Description
Key to the successful implementation of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) learning is the development and implementation of innovative strategies that will support students in thinking across disciplines. This class highlights how the “design thinking” process, a methodology that has been successfully applied in business and multiple fields of design, can serve as a powerful tool for operationalizing STEAM learning in secondary education by promoting 21st-century skills related to creativity, critical analysis, collaboration, communication, and content mastery. The class will draw connections between design thinking and new research in the area of cognition and learning that challenge traditional educational policies and practices. Examples from the Digital STEAM workshop will be used to illustrate the potential of technology enhanced design thinking to support the successful integration of STEAM learning in secondary education.
Key Learnings
- Describe the role that design thinking plays in shaping the projects and curricular resources
- Explain the significance of the arts (the "A" in STEAM) in relationship to STEM learning
- List the principles of design thinking and explain the relationship of these “cognitive” practices to educational reform
- Describe the research that validates the importance of design thinking as an educational methodology