Interstate Drone League (iDrone National) to promote hands-on remote STEM learning using cloud-based virtual meeting platforms in the global pandemic (COVID-19) iDrone National

Abstract

The global pandemic (COVID-19) has devastated tens of millions of people suffering from separation anxiety among family members, economic crisis, health issues in sensitive groups, and even education landscapes. In response to COVID-19, a hands-on, online STEM camp is proposed to stimulate American youth for the future workforce. The project aims to inspire the next generation of the STEM workforce by encouraging 6th – 12th grade students to enter STEM-related careers. This hands-on, online camp utilizes a series of educational learning modules, including drone building, coding, mission plan, poster session, and Part 107 pilot license, to introduce participating students to basic concepts in automatic control, robotics, and unmanned aircraft systems (UAS, also known as drones). Furthermore, pre- and post-camp surveys collected comments and feedback from participating students to assess academic learning in three dimensions of the Next Generation Science Standards. Survey results from both online and offline iDrone camps yielded similar results in the sense that the majority of participants demonstrated strong STEM identities, college/career readiness, as well as likelihood to pursue higher education or STEM careers.