Anita Tabacco

STEM education requires a solid foundation in mathematics, which is often lacking in incoming students. To address these gaps, Politecnico di Torino developed CIAO!/OAIC! (Corso Interattivo di Accompagnamento Online / Online Accompanying Interactive Course), an online preparatory course featuring a virtual escape room as its final self-assessment activity. This escape room, set in the digitalized spaces of the actual university, tests mathematical prerequisites through problem-solving challenges while providing immediate feedback. The study analyzes two implementations: a pilot with time constraints and prize incentives and an updated version with extended access and no external rewards. Results show that removing competitive elements and extending gameplay duration led to increased student engagement and higher success rates. The findings demonstrate that reduced time pressure facilitated deeper learning and knowledge consolidation. Additionally, the study reveals that external incentives did not significantly impact participation rates, suggesting that students’ intrinsic motivation to assess their mathematical readiness was sufficient to drive engagement with the platform.

Let T be a locally finite tree equipped with a flow measure m . Let \mathcal{L} be the flow Laplacian on (T,m) . We prove that the first order Riesz transform \nabla \mathcal{L}^{-1/2} is bounded on L^{p}(m) for p\in (1,\infty) . Moreover, we prove a sharp L^{p} spectral multiplier theorem of Mihlin–Hörmander type for \mathcal{L} . In the case where m is locally doubling, we also prove corresponding weak type and Hardy space endpoint bounds. This generalises results by Hebisch and Steger for the canonical flow Laplacian on homogeneous trees to the setting of nonhomogeneous trees with arbitrary flow measures. The proofs rely on approximation and perturbation arguments, which allow one to transfer to any flow tree a number of L^{p} bounds that hold on homogeneous trees of arbitrarily large degree and are uniform in the degree.

This research explores the design, implementation, and evaluation of a course aimed at reinforcing soft skills within the applied STEM field. The “STEMM Games” course, conducted at Collegio R. Einaudi and Collegio CAMPLUS, engaged students in diverse STEM disciplines through a series of meticulously designed games. The multifaceted evaluation approach, within two cohorts, integrated quantitative data from the Soft Skills Self-evaluation Questionnaire, game data analysis, and qualitative insights from post-course questionnaires and focus groups. The quantitative analysis of 3SQ data unveiled a diverse range of self-perceived soft skills among participants, emphasizing the course's success in fostering nuanced perceptions of individual strengths and weaknesses. Game data analysis provided insights into the impact of gamification on soft skills development, highlighting improvements in engagement, team-work, and problem-solving skills. Qualitative inputs enriched the understanding of students' experiences, revealing unexpected expectations in the second edition related to the course's name, “STEMM Games.” The results and subsequent discussion emphasized the course's success in enhancing self-awareness, collaboration, and student engagement in the applied STEM context. The study provides valuable insights for refining future editions, addressing specific feedback for continuous improvement. The iterative nature of the study allows for adaptability, ensuring relevance in evolving educational landscapes within the STEM domain. Overall, this research contributes to the growing body of literature on innovative pedagogies in STEM education and provides practical insights for educators seeking to nurture well-rounded STEM professionals equipped with essential soft skills.