A video that shows a strength for learning in many Mexican- and Indigenous-heritage communities is featured in the National Science Foundation’s 2022 STEM For All Video Showcase competition. The three-minute research video, titled “Learning by Observing and Pitching In,” features an inspiring collaborative process in which children learn skills and community-mindedness as they are immersed in shared endeavors with people of all ages, contributing with initiative to foster group goals and harmony.
The video production, led by Barbara Rogoff, Distinguished Professor of Psychology at UC Santa Cruz, involved an international team of UCSC-trained doctoral students and graduates, including Andrew Dayton, Dr. Itzel Aceves-Azuara, Dr. Rebeca Mejía-Arauz, Dr. Lucía Alcalá, Dr. Andrew Coppens, Dr. Angélica López-Fraire, and Claudia Castañeda.
The researchers submitted the video as part of NSF’s annual video competition, which showcases innovative ways to improve learning of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
“Understanding ways that learning is organized in different communities can provide insights and inspire innovations that provide broader opportunities for all children to learn,” Rogoff said.
These insights can aid national efforts to broaden children’s participation in science, engineering, and other academic fields, according to the researchers.
Rogoff’s video is available for voting through May 17 at NSF’s competition website. Viewers are invited to vote for their favorite videos and join online discussion about the research.
Videos from Rogoff’s research team have taken top awards in the previous six years. The prior videos—about skilled collaboration, helpfulness, learning with purpose, and keen observation—remain available for viewing online.
Now in its eighth year, the 2022 NSF STEM For All Video Showcase features over 260 innovative projects aimed at improving STEM learning and teaching.
