STEM Vs STEAM: What’s The Difference?

STEM represents science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. "STEAM" represents STEM plus the arts: humanities, language arts, dance, theater, music, visual arts, design and new media.

The main difference between STEM and STEAM is that STEM explicitly focuses on scientific concepts. STEAM investigates the same concepts, but through inquiry and learning methods in the creative process.

This translates into groups of students working in collaboration to create a product or other object that looks attractive and is based on the understanding of a concept.

STEAM is not a new concept. People like Leonardo Da Vinci have shown us the importance of combining science and art to make discoveries.

Australians also have a long tradition of scientific knowledge that is transmitted through song as a memory system.

STEAM education in schools provides the opportunity to learn in a creative way, using the 21st century as problem solving. Gonski 2.0 and the Australian Curriculum highlight the importance of these skills for a future workplace in Australia. These general capabilities are crucial to grow a prepared workforce for the future that understands the potential of "what if" by solving problems that occur in real life.

It is exciting to see so many VAPOR concepts incorporated into today's popular culture, which inspires confidence in young women in particular. Characters like Shuri in the film Black Panther, the intelligent, creative and playful technologist, help us to go beyond the historical stereotypes associated with STEM and inspire new interdisciplinary innovations.

STEAM is a global movement. For example, the educational research STE (A) M of the University of Cambridge locates teachers with children of 12 years. They make live coding to create music manipulated in the VAPOR educational exhibitions.

With STEAM, we can challenge preconceived ideas that areas of learning are related and overcome the way of thinking "I'm good at math and science, so I'm not creative." This will change the way we see STEM problems and create a new, attractive, multifaceted and inclusive way of thinking, with diversity of representation and thinking. This is how it is in the real world, after all.

Today, there is a tug of war between the defenders of STEM education (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and the defenders of the STEAM lessons, which add art to the mix. Whatever sea you are in, here are some ideas for you to reflect on.

First, consider the why and what of STEM education. Both the public and private sectors report that workers in the 21st century require the skills that many graduates of today do not have. Students care more deeply about mathematics and science, as well as the ability to integrate and apply that knowledge. Children who study also relate to a variety of skills that are essential to success: critical thinking and problem solving, creativity and innovation, communication, collaboration and entrepreneurship, to name a few.

The idea of adding the arts to STEM programs has been gaining momentum. Surprisingly, he heard the rejection of both fields:

1. On behalf of STEM proponents: STEM lessons naturally involve art (e.g. product design), language arts (communication) and social studies and history (which responds to the context for engineering problems). Projects do not deliberately exclude the arts or any other subject; rather, these issues are incidentally included as necessary for engineering challenges.

2. From the defenses of the arts: engineering and technology that allow us to serve the artist and help create art. But if we are talking about how art can be used in engineering as an artist, it seems that we are losing the point and devaluing, or not realizing, the purpose and importance of art. We have it the other way around.

By: Preeti Narula

Content: https://theconversation.com/explainer-whats-the-difference-between-stem-and-steam-95713