IGI Global editors discuss the STEAM education curriculum.

Full STEAM Ahead for Education

By Taylor Chernisky on May 24, 2017
person looking at STEAM education drawing
In recent years, the educational pedagogy of STEM learning has been at the forefront of learning initiatives. Combining the disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics into one cohesive learning system, educators have worked to expand students’ interest in these fields and create job growth.

More recently, there has been the slow growth of an enhanced version of STEM: STEAM learning. This twist on the traditional STEM pedagogy incorporates the arts and places the same emphasis on this discipline as science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Many teachers that use the STEM pedagogy are already including the arts in their teachings; however, the addition of the “A” in “STEAM” acknowledges the importance that the arts hold in a classroom.

There are various benefits to implementing the STEAM pedagogy. When asked about these benefits, Dr. Judith Bazler and Dr. Meta Van Sickle, editors of Cases on STEAM Education in Practice, told IGI Global that “The STEAM model uses the critique method that artists use. It often helps students talk about “improvements” in a non-threatening way.”

Adding the arts to the existing STEM curriculum would help students with understanding and comprehending content based on the following components:

  • The arts are interesting to students and often create the opportunity for the students to engage in a topic that they might otherwise resist.
  • The addition of the arts is one more way for nature to reveal itself. The arts as a way of expressing an event or idea from the STEM areas help make the content more understandable to the students.
  • The arts “help” the brain be creative and STEM is a creative endeavor.
  • The arts have a framework for critical thinking that matches the thinking needed in STEM.
  • The arts allow for constant assessment as misconceptions are more clearly seen in drawings and through words than through standard testing forms.

When asked what progress they believed that the STEAM initiative would make in the next five years, Dr. Bazler and Dr. Van Sickle said “Many people are now researching the impacts of STEAM in the classroom. Early indicators are that it is a powerful engaging force, expression of nature, and that students are able to more deeply learn the content and use that information in more creative and critical ways. There are also early works indicating that STEAM teaching helps students interact with nature and politics in a more powerful manner that is more social justice oriented.”
A sincere thanks to Dr. Bazler and Dr. Van Sickle for sharing their thoughts and expertise on the STEAM pedagogy. Please take a moment to review Cases on STEAM Education in Practice along with other Educational Science and Technology publications below:


Newsroom Contact
Elizabeth Leber
Promotions Assistant
eleber@igi-global.com
(717) 533-8845, ext. 132
www.igi-global.com/
Browse for more posts in:
Author NewsEducationInstructional DesignInterview

No comments Comments

Log in or sign up to comment.
Be the first to comment!

More from IGI Global

The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported a surge in Lassa fever cases in Nigeria, emphasizing the urgent need for containment measures.
IGI GlobalRead More
Medical, Healthcare, and Life SciencesHealthcare Information SystemsBooks & E-BooksResearch Trends
IGI Global congratulates the winners of this year's Journal Reviewer Award
IGI GlobalRead More
JournalsAwards & RecognitionOpen Access
For decades, academic publishing has been plagued with discrepancies surrounding authorship of scholarly research...
IGI GlobalRead More
Books & E-BooksAcquisitions
Two IGI Global publications have been recognized by Doody's for their excellence and niche topic focus.
IGI GlobalRead More
Medical, Healthcare, and Life SciencesMedia and CommunicationsBooks & E-BooksAwards & Recognition
Digital Inclusion Week underscored the urgent need for a national digital equity plan in the US due to disparities in internet access and digital skills.
IGI GlobalRead More
The majority of IGI Global's books Frontlist is now indexed by Scopus. Learn what this prestigious recognition means for the publisher and the experts behind these books.
IGI GlobalRead More
Books & E-BooksAwards & RecognitionReviews & Indexing
IGI Global is excited to introduce a new initiative to provide detailed insights into various fascinating subjects. Our brochures offer a comprehensive overview of timely publications covering the latest research topics...
IGI GlobalRead More
EducationBusiness and ManagementComputer Science and Information TechnologySocial Sciences and HumanitiesBooks & E-Books
Hear from Dr. Velliaris, who was voted as a Top 30 Global Guru in Education.
EducationBooks & E-BooksInterviewAuthor News
Cocoa prices surging to $10,000 per metric ton challenge chocolate manufacturers and consumers, risking supply chain stability and higher retail prices...
IGI GlobalRead More
Business and ManagementEnvironmental, Agricultural, and Physical SciencesSustainable DevelopmentBooks & E-BooksResearch Trends
First Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10  ... Next Last