Politics, Identity, and Ethics in STEM Learning: Global Perspectives and Challenges

Politics, Identity, and Ethics in STEM Learning: Global Perspectives and Challenges

How is STEM learning framed, formed, and experienced across historical and global contexts? In this talk, Learning Sciences faculty Shirin Vossoughi and Sepehr Vakil will draw on their joint and individual projects to argue new theoretical tools are needed to better illuminate complex interactions between history, politics, and STEM education, and their implications for learners' identities as intellectual and socio-political actors.

Shirin Vossoughi is an assistant professor of learning sciences. Vossoughi’s research centers on hybrid learning environments that blend formal and informal elements and support young people to engage in sophisticated forms of disciplinary thinking while questioning and expanding disciplinary boundaries. Prior to joining the Learning Sciences faculty at Northwestern University in 2014, Shirin Vossoughi was a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University and the Exploratorium, where she led an ethnographic study of after-school programs that blend scientific inquiry, literacy and the arts. Vossoughi has taught in schools, after-school and summer programs, and served as the director of a summer camp for youth in the Iranian diaspora.

Sepehr Vakil is an assistant professor of learning sciences. He recently received a prestigious National Academy of Education/Spencer Foundation Postdoctoral fellowship, investigates the cultural and political dimensions of STEM education, with a disciplinary focus in computer science and engineering. Working in partnership with communities and educators, he draws on design-based and participatory research methodologies to explore new transformative possibilities for STEM teaching and learning.

The Buffett Institute Faculty & Fellows Colloquium brings together an interdisciplinary audience to build awareness of global research on campus. This series promotes dialogue on scholarship and develops a deeper sense of community among Buffett Institute affiliates. Each meeting lasts one hour; lunch is provided.