STEAM Education (Science

Aimed at creating the Philippine Workforce 4.0, ideally skilled to flourish in the Fourth Revolution era (FIRe), we gear our efforts to revolutionize the country’s STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Agri/Fisheries, Mathematics) Education. The country’s firm stand on improving the human capital, and its science, technology and innovation (Philippine Development Plan [PDP], 2017) is our way towards concretizing Education 4.0, to help bridge us to the FIRe phenomenon (featuring technological revolution to converge and fuse human and the cyber world [Van Duuren 2017] through analytics, artificial intelligence, cognitive technologies and the internet of things [IoT] Renjen 2018]to design interconnected digital enterprises capable of more informed decision making tasks [Mars et al., 2014]). We also confirm that a strong STEAM (professionals, and education) will contribute to the knowledge society and economy of the country (Government Office of the Slovak Republic 2018; Morales, 2017), as well as improve its economic competence and competitiveness (English, 2016).

The Philippine context STEAM (where “A” refers to Agri/fisheries) in higher and advanced learning focuses on several aspects of teaching and learning, and on the merging of the disciplines to teach a particular STEAM content (Morales et al., 2019), thus, we explore the possibility of generating the Philippine STEAM Education model as our blueprint for STEAM higher and advanced learning and our way towards realizing the country’s development plan themed as AmbisyonNatin 2040 (PDP, 2017). We theorize that weaving all concepts and principles drawn from the nation’s policies, standards, and guidelines defined by its Commission on Higher Education (CHED) for the individual STEAM programs, tempered by the principles of the Philippine Professional Standards for Teachers, and looking at these extracted principles, ideas and concepts from the lens of TPACK may help define a contextualized model for the Philippines, which the current study, “TPACK in Philippine STEAM Education,” shares.

Este trabalho relata uma experiência desenvolvida por estudantes do 3º ano da Licenciatura em Educação Básica, no âmbito da articulação entre as Unidades Curriculares de Introdução à Didática do Estudo do Meio e Introdução à Didática da Matemática. A atividade “Como construir um periscópio?” integrou um conjunto de atividades que foram dinamizadas na Escola Superior de Educação de Santarém, no dia em que se comemorou o Dia Nacional da Cultura Científica (23 de novembro de 2018), com uma turma de 4.º ano do 1.º Ciclo do Ensino Básico.
A atividade dinamizada consistiu na construção de um periscópio e articulou conteúdos programáticos referentes às áreas curriculares de Estudo do Meio, Matemática, TIC e Expressões Artísticas, promovendo a interdisciplinaridade, através da abordagem STEAM (Ciência, Tecnologia, Engenharia, Artes e Matemática), e mobilizando, nas crianças, conceitos e competências diversas, consideradas essenciais no Sec. XXI, nomeadamente a criatividade, a autonomia, a colaboração, a reflexão, o pensamento crítico e a comunicação.
Nesta atividade pretendeu-se, a partir da pesquisa de informação e através da construção de um periscópio, que as crianças mobilizassem de forma integrada, conhecimentos relativos às aplicações do fenómeno da reflexão da luz, conhecimentos matemáticos relativos à medição e à classificação de ângulos, na construção de um objeto prático de forma autónoma.  Para aferir conhecimentos foi elaborado um questionário com quatro questões, tendo-se verificado, na sua análise, que 91.7% dos alunos referiu que o fenómeno envolvido na passagem da luz é a reflexão e 100% dos alunos identificaram corretamente a inclinação dos espelhos que permitia a funcionalidade do periscópio.
Os resultados apontam, assim, que este tipo de abordagem promove a aprendizagem e o interesse das crianças, devendo, por isso, manter-se como uma aposta no futuro profissional estudantes.

Encontramos diferentes fechas para determinar el inicio de lo que entendemos por educomunicación, del mismo modo que aproximarnos a su campo de estudio nos lleva a diferentes abordajes de la temática. En cuanto a sus fechas, si tomamos como referencia a Len Masterman, uno de los teóricos principales de la educomunicación de los años ochenta y noventa, veremos que señala como antecedentes los años treinta, a partir de la publicación de Leavis y Thompson Culture and Environment (1933). Y, efectivamente, lo podemos entender como los primeros intentos por dar respuesta, según estos autores, a la influencia nociva de los medios de comunicación en la sociedad británica, apelando a la educación como vía para el refuerzo y el cuidado del lenguaje y, con ello, poner la atención en desarrollar una mirada crítica frente a los medios. Pero, si atendemos a su asentamiento como área de estudio y conocimiento, debemos detenernos a principios de los años setenta para encontrar líneas de trabajo y de investigación que empiezan a tener presencia en el ámbito académico, surgiendo los primeros autores de textos que asentarán los principios fundamentales de lo que daremos en llamar la educomunicación.

