Crowdsourcing-Based Learning: the Effective Smart Pedagogy for STEM Education

Abstract

Multiple innovative teaching and learning strategies, that strongly support the advanced technology-based education, emerged in recent years. However, there are no published data analytics and validated outcomes regarding how good those innovative teaching approaches support the main concepts of Smart Pedagogy. This paper presents the outcomes of the ongoing research, design and development project at the InterLabs Research Institute, Bradley University (Peoria, IL, USA) aimed to identify, analyze, test, implement and recommend various components of Smart Pedagogy for STEM education. Those components may include but are not limited to 1) learning- by-doing, active learning or experiential learning, 2) games-based learning and gamification of learning, 3) collaborative learning, 4) analytics-based learning, 5) flipped classroom, 6) crowdsourcing-based learning, 7) badging-based learning, and 8) productive failure-based learning. The obtained research outcomes about application of crowdsourcing-based learning in several STEM undergraduate and graduate courses are presented in this paper. Project outcomes undoubtedly demonstrate students' keen interest in active use of crowdsourcing-based learning in Sciences courses, in particular, and in highly technological Smart Pedagogy in STEM education, in general.