2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Teacher-Created STEM Lesson Modules for Middle School via ImageSTEAM Workshops in Georgia

Presented at NSF Grantees Poster Session II

This paper presents the design and research of STEM lesson modules developed by the University of Georgia (UGA) team in collaboration with K-12 teachers across Georgia through the NSF-funded Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) program. The project employed iterative professional development cycles, including intensive summer workshops, to equip teachers with the skills to design visually rich, interactive resources that integrate artificial intelligence (AI) concepts such as computer vision and machine learning into middle school curricula. Following development, teachers implemented these modules in their classrooms and collected student feedback, which informed subsequent refinements to improve instructional effectiveness and student engagement. The final lesson modules, freely accessible at ImageSTEAM.org, aim to broaden access to AI education. Preliminary findings indicate notable gains in teachers’ confidence to teach AI concepts and positive shifts in students’ problem-solving abilities and interest in STEM. Key outcomes and best practices from this initiative will be shared at the conference.

Authors

Dr. Ramana Pidaparti University of Georgia [biography]

Ramana Pidaparti, is currently a Professor in the School of ECAM at the University of Georgia. Dr. Pidaparti received his Ph.D. degree in Aeronautics & Astronautics from Purdue University, West Lafayette in 1989. He has been on the faculty at the Virginia Commonwealth University and the Purdue School of Engineering & Technology at Indianapolis.
Dr. John M Mativo University of Georgia [biography]

Dr. John Mativo is Meigs Distinguished Professor at the University of Georgia. His research scholarship focuses on workforce education and engineering. Research in workforce education is primarily focused on learning of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) content and pedagogy, particularly as related to the technology and engineering field. Towards this end, I concentrate my studies in two related areas: a) instruction and curricula development of engineering content for technology and engineering education; and b) research related to thermal designs and intelligent machines. These strands strengthen each other by providing real life engineering case studies for courses I teach and enhance communication skills used as an engineer and educator.
Suren Jayasuriya Arizona State University [biography]

Suren Jayasuriya is an assistant professor jointly between the School of Arts, Media and Engineering (AME) and the School of Electrical, Computer, and Energy Engineering (ECEE) at Arizona State University. Prior to this, he was a postdoctoral fellow at th

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