STEM education is being gradually adopted by all levels of Education. Kindergarten lately attracts more attention from the STEM education policy makers because it is believed that children who develop an interest in STEM at a young age are more likely to excel in the future and avoid stereotypes or other obstacles when entering STEM fields in later years. In this paper the design of a teaching activity for approaching the notion of speed in Kindergarten, utilizing the Sphero SPRK robot, is described. The proposed activity is part of a postgraduate dissertation, still in progress.

The STEM teaching methodology (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) has stimulated the development of collaborative and transdisciplinary knowledge in Basic Education schools. Combined with the Lego Education methodology with the use of robotics to build prototypes that involve Lego blocks and electronic parts, the school becomes a fun learning laboratory. This article deals with the use of the combination of STEAM and Lego Education methodologies in the teaching of History, presenting two case studies: one referring to the democratic electoral process in the History of Brazil Republic and another on death, citizenship, and social hierarchies from the cemeteries in the History of Aracaju, Sergipe, Brazil. Both using active methodologies, Lego blocks and robotics.

Οι ταχείες αλλαγές στη σύγχρονη εποχή μετασχηματίζουν καθημερινά τους τρόπους με τους οποίους τα άτομα έρχονται σε επαφή με τη μουσική, διαμορφώνοντας τις εμπειρίες και τις προτιμήσεις τους. Σε αυτό το συνεχώς εξελισσόμενο ψηφιακό περιβάλλον, οι εκπαιδευτικοί μουσικής καλούνται να λάβουν σοβαρά υπόψη τις ανάγκες και τις επιθυμίες των μαθητών για δράσεις με ψηφιακά μέσα. Το παρόν άρθρο εστιάζει στη διερεύνηση των αντιλήψεων και στάσεων μιας ομάδας εκπαιδευτικών μουσικής που συμμετείχε σε μία διαδικτυακή επιμορφωτική παρέμβαση για τους τρόπους ένταξης του διεπιστημονικού μοντέλου STEAM σε μαθήματα μουσικής, αναφορικά με την αξιοποίηση των σύγχρονων τεχνολογιών στην εκπαιδευτική μουσική διαδικασία. Πιο συγκεκριμένα, στόχος της έρευνας αποτελεί η παρουσίαση των απόψεων και στάσεων των συμμετεχόντων αναφορικά με πρακτικές ενσωμάτωσης διαδικασιών προγραμματισμού στη μουσική διδασκαλία‐μάθηση, καθώς και ο τυχόν μετασχηματισμός τους με το πέρας του εργαστηρίου.

Science, Technology, Engineering, Agri/Fisheries, Mathematics (STEAM) Education dominates the factors contributory to national growth and development. This study developed the Philippine STEAM Education (PSE) Model to visualize the Philippine Higher STEAM Education and to check how far are we from the global standards. Grounded on theories (Commission on Higher Education Policies, Standards, and Guidelines [PSG’s], Philippine Professional Standards for Teachers [PPST], and Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge [TPACK]), the study sourced its data from online survey (extracted from 1900 STEAM educator respondents [national survey]), classroom observations and interviews of 106 participants determined through stratified and random sampling of state universities and privately-managed colleges and universities. Coding (manual and software aided) directed the model (Pedagogical, Assessment, Technological Integration) generation. These models guided the decoding of all indicators of STEAM proficiency attributes and traits to the different TPACK dimensions (T, P, C, PC, TC, TP, TPC) from where the dimensions of the emerging TPACK framework for Philippine Higher STEAM Education surfaced. Analysis of the generated individual domain models (Pedagogical, Assessment, Technological Integration) unified and developed the PSE Model. This unifying model underwent two-tier validation by experts in the different STEAM disciplines and country-wide identified STEAM educators. Results of the development and validation processes generated the final validated PSE Model that presents a visual of the current Philippine STEAM Education. However, the model development and design process identified several constructs foreseen to forecast the ideal Philippine STEAM Education, which the country hopes for, thus, led to crafting the emerging PSE Model as envisioned to represent the Philippine STEAM Education in the 21 century. From these crafted models, the higher education agency of the country may initiate carving policies for STEAM education in the country. R and D (Research and Development) may consider extending this initial endeavor to spawn tools (in assessment), and process (in pedagogy and technology integration) to capitalize on the benefits of the generated models of Philippine STEAM Education.

