An extended presentation for a school development day

1. STEM +
Towards Smart Partnerships
And
Dynamic Learning Communities
Kim Flintoff
Learning Futures
Curtin Learning and Teaching

3. Educational Futures
IMAGINE:
Students undertake to explore the development
of the human heart through dance using
robotics interacting with medical imaging of
heart embryology, a living heart grown from
stem cells and 3D printed hearts as various
stages of development and at various scales
serving as set and scenery in their
performance which will be simultaneously
live-cast to the world.

4. STEM School Education Strategy
“When Australian Education Ministers signed up to the
Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young
Australians in 2008, they identified literacy and
numeracy and knowledge of key disciplines as the
cornerstone of schooling for young Australians. They
also recognised that schooling should support the
development of skills in cross-disciplinary, critical and
creative thinking, problem solving and digital
technologies, which are essential in all 21st century
occupations.
These objectives lie at the core of the national science,
technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)
school education strategy.”

5. What is STEM?
“STEM education is a term used to refer collectively to
the teaching of the disciplines within its umbrella –
science, technology, engineering and mathematics –
and also to a cross-disciplinary approach to teaching
that increases student interest in STEM-related fields
and improves students’ problem solving and critical
analysis skills.
STEM sits within a broader foundational knowledge
base and the teaching of STEM is a part, albeit
important, of a balanced program of learning.”

6. Silos, pigeon holes, and boundaries
In the corporate world silos are considered a sign of
organisational dysfunction; but in education?

7. STEM is an incomplete framework
Even when advocating
for STEM many
educators still operate
with a silo mindset

8. STEM +

9. STEM is not the core of education
The “subjects” simply provide the context
for developing what’s most important.

10. STEM +
The challenge is to extend
the focus of the “+” in
STEM+ to be a more
inclusive mindset -
engaging the metaphorical,
critical and creative
dimensions of human
activity.

11. STEM +
The “+” ensures that
engagement does not hide
behind “utilitarian purpose”
and the social and culture
dimensions that drive
scientific enquiry/discovery,
technological innovation are
revealed explicitly. Society
drives these changes and
responds to the changes.

12. STEM +
The “+” introduces the
political, philosophical and
ethical dimensions that
can be lost when
economics and industry
are the only drivers.

13. STEM +
The “+” provides the
reasons and rationale for
STEM.

14. Interdisciplinarity is not new
"One of the things that I have observed
is how increasingly the fields of
sociology, bioethics, and economics are
necessary to execute our missions in
the apparently harder sciences as we
move ahead."
Jeffrey Wadsworth

15. Interdisciplinarity is not new
"We are not students of some
subject matter, but students of
problems. And problems may cut
right across the borders of any
subject matter or discipline.”
Karl Popper

16. Interdisciplinarity is not new

17. 0128Computational Pedagogy
from literacy to fluency; from using to making; from watching to creating
Coding
Transform learning
Fluencies
Hacking
Making

18. Pedagogical Transformation towards Computational Thinking
Coding
Transform learning
Fluencies
Hacking
Making
from literacy to fluency; from using to making; from watching to creating

19. Challenge-based strategies

20. Challenges, Quests and Projects
• Student choices = engagement
moments
• New aggregations = unintentional
actions & products
• Game-based = guidance feedback +
rewards

21. Challenge
The Room Metaphor
(Seymour Papert, Mitch Resnick)

22. Challenge-based Learning

23. Challenge Thinking
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/efforts-address-unconscious-bias-changing-behavior-mary-l-martin%C3%A9z

24. School re-organisation
• Timetabling - How does it enhance the ability to work
in an interdisciplinary mode?
• Access to resources – as required or according
to schedules?
• Vertical limits – are students enabled to exceed
teacher expectations?
• Learning Design - Who decides about learning?
• Motivation – what drives learning; curriculum or
curiosity?
Some tough questions:

25. Learning Space Design
Spaces should reflect pedagogical shifts
• Connectivity with diversity
• Co-invention/co-creation with
separation
• Leading and following
• Enhancing constraints and removal of
inhibitors
• Explaining less and welcoming error
McWilliam, E. and Dawson, S., 2008

26. Learning Space Design
Features of Next Generation Learning
Spaces:
• Versatility – what else can they space do?
• Adaptability – how does the space change?
• Occupancy – private, public and shared?
• Proximity – what spaces are nearby?
• Connectivity – what connects and extends this space?
Flintoff and Broadley 2015

27. Learning Space Design
Curtin has redeveloped a
number of its existing teaching
and learning spaces with the
goal to transform learning at
the University. These vibrant
new spaces have been
designed to increase student
engagement, foster
collaboration between staff and
students and provide flexible,
technology-rich environments
which support active student
learning.

28. Serious Games
Naturally integrate bigger
knowledge systems – expanding
the scope rather than adopting
reductionist approaches

29. Serious Games

31. Game-like Challenges
• Games are natural, engaging, fun & effective
Games help practice skills, test ideas, form habits for success
(e.g. grit), and to explore complex systems
• Today’s students are ready to learn this way
Students readily accept computers as helpers, repositories of
knowledge, and for communication
• New affordances for learning
Global access, transparency of goals, social learning, practice
arenas, visualization, immersion

32. Experience Authoring
Transmedia Storyboard
Experience-First Learning
Interactions vs Text
Interdisciplinary Research
Play Testing
Drafts & Iterations
Quality Checks
Iterate
WHAT&HOW

33. Alternate Reality Learning Experience

35. SCORCH

37. STEM+ network
Schools
State
Education
Systems
Catholic
Education
Universities
Independent
Schools
Industry
Government
Professional
Associations
Cultural
Institutions
Cross sector models for
engagement and service
provision might reflect
the interdisciplinarity
required and could act
as models within school
structures for
curriculum planning and
learning engagement.

38. STEM+ network

39. STEM+ in action