the recipients of the program, but we're targeting teachers. And we're hitting it a number of different levels. So, first of all, for teachers that are interested, there's been a series of webinars which have been produced for them to be able to access it. For those that maybe are not so used to or comfortable working on webinars, we've mobilized the teacher candidates from the school, from the university. So, as they go into their various practicums, they share the mission on the Moon Program, they run the mission on the Moon Program in their classes. And that has the benefit of exposing the students to it but it also exposes the teachers in the school to it as well. So, the teachers in the school are looking on this here. what's happening , this Oh, it's coding, its space, this is how you could teach it. So, we're using our teacher candidates to mobilize the knowledge here. We're also at another level, we're targeting school boards. And we've had a couple of approaches here, one with a larger district school board in York, where we've ran specific professional development days for the teachers. And probably our most successful outreach activity has been something that's been known as 'Lunch and Learns' where we've had two teacher candidates, they've gone around at lunch times for the Waterloo Catholic District School Board. They've run sessions specifically for the teachers, that lunchtime professional development sessions for the teachers. But they've also run it for students as well. And in that three week period, I think I've got some numbers here, they reached 1500 students, and 117 teachers in that small period. And the hope is that those 117 teachers then go and bring mission on the moon to their 50 students they have in front of them a year. And that's how the outreach is snowballing.
Shawna Reibling 39:57
It sounds like doing outreach at multiple levels is really helping the outreach become as effective as it can be. How do you ensure that a project of this scale has impacts beyond the lifespan?
Julie Mueller 40:09
I can take that question, I think the education of the educators ensures that. So, it's not just here's a resource that you can use, and it is fully open source. so, teachers from anywhere at any time can download it at no cost, which is a bit of an issue people sometimes question when you offer them something free, that you know, is is too good to be true. But it is true that that's a wonderful opportunity. And that will sort of extend its shelf life as well, because teachers are able to download the slides, alter the slides modify to fit their needs, each year, they might use three of the modules this year, and three, the next year, they might do some of it independent with students, they may choose to utilize it in a different curriculum area. So, they might look at it in math one year and another module in their science to meet their science expectations. So, the fact that it is flexible and versatile and available is important. One of the aspects of the initiative from the CSA was to make sure that this was accessible. And we did that in a number of ways. And one is making sure that we use universal design to create the product so that it is what is often called the 'low floor high ceiling' that you can come into the project with a great deal of coding experience, or very little coding experience. And the support and instruction are there for those who are just starting, but then you can expand on aspects of it, if you have a lot of experience. So, that's one really important part, making sure it was both English and French. So, I know our French speaking teachers have sometimes difficulty finding resources to work at the level of their students knowledge and expectations in science, for example, when their French language level might be not at the same level as their science knowledge. So, this provides opportunity that way, taking it into the community, some of the events that Joe has done with the city of Waterloo Museum, have provided community support and availability. And we did a library talk with the Waterloo Public Library. So, building those relationships and providing the opportunity to reach extensive, different partners really makes a difference, I think as well. We are going to this final year of the project, take very explicit research approaches to actually measure some of the things that you're suggesting, what is the impact? How do we know what kind of impact there is? And how will that affect student learning in long term? So, we're going to look at both from the teachers perspective and the student perspective. What kind of impact did this have on your knowledge around science, your knowledge around coding? What kind of impact did it have on your desire to continue in the STEM discipline, terms of more education, and perhaps even career choices?
Shawna Reibling 43:29
I love how you're building in the flexibility so it can meet both teachers and students where they're at. And I think also you can use it with the hardware or without the hardware as well, right? There's not a requirement to buy the robots, if that's not something that the school has the funds for. Is that correct, Joe?
