The month, Learning Undefeated debuted a totally new learning experience for The Port of Corpus Christi’s PORT-Able Learning Lab. Tailor-made to emphasize content themes related to maritime careers and the Coastal Bend area, the new Breakout Box: Environmental Mission takes high school students on an immersive adventure using computational thinking and the practices of science and engineering, without even leaving the school parking lot.
From the moment they step inside this custom-built 22-foot shipping container, students experiment with augmented reality, game-based learning, and touchscreen walls, building their critical thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving skills. Upon boarding the lab, student “intern trainees” are presented with a real-world challenge: to design a wharf for a new client that meets time, budget, and durability requirements while also controlling for environmental concerns such as noise, dust, and negative impacts to the region’s sea life.
“It was really great to see all the oohs and all the ahs and all the lightbulbs going off with our students, said Kelsey Picou of Ingleside ISD. “What we appreciate about this is that it gives our students additional learning opportunities without even having to leave the high school, and [they are] applying real-world concepts.” Ingleside High School was the inaugural high school to host the mobile lab, this February.
Students have 20 minutes to solve a series of puzzles, unlocking additional challenges and clues including a planning simulation, and choosing different materials, seasons, and environmental mitigation options to evaluate the effectiveness of the design. Students also analyze and interpret data as they learn about emissions using graphs and migration patterns using augmented reality. Each mission session accommodates up to ten participants.
The PORT-Able Learning Lab operates on Learning Undefeated’s proprietary Drop Anywhere Labs footprint, an immersive learning experience housed in a 22-foot shipping container. Thanks to a year-round partnership with the Port of Corpus Christi, the PORT-Able Learning Lab will introduce nearly 5,000 students to port-related STEM careers in the 2022/23 school year. The PORT-Able Learning Lab features branded graphics and a custom-built student technology experience specifically tied to maritime content themes.