Tsao, Hung-ping (2022). Evolutionary Mathematics and Science for on the Terminal Value Distribution in the Process of Successively Summing up all Prime Factors of a Given Natural Number. In: "Evolutionary Progress in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM)", Wang, Lawrence K. and Tsao, Hung-ping (editors). Volume 4, Number 8D, August 2022; 40 pages. Lenox Institute Press, MA, USA. No. STEAM-VOL4-NUM8D-AUG2022; ISBN 978-0-9890870-3-2. https://doi.org/10.17613/w6vh-ne05          ...........ABSTRACT:      I was debating which natural number is the most wonderful. There are two candidates. One is 142857 found in the pyramids of ancient Egypt, the other 2982868385 found in my recent research of triangular arrays. It is known that each natural number greater than 1 can be expressed as a unique product of prime numbers, namely the prime factorization. For example, 84=2×2×3×7. By summing up all prime factors of 84, we obtain 2+2+3+7=14. Since 14=2×7, we further sum up all prime factors of 14 to obtain 2+7=9. Since 9=3×3 and 3+3=6, we can continue the same process to finally come up with 6=2×3 and 2+3=5, which is a prime number. Accordingly, we obtain 5 to be the terminal value of 84.  Using the above process of successively summing all prime factors of a given natural number, I tried to make my decision as to which of 142857 and 2982868385 is the most wonderful based on their terminal values: whichever is less is the most wonderful. I’ll let you find it out. Meanwhile, I am making the following conjecture.    Conjecture: Withing a certain limit, the probability of 5 being the terminal number is about  the same as the probability of 7, 11 or 13 being the terminal number, which is approximately equal to 0.3.

Gamification in education offers an innovative way of learning. However, some studies claim that, while it helps raise students' motivation, the kind of motivation is extrinsic and, so, intrinsic motivation declines with time. The researchers used the descriptive research design to describe the STEM students' intrinsic motivation along with the utilization of game elements in teaching genetics through a learning management system. The researchers collected quantitative data using the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory, which were analyzed through descriptive statistics and complemented with qualitative data from the students' journals and interviews. Overall, the students agreed (M = 5.38, SD = 1.20) that gamification, despite being characterized as extrinsically motivating, had intrinsically motivated them. Its proper implementation helps students adapt to and overcome unfavorable behaviors towards competitiveness and emphasizes the role of teachers in facilitating learning. Time constraints, peer pressure, and distractions were noted; hence, more research is needed to address these challenges and determine the long-term effects of gamification.

This report is on the methods, results, and implications of a study of the first years of STEAM PD training. A five-year progressive exploratory-based transformative triangulation mixedmethodology study has been done and this is an overarching review. The purpose of STEAM Education™ is to provide professional development (PD) training to a variety of K-12 school system stakeholders with the goal of creating curricula that is integrated across subject areas. Our integrative curriculum mapping framework was based on using backwards design and mapping the standards from nine US-based widely used K-12 subject area groupings. We learned a lot about what made STEAM PD successful and what were hindrances.

Memoria del Trabajo de Fin de Máster presentada por la licenciada Cecile Meier para optar a los créditos correspondientes del “Trabajo de Fin de Máster – OPCIÓN A” del Máster Universitario en Formación del Profesorado de Educación Obligatoria, Bachillerato, Formación Profesional y enseñanza de Idiomas de la Universidad de La Laguna en el periodo lectivo 2012-2013.

The articles in this issue look at how the development and use of free and open source hardware (FOSH or simply “open hardware”) are changing the face of science, engineering, business, and law.