Joe Monks 43:47
That's correct. So, we're using multiple platforms, for mission on the moon. And like I said, everything's free. If you choose to use a hardware, then it's something you purchase. If you didn't want to purchase the hardware, you can run the whole program entirely, virtually using Scratch, and Tinkercad, which in itself are both very exciting platforms to be learning from. How do you ensure that the project of this scale has impacts beyond the lifespan when you're interacting with students and teachers in the classroom? So, I think the way the program is designed, a number of teachers now coding is quite a new thing to them. And when you hear about coding or robotics, is quite a scary concept. But the ease of entry into the program, it does allow you to engage with coding, engage with the robotics at a range of levels. So, it does help you build your confidence as they're going through it. And we found with the approaches we've used with our teacher candidates, once they've gone into schools, and they've taught it the reaction from the teachers, oh yeah, this coding it's not such a big thing. It's really quite easy, really quite within my grasp. So, you don't need to be an IT or a technology specialist to engage with the program.
Shawna Reibling 44:59
It was very cool. Well, to see the robots in action when you were demonstrating them at the Waterloo Public Library. And I love that they were able to relate to doing things that happen in the real world, like building your own robot vacuum and that sort of things, it was very relatable. And I think that will resonate with a lot of people. If educators are listening to this podcast, what lessons would you like to share with them about this project?
Julie Mueller 45:21
I think the very first thing is that it's accessible and available. So, I think we need to have resources that are very connected. And you mentioned the word relevant, too often the term is real world application. So, it's very relevant, it's authentic, it is based on the Canadian Space Agency content. So, we have access to all of their resources in the Part A, so there's two parts to the module. So there's the content, this face curriculum, piece of it, that is based on the Canadians space exploration. So, I think that's one piece that makes it very relevant and authentic. And it takes an inquiry approach. So, teachers that are teaching problem solving and inquiry can use this as one resource to support that kind of approach. At the same time teaching the skills of coding and robotics and Tinkercad, where they are developing computer aided design. So, there's lots of relevant skills to some of the as Joel mentioned, some of the emerging expectations that might be new to teachers. And, again, that's funded by the Canadian Space Agency, it's your money, and it's your opportunity. The children, students, learners are excited about it. And we're hoping it is a very useful support for a great deal of reasons.
Shawna Reibling 46:58
And there'll be a Canadian on the Artemis mission now, right?
Julie Mueller 47:01
Yes, yes. Jeremy Hansen, who was at one of the events where we shared Mission on the Moon at the city of Waterloo last July. So we're excited to see that and you will see Jeremy's face and little bio, in one of the modules too.
Joe Monks 47:17
I'm gonna jump on that as well, what you alrady said about the relevance. The fact that all of this is happening now just makes it so much more interesting, engaging, and exciting for the learners. Only yesterday, there was a vehicle landed on the south pole of the moon. So, it's very exciting, it's very relevant. It's something which children of all ages can really relate to. And when you've got those real world connections, it makes the learning so much more enjoyable, as opposed to a standalone article that has no relevance. So, it's really exciting to be talking about this now.
Shawna Reibling 47:17
That landing really sparked some conversation around our campfire last night, about people remembering where they were when Neil Armstrong landed on the moon, and how TV was just sharing this and how exciting it was. So, I'm hoping tools like this, that linked the curriculum with current events that are happening in space exploration will really get kids excited and hopefully get more Canadians involved in space exploration and issues related to space. I'm wondering if you heard from any teachers or students who have used the modules, and if they've enjoyed them, or what their experiences have been?
Joe Monks 48:25
Yes, we've actually had a lot of feedback whenever the students loan out kits from us or they can take them to the school. And when they return them, they will give us some feedback formally, and informally. And it's absolutely wonderful to hear the experience they've had. It's terrific to see the buzz they have when they come back with kits. This was fantastic. It worked. And that the students in the class love interacting with these bots. They love interacting with coding, it's something which a number of them haven't experienced before. But for me, an important part of it is actually the experience that we are giving to the teacher candidates. We don't talk to them about it a lot, but how much they are actually growing from that experience of being exposed to this. We have a mission on the moon class run in this fall two classes running on our campus where we can actually expose a number of our students with a little bit more, go a little bit more in depth.
Shawna Reibling 49:14
So, not only are you doing outreach in the classroom with current teachers, but the teachers that are going into the classroom in the next couple of years will already have this as something they can deploy to implement those new curriculum concepts and they're ready to go. That's great. Julie, I wonder if you could link that feedback to the evaluation that you're doing as part of the project.
