Learning Ecologies and STEAM Pedagogies

by Jailson Lima

 Chemistry Department, Vanier College, Montreal, QC, Canada

Designing significant creative learning experiences for students requires a thorough analysis of all the many aspects of a course: curriculum and course competencies, as well as the available resources and materials. The literature emphasizes the importance of also considering both the learners’ level of cognition and their previous knowledge. However, there is one aspect that is often overlooked or simply neglected: the previous knowledge and interests of teachers. If instructors are expected to act as role models, it is crucial that they be engaged, invested, and passionate not only with the discipline itself, but also with the medium used to provide a sensory experience of the subject through STEAM pedagogies.

My personal process of discovery and creation of STEAM lesson plans explores visual arts as a medium for both reflecting on and expressing scientific concepts. While presenting my approach in conferences and workshops, I have often experienced that a significant part of the  audience does not share either my interest or my strong beliefs in the power of artistic expression in college science courses.  I had not given much consideration to this fact until I came across Norman Jackson’s concept of learning ecology: what defines our intrinsic identity is constantly evolving and is shaped by the sum of our experiences, contexts, environments, and affordances. I then realized that I had chosen visual arts because of my own interest in the subject.

At a first glance, the A in STEAM refers to Arts. However, exploring STEAM pedagogies does not necessarily mean engaging with visual arts only. For example, there is a vast literature that describes the use of video games in education. Although video games have never sparked my interest (I simply don’t enjoy playing them), I have encountered many individuals who are truly passionate about this medium. For them, exploring instructional strategies based on games seem to be a natural choice since it is an integral part of their own learning ecology.

In the following posts, I plan to describe my experiences with the Art & Science Project. Regardless of your own interest in artistic expression—or lack thereof, keep an open mind on learning about the described processes of creation and think about ways you can tweak and adjust these frameworks to your own courses by incorporating your own learning ecology.

There is no one-size-fits-all in STEAM pedagogies. When designing lessons or activities, it is necessary to think outside the box: be bold, flexible, and creative. Think about the way you were taught and try to identify the shortcomings of that approach. What was missing? How would you do it differently based on your current knowledge? Given your current understanding of the subject, what would you have liked to have been taught when you were at the age of your students? How can you make the material relevant to students by creating an emotional engagement with it using a medium that you like?  Instead of an assessment that seeks the “one right answer,” think about an open-ended question that accepts multiple solutions or products.  Give room for students to express their creativity in formats that are unusual in the more “traditional” courses that you took. 

More to come in the next posts.

Image: Perception is in the eye of the beholder by Jessica Bao