Free and open source software (FOSS) has proven very successful and now dominates the development of software on a global scale. It is available in source code (open source) and can be used, studied, copied, modified, and redistributed either without restriction or with restrictions only to ensure that further recipients have the same open source rights.
Similarly, FOSH provides the “code” for hardware—including the bill of materials, schematics, instructions, computer-aided designs, and other information needed to recreate a physical artifact. Use of FOSH can improve product innovation in a wide range of fields. In this issue authors from a variety of disciplines and work environments discuss how this open model of innovation will drive the future of engineering.
First, Alicia Gibb, founder and executive director of the Open Source Hardware Association (OSHWA) and director of the ATLAS1 Blow Things Up (BTU) Lab at the University of Colorado Boulder, argues that hardware is the next step to open sourcing everything. She touches on intellectual property (IP) issues, cites the benefits of open source hardware, introduces and explains the role of OSHWA, and hints at the future of open hardware.

The open source paradigm is already making deep inroads in the hardware space in 3D printing. With the development of the open source RepRap project (a 3D printer that can print itself) the cost of 3D printers has dropped to a point where nearly anyone can afford one for rapid prototyping and small batch manufacturing.

Ben Malouf and Harris Kenny of Aleph Objects describe their company’s approach to the use of open hardware in every aspect of their business to create the popular Lulzbot 3D printer. Their primary product is open—and consistently wins one of the top spots in Make: Magazine’s annual 3D printer shootout, ahead of proprietary 3D printers from much larger companies with far greater resources. Lulzbot printers, and those of many other manufacturers, are rapidly increasing in sales as the number of free and open source 3D printable designs erupts on the Web, making distributed manufacturing a reality.

In this context, law professor Lucas Osborn at the Campbell University School of Law takes us on a deep dive into how IP law will need to change in this new 3D printing era. After summarizing the basics of IP law and explaining why it was created, he discusses how it could both benefit and hinder 3D printing technology. His arguments will challenge readers independent of their views on patent law. For those with conventional IP leanings, he shows how IP law can hinder innovation. For those born in the Internet age, where sharing is second nature and little thought is given to licenses as long as the code is posted on Github, he offers some important lessons. He ends with a challenge for engineers to make more of an effort in helping form IP law that will benefit innovation.
If these lessons on IP and open hardware replication with 3D printers are turned to experimental research in science and engineering, there is an important opportunity to radically reduce the costs of experimental research while improving it. In the next article I argue that by harnessing a scalable open source method, federal funding is spent just once for the development of scientific equipment and then a return on this investment (ROI) is realized by digital replication of scientific devices for only the costs of materials. With numerous examples I show that the ROI climbs into the thousands of percent while accelerating any research that the open paradigm touches. To harness this opportunity, I propose four straightforward and negative-net-cost policies to support FOSH development and improve access to scientific tools in the United States. The policies will directly save millions in research and STEM education expenditures, while providing researchers and students access to better equipment, which will promote advances in technology and concomitant benefits for the American economy.

Thinking about the future and the changes needed to support this development in STEM education, AnnMarie Thomas and Deb Besser of the St. Thomas School of Engineering consider how engineers and engineering educators can use maker methods to introduce students to engineering and build their technological literacy. They show that the maker movement is closely tied to open hardware and sharing as well as the traits of successful engineers. Makerspaces and fabrication (fab) labs (what Gibb calls hackerspaces) are physical hubs of the maker culture.
Although these trends are clearly important for the United States, this cultural change and open hardware ethos can have dramatic impacts in the developing world. Matthew Rogge, Melissa Menke, and William Hoyle of TechforTrade explain the potential for open source and 3D printing to produce many needed items in low-resource settings, where lack of infrastructure makes local production impractical and high tariffs, unreliable supply chains, and economic instability make importation costly. Saving 90 percent on medical or scientific tools is nice in my lab, for instance, but it literally saves lives in a developing world context.
The issue concludes with an op-ed by Tom Callaway, a senior software engineer at Red Hat, Inc., an open source software company with revenue over $2 billion last year (up 15 percent year over year). What makes this business accomplishment so impressive is that all of the company’s software products are available for free. Although old ways of thinking demand that companies secure a monopoly and certainly not give away “intellectual property” for free, Red Hat’s success comes from offering its customers support, collaboration, control, and a high-quality product. Tom argues that the proven open source software mentality is porting to hardware, opening up incredible opportunities for humanity. He concludes, “open source and open innovation work…. They also empower society and make it possible to push the limits of what is possible. When the barriers to collaboration are lifted, people can accomplish incredible things.”

As all of the articles show, open source tools in the hands of this and future generations of engineers will be incredible indeed.