Julie Mueller 49:34
Yes, and that's, that's exactly what we want to do is scale up and find that scope of impact. So, right now, we're finding, as Joe said, If teachers teacher candidates are using it and have the opportunity for even just a little bit of support and exposure, they can run with it, but one of our challenges is moving that, you know, scaling that up to across Canada, because we are finding the most effective mobilization of this is, when you have Joe or myself or our teacher candidates there to support you. I mean, it's written so that all the details are there, you can certainly do it without any support. But there seems to be often a need to jump ahead. And that's the feedback that we're getting from teachers at the workshops that we're doing tells us that, that people still want to have a contact of face to face opportunity, and just something that builds enough confidence to go forward on your own. So, when we look at measuring the impact, we are collecting some of that data. So, how did this affect you? So, we need to contact users of the project. And that's always a challenge, you know, just mobilizing and giving people the opportunity is a challenge for us, we're using social media. This year, we're going to reach out to faculties of education, just with email, there's so much that comes across people's inbox. And there are a lot of opportunities to even share it becomes a challenge. And then to ask people to fill out a survey or a measure to give the feedback is very difficult. So, that we can put out a plea. If we contact you about your use of mission on the moon, please respond. And when you get these responses, it really shapes these curriculum tools going forward to make them better. So, I hope folks that are using it respond to make the tools better. If folks listening to this podcast, want to get involved, and maybe they want to get their school board involved in their classroom, what should they do? Well, contact the Faculty of Education at Laurier. So, a very easy URL is www.wlu.ca/education. And on our homepage, there is a link, a brief description of Mission on the Moon and a link to the available resources. And that's probably the easiest way or to contact Joe or myself.
Shawna Reibling 52:11
Great. Is there anything else you want to mention about the mission on the moon project that I haven't asked you, Julie?
Julie Mueller 52:15
I think the project itself is really about building relationships. And that's what my research, my teaching, my learning is all about that's number one, we built on an existing relationship with Inksmith, who produced the modules with our feedback and guidance as well, with the Canadian Space Agency was a new relationship and wonderful opportunities there of sharing, and really everyone with the same goal of improving learning and outreach for every student in Canada, not just those who typically would have access to this type of learning. So, I think that our biggest takeaway is the building of the relationships in a very authentic way. Much of the work I do is with industry partners, with community partners, and sort of what we might say outside the classroom. But rather than saying it's outside the classroom, we're just expanding the classroom.
Shawna Reibling 53:20
I'll give you the last word, Joe, would you like to add anything about the outreach work you're doing?
Joe Monks 53:25
I'll maybe expand a little on what Julie said, of the of the challenges we have. Our goals are nationwide and it's very easy for us to reach people within the organization and within the region that we work with directly. But the challenge comes when we're trying to reach students, schools, on the west coast, for example. And there has sort of been some organic growth over there with notice in some of our data, there have been some schools that have seen it and taken it on, we've ran a pre-conference at CSSE-TATE, where we were able to share the Mission on the Moon Program with representatives from faculty of education there. But, it's began. How do we go further than that? We've got a wonderful, wonderful project and program here. How do we put it in front of people to then just pick it up and run with it. So, that's our challenge and that's our focus for this year.
Shawna Reibling 54:17
I wish you all the luck in meeting that goals and I have every faith that you will make it. Thank you for chatting with me today on the CLRiE podcast.
Joe Monks 54:25
Thank you for having us, Shawna.
Julie Mueller 54:26
Thank you
Shawna Reibling 54:38
Thank you for listening to ‘I Can See CLRiE Now’, the Center for Leading Research and Educations' podcast. Stay tuned for more episodes featuring Cleary researchers, students and community partners and conversation about leading educational research. Follow CLRiE on Twitter at WLU_CLRiE or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts Thank you to Julie Mueller Joe monks and our guests from the Canadian Space Agency for speaking with us about the mission on the Moon Program. Thanks to all who have been instrumental in the production of this episode in this series, the Cleary podcast was recorded and produced on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg and Haudenosaunee peoples. For more information click on the landing management link in our show notes. This episode of 'I Can See CLRiE now was made with support from Laurier's Office of Research Services.