NSF Award
1142505
The Network to support Science, Engineering, Arts and Design (NSEAD) will support transformative research and pedagogy that are only possible through the combined expertise of diverse knowledge domains and disciplines. For example, as physicists and engineers developed new imaging techniques, visual artists experimented with the new expressive potentials they enabled, often influencing development of the technologies. Visual artists and musicians have created and continue to create computer languages and algorithms while pushing technologies for composing and recording in fields of software engineering, artificial intelligence, graphics and visualization. Students who are involved in the arts have higher math, verbal, and composite SAT scores than students who are not involved in the arts. (Vaughn and Winner, 2000). There is a growing movement by higher education academic institutions in the United States to integrate the Arts and STEM disciplines to educate the whole student while leveraging creative cognitive skills for solving complex problems in science and technology disciplines. And finally, diverse ecosystem of academic programs in pre-K to gray formal and informal STEM learning; scientific research conferences; exhibitions, and cultural institution programs continues to emerge as new information technologies, creativity support and social networking tools become pervasive in our society. This project envisions a network that addresses fundamental challenges including the need to align academic pedagogies with 21st century thinking skills; to promote diversity of perspectives, approaches, and people in the creative information technology economy; and to benchmark best practices that create critical thinkers and leaders for the ever-changing technology-driven job market. The development of such a network will provide a platform to disseminate and generate public dialogue about the intellectual, cultural, and economic potential of intersections of science, technology and creativity. <br/><br/>NSEAD will be a platform to support the burgeoning research community of Computer Scientists, Engineers, Artists and Designers engaged in integrative research and pedagogy across these disciplines. NSEAD will provide a bridge for academic institutions, non-profit organizations, industry liaisons, and resource providers to collaborate, share best practices in research and pedagogy, and build stronger affinities. It will serve as a junction for elements such as: 1) research community development; 2) collaboration and project matchmaking opportunities; 3) skills expertise referrals; 4) inter-institutional collaborations; 5) forums to share best practices in pre-K to gray STEM learning and creative enrichment; and 6) strategies for network leadership and resource sustainability.
