Interstate Drone League (iDrone National) to promote hands-on remote STEM learning using cloud-based virtual meeting platforms in the global pandemic (COVID-19)

ABSTRACT

[...]of technological improvements, e-learning platforms are rapidly evolving and becoming a fundamental tool for many educational activities worldwide to gain a competitive edge (Sanchez, R. & Hueros, A., 2010). The main advantage of Google Sites (Google Sites, 2020) is the versatility to develop a course website using the existing templates. [...]a user can build their own project hubs, team sites, and public-facing websites by dragging content where needed. Zoom's video-first, unified communication platform is an excellent alternative to hosting an in-person event during the global pandemic (COVID-19). Since Zoom offers a solution tailored to fit our planned online camp, we took full advantage of the existing technology to maximize our impactful digital event, iDrone Online. According to the survey results, about 70% of participants from both in-person (offline) and virtual (online) camps classified themselves as having a strong STEM identity.