Authors
Shreeja Bhattacharjee, Laurel Higham, Amelia Wilson
Advisors
Katherine Foo, Lorraine Higgins
Term
March – May, 2018
Abstract
Our project aimed to increase student engagement in science, technology, engineer- ing, and math (STEM) by creating a mystery room for Banksia Gardens Community Services for its after-school program. Students in local schools are not pursuing ca- reers in STEM, and this project provides the opportunity to increase their interest in these fields while providing a unique way to interact with the subjects. The mystery room made use of a theme, narrative, puzzles, actor, and immersive environment to engage participants. To complete this project, we researched learning styles and the mystery room design processes, built a room, and evaluated how engaging the expe- rience was. We developed an iterative design-feedback process to create a mystery room that incorporated visual, auditory, and kinesthetic components while introduc- ing STEM concepts to the participants. Our project resulted in a mystery room that engaged multiple learning types and presented fun and easy-to-learn science facts. Throughout our process, we learned that our mystery room required an actor and a linear flow of puzzles to be more effective as an educational tool.
Final Report
A means to foster STEM interest: A mystery room at Banksia Gardens Community Services