Globally, there is a shortage of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) workers, hindering potential economic prosperity and innovation.
This is where Mexico has a competitive advantage and can be a valued contributor to the global community: Mexico excels in STEM, producing an impressive amount of STEM professionals, with about 25% of all Mexican university grads majoring in STEM fields.
However, according to the OECD, Mexico also has one of the greatest gender gaps in STEM, with only 8 percent of women choosing to work in STEM careers, compared to 27 percent of men. In Mexico, jobs with the highest pay are in STEM fields. So low female representation in STEM multiplies labor market inequalities and gender wage gaps.
Research has long shown that a person’s spatial reasoning skill is a key indicator of their future STEM success. Spatial reasoning is the capacity to establish relationships between objects and understand how they interact and look from different perspectives and environments. It is a key skill for jobs in STEM and can be improved but, until recently, we have had no way to measure it in children or to track changes.
Now, 2022 university research shows that using Makers Empire helps primary students significantly improve their spatial reasoning skills as well as reducing STEM anxiety and improving attitudes towards STEM.
Moreover, improvements in spatial reasoning skills were more pronounced in females. There was also a significant improvement in female students’ self efficacy – that is, they believed in their own abilities more, which is an important factor in STEM engagement.
Girls that enjoy STEM subjects in primary school grow into young women who are more likely to study STEM subjects in high school. This provides a pathway to a STEM-related degree at university and a career in a STEM-related field. So getting young girls interested in STEM is critical for solving this gender imbalance.
Makers Empire makes market-leading, curriculum-aligned products for schools. Students use our fun and easy to use gamified 3D design app and teachers are provided with the accompanying Teacher Dashboard, resources, professional development, training and support.
Makers Empire partners with education departments/ministries, school districts, sponsors, foundations, and training organisations to deliver pioneering STEM programs. Makers Empire has delivered STEM programs to groups of 200+ schools in Australia, the USA and the UAE.
The Makers Empire 3D design app is the world’s most fun and easy to use 3D design app, built specifically for 5-12YO children. Within an immersive, fun and safe learning environment, children of all skill levels are motivated to create, learn, collaborate and share their designs. Plus, student progress and rewards are linked to effort, mastery of new skills and participation in positive interactions.
The Teacher Dashboard includes all the planning, class management and assessment tools and resources teachers need to teach effectively and efficiently teach with 3D. Teachers can access curriculum-aligned challenge courses and lesson plans, or create their own design missions. Teachers are empowered with professional development and class management and assessment tools.
We build teacher capacity using evidence-based maker pedagogies and support teacher understanding of design thinking in addressing curriculum outcomes via our accredited Learning by Design course. We deliver customised PD via STEM, school industry & education outreach programs for education departments, training organisations, corporate sponsors and trust & foundations.
Delivered via the Makers Empire 3D design app, Challenge Courses provide am engaging, complete design program for students and can be easily assessed by teachers using built-in assessment tools. Comprised of videos, tutorials, quizzes and challenge courses, Challenge Courses are aligned to curriculum outcomes, centred around a theme and are designed to take 4-10 weeks to do.
Driven by both new challenges like the pandemic and old and persistent challenges, the Mexican education system is undergoing a transformation. This is a vital process to provide Mexican adolescents with the necessary tools to build a better country and world.
Whilst rote learning and memorisation were important in the past, today Mexican education leaders and teachers want to empower their primaria and secundaria students to develop autonomy and critical thinking.
Makers Empire’s award-winning tools and programs are perfectly placed to help Mexico in its efforts to help its adolescents develop into creators, problem solvers and innovators. They’re backed by evidence, too – a 2018 university research study on school makerspaces revealed compelling evidence of benefits of using Makers Empire.
Across the 24 classes analysed, students developed a range of 21st century capabilities including creativity, problem-solving, critical thinking, inquiry, design thinking, collaboration, autonomy, literacy, numeracy, scientific understanding, digital literacy, communication, and resilience. Students were highly engaged with the 3D technology, and the idea of solving genuine design challenges – it helped boost their confidence and resilience, particularly for less capable students.
The Makers Empire 3D design app can be used on almost any device including iPads, Android devices, Windows computers and laptops, iPhones, MacBooks, and Chromebooks (except for older models).
Makers Empire integrates with multiple SSOs. We suggest Google Classroom and Clever as classes sync with the Teacher Dashboard, students and teachers can use existing logins, classes are already set up, and end-of-year rollover is simple.
Makers Empire can be used without an internet connection making it a robust solution when wifi is limited or unreliable. If students lose their internet connection mid-design, don’t worry – their work is safe.
To provide greater accessibility, Makers Empire is available in Spanish, English, Arabic, Ukrainian and Chinese languages.
Student data is retained only for education purposes. We do not share or sell children’s personal information or student data to any third parties such as advertisers, socmedia companies or search engines. Learn more.
Login options include QR code (great for young students), unique username, email and password, and various integrations.
The Training Lab houses helpful tutorials and videos. New user should start in either the Video Room or Basic Tutorials, which teach users how to use the app’s tools and features.
Wondering how someone created an amazing design? Users can play, pause, fast-forward and rewind the replay and adjust the replay speed.
Some education departments and schools require technology vendors to sign their data privacy agreements. Makers Empire has signed agreements with many schools and districts.
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We acknowledge and pay our respects to the Kaurna people, the traditional custodians whose ancestral lands we gather on. We acknowledge the deep feelings of attachment and relationship of the Kaurna people to country and we respect and value their past, present and ongoing connection to the land and cultural beliefs.
