Abstract:

The so-called STEAM programs aim to teach students to think critically and use engineering or technology in imaginative designs or creative approaches to real-world problems while building on students' mathematics and science base. STEAM stands for science, technology, engineering, and art and mathematics. Rather than teach the five disciplines as separate and discrete subjects, the recent proposals aims to integrate them into a cohesive learning paradigm based on real-world. What separates this approach from the traditional science and math education is the blended learning environment and showing students how the scientific method or the engineering design process can be applied to everyday life. In the case of technology, recent proposals include programming and robotics as means for the development of computational thinking. STEAM education should begin while students are very young, and can be applied in different degrees of development, from elementary to high school.

The University of Burgos has launched recently a STEAM initiative in terms of open activities for elementary schools students, a postgraduate course and theoretical and experimental research in the field, funded by competitive projects. The aim of this initiative is (i) to broaden the training of present and future teachers so that they may provide all children with opportunities to achieve excellence in science and technology learning outcomes, and (ii) to improve the collaboration between university and elementary and secondary schools to boost the interest of children towards the science and technology vocational and university studies.

This contribution shows two examples which serve as case studies of the application of the STEAM approach. Both case studies are based on the use of educational robots and its programming to develop critical thinking oriented to the design of practical solutions to solve mechanical engineering problems, such as control of vibration devices and regulation of ventilation facilities. The practical building of the examples is based on the so-called Micro Bit, which refers to the BBC Micro Bit device, an ARM-based embedded system designed by the BBC for use in computer education in the United Kingdom. The Micro Bit project began in 2012 as part of the BBC Computer Literacy Programme. The device appears as a USB drive when connected to a computer and code can be flashed using drag and drop. The Micro Bit was designed to encourage children to get actively involved in writing software for computers and building new things, rather than being consumers of media. The contribution presents the conception and development of both mechanical engineering exercises for medium and high school students, in correspondence with the STEAM project at its initial stage. The description of the expected learning outcomes, context of the real problem, and available resources are presented, as well as final build-up. The contribution could be of help for interested readers involved in applying the STEAM approach.

Keywords:

STEM, engineering education, critical thinking.