Ashley Gess 
Assistant Professor | Augusta University
Augusta, GA, UNITED STATES
Gess is a leading expert in innovation renaissance as it pertains to a post-COVID-19 America.
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Biography
Dr. Ashley Gess is an Assistant Professor of STEAM education at Augusta University (AU). She holds a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Integrative STEM education.
Areas of Expertise (6)
Integrative STEM Education
Project-Based Learning
Curriculum Design
Curriculum Development
Place-based Education
Integrative STEAM Education
Accomplishments (5)
Teaching Excellence Award
May 2019 AU College of Education
Educational Innovation Award
May 2017 Augusta University
Educational Innovation Award
May 2018 Augusta University
Invited Participant in the Biology Director's Consortium
October 2013 National Association of Biology Teachers
Outstanding Graduate Student, Integrative STEM Education, 2012-2013
May 2013 School of Education
Education (3)
Virginia Tech: Ph.D., Philosophy, Integrative STEM Education 2015
Furman University: M.A., Arts, Secondary Science Education (Biology) 1995
College of Charleston: B.S., Biology/Biological Sciences, General 1988
Affiliations (4)
- American Educational Research Association
- Association of Teacher Educators
- International Technology and Engineering Educators Association
- National Art Education Association
Links (3)
Media Appearances (6)
East meets West through STEAM competition
Jagwire online
2019-06-25
“Last year was our first year for the STEAM competition here at Augusta University,” said Ashley Gess, an assistant professor of STEAM education in the College of Education at Augusta University. “And I will never forget turning around and seeing this wall of elementary and middle school students running toward us wearing these lime green shirts that we gave all the students competing. I promise, I was petrified.”
MINDFRAME: Augusta University hosts first STEAM education competition
News Channel 6 online
2018-10-06
The mind behind MINDFRAME said teachers coach students in a STEAM-based approach: "They can do this every day, all day in their classroom to serve all kids," explained Dr. Ashley Gess. "Not just kids who can stay after school. Not just kids whose parents that can afford to send their kids to places to do fun things. Every kid can learn this way, and realize their American Dream."
STEM? STEAM? Why your child's homework may look different this year
News Channel 6 online
2018-08-10
"A lot of people use it as a synonymous term with science, math or engineering," explained assistant professor of education, Dr. Ashley Gess. "However, I subscribe to the idea that STEM is an educational approach."
Thinking Outside the Classroom
Augusta Magazine online
2018-01-11
According to Dr. Ashley Gess, integrative STEAM/STEM education is an educational approach where teachers intentionally design opportunities for their students to engage in the design process and transfer knowledge from one context to another.
Art exhibit focuses on self-realization, identity of educators
Jagwire online
2017-12-06
“Only a fraction of their students will ever be scientists,” said Dr. Ashley Gess, professor of education. “If teachers can learn to incorporate art in the classroom and allow students to realize their knowledge in the context of arts, they’ll improve the likelihood that students will persist in that discipline. But in order to get their students to do it, the teachers must also do it.”
Area teachers exhibit art in Augusta
The Augusta Chronicle online
2017-11-30
“They are re-discovering themselves as educators and educational leaders and the mandala is being used as a medium for each teacher or teacher team to realize their emerging self through applying their new knowledge and incorporating it into their current framework and identity as an educator,” Gess said
Articles (5)
The Missing Link: Providing a Scaffold for STEAM Education
Technology and Engineering TeacherAshley Gess, A, Seth Hargrove
2019 This article discusses the relationship between computational thinking and TEE and addresses a way to teach computational thinking using an engineering design instruction model.
Beyond boundaries: a narrative inquiry on learning “togetherness” in scientific education
ESREAAshley Gess, Marika D'Oria
2018 Over the past 20 years, there has been growing interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education in Europe, the United States, and beyond. The inherent connection between these disciplines is obvious as we engage in our world.
STEAM education: Separating fact from fiction
Technology and Engineering TeacherAshley Gess
2017 Improving science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education (STEM) is an international imperative as countries work to improve life and prospects for their people. Countries recognize that to improve economic prosperity and national security, their citizens should be prepared to work in a global society that is characterized by digital, technological, and scientific literacy and requires divergent, flexible creative thinking.
Peer Knowledge Sharing Outside the Undergraduate STEM Classroom
New Directions in the Teaching of Physical SciencesAshley Gess, Songze Li, Shihao Zhou, Samuel Doak
2017 Student interest is associated with persistence in STEM courses of study (Maltese, Melki, & Wiebke, 2014). If peers decide, of their own accord, to discuss knowledge among each other outside of the classroom context, the behavior is indicative of deepening interest in the information being shared (Renninger & Hidi, 2002).
Steam Educaton: separating fact from fiction
Technology and Engineering TeacherAshley Gess
2017 The goal of integrative STEAM education is to enable all students to be able to achieve a level of proficiency in core knowledge and skills.
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