Putting the 'E' in integrative STEM instruction

Key points:

STEM learning is essential as it helps students develop skills such as critical thinking and problem solving, skills that will help them succeed in college and the working world. Although many teachers tout the importance of STEM learning, many also avoid the “E” in STEM. But engineering and the engineering design process, when properly incorporated into classrooms, can increase student engagement and understanding of the subject.

“STEM is incredibly important, specifically for skills like critical thinking and problem solving,” said Dr. Erika Neuman, executive director of iSTEMmentors and professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio, during a ISTELive 24 sessions. “While they are not assessed through standardized testing, it is a necessary and important part of what students need when they enter the workforce. “Whether you are in engineering or not, the engineering design process is something that integrates many important skills that are very necessary in the real world.”

When educators become comfortable with engineering,

The engineering design process is a cycle that begins with a question:

1. Ask a question
2. Brainstorm possible solutions and scenarios, think about different variables, and let students investigate.
3. Design, like putting pencil to paper or using a program.
4. Build, based on the design, taking into account certain parameters and a specific set of materials.
5. Test your design or prototype
6. Improve your design and look for ways to make changes.

Integrative STEM combines science, technology, engineering and mathematics to solve problems. It is interdisciplinary and focuses on 21^street19th century skills, real-world problems, and offers integration of context and content, making topics relevant to something students are learning and participating in.

“Many teachers have misconceptions that STEM is about robots and coding, and that you have to use the latest and greatest technology available,” Neuman said. “All of those things are definitely STEM, and they're great examples, but STEM can also be something very applicable to what you're already doing in your classroom.”

For example, how might a teacher combine a lesson on animal adaptations with the engineering design process?

Asking students to design an animal that can live in a desert habitat is an example of incorporating engineering into lessons that may not seem engineering-focused. Students would work within a set of guidelines about terrain, weather, predators, prey, and use relevant vocabulary aligned to the standards while designing an animal to solve the problem of how to best survive in a desert habitat.

Engineering mainstreaming works for students with all needs: It's easy to customize a lesson or differentiate an assignment to meet a student's specific needs.

“There's a lot of flexibility and a lot of opportunity to make this engaging for students — to turn a worksheet into something more integrative and (incorporating) engineering,” Neuman said.

“When you think about STEM, whatever the activity or standard, you can turn that objective, goal or lesson into an engineering or STEM project,” Neuman added, suggesting a number of strategies to turn engineering into learning:

• Post an issue with more than one solution.
• Give students options with parameters: Giving them autonomy increases their engagement and often makes the difference between students going through the motions and acquiring true knowledge.
• Allow time for brainstorming, which is often eliminated because it can be time-consuming.
• Leave room for improvement and time to identify how you could improve the solution.
• Be comfortable not knowing the answer.

Many educators avoid engineering because they worry about not having answers for students. But that's okay, Neuman said.

“(One thing) that probably prevents teachers from integrating engineering design principles is 'what if I don't know the answer?' or what if the students have a solution that you hadn't thought of?” Neuman said. “Well, that's amazing. If students are thinking about things that never even crossed their minds, how amazing is that learning?”

Laura Ascione is editorial director of eSchool Media. She holds a degree from the prestigious Philip Merrill School of Journalism at the University of Maryland.

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