Overview

Programme Aims

Upon successful completion of this programme, participants will be able to:

• demonstrate an understanding of the basic knowledge about STEAM education and its curriculum design;
• design STEAM activities to infuse STEAM learning into primary formal and school-based curriculum;
• enhance creativity, problem solving and collaboration skills and positive attitudes to STEAM education;
• apply modern technologies in teaching and learning STEAM; and
• design and implement both formative and summative assessments in STEAM education.

Programme Structure

The programme comprises three core courses:

Curriculum Design for STEAM Education in Primary Schools (3 credit points)

This course introduces primary teacher participants to the principles and practices of STEAM education, with the ultimate goal of developing primary students’ STEAM literacy. It not only traces the origin and background of STEM education, but also introduces various modes to implement STEM education around the world (including the recent development of STEAM). In the curriculum context of Hong Kong, STEM education is to be promoted through Science, Technology and Mathematics Education (Curriculum Development Council, 2015). The Policy Address in 2022 suggests to step up the promotion of STEAM education "for all", "for fun" and "for diversity" in primary and secondary schools, and to include the elements of Arts in STEM education. The relationships and interactions among the various areas in STEAM education will be discussed thoroughly with particular focus on designing and implementing school-based integrated STEAM activities.

Built on evidence-based theoretical frameworks of STEAM education, this course leads participants to examine various approaches to provide STEAM experiences to primary students in practical and congenial ways in the context of Hong Kong. Pedagogical issues such as the integration of scientific inquiry and engineering practices will also be discussed. Through transforming existing scientific inquiry and technology activities conducted in primary schools into STEAM activities, participants will be able to learn how to embed science and mathematics elements into a STEAM education context. Exemplary STEAM activities will be provided as and when appropriate to illustrate how theories could be put into practice. Participants are encouraged to make sound decisions on the curricular contexts in which STEAM education can possibly be implemented in their schools. Assessment of primary students’ achievement in STEAM learning goals will be also discussed.

Technological Literacy for STEAM Education (3 credit points)

Humans live in three worlds: the natural world, the social world, and the designed world. In the designed world, it is useful to create a taxonomy to categorise technologies into (1) agricultural and food technologies, (2) biomedical technologies, (3) construction technologies, (4) energy and power technologies, (5) ICT and mobile technologies, (6) manufacturing technologies, and (7) transportation technologies. The STEAM disciplines interconnect with these technologies. In this course, participants will develop an understanding of these areas of technology. A hands-on and integrated approach to solve real-world problems in these areas will be adopted. Engineering design process will be introduced, practiced and used to guide participants to produce creative artifacts or solutions to authentic problems. Participants are also encouraged to integrate arts and aesthetic elements into their artifacts. Recent development in technologies such as 3D printers and controlling devices will be introduced and applied to STEAM activities. For example, participants may use 3D printers to print a prosthetic prototype for an amputated animal (i.e. biomedical technologies), or to design the most stable chair and print a small-scale mockup (i.e. manufacturing technologies). Similarly, participants may apply microcontrollers to develop a prototype of an automated irrigation system (i.e. agricultural technologies), to build a simple traffic control system which integrates logics with technology (i.e. transportation technologies), to design toy cars that utilise as much solar power as possible (i.e. energy and power technologies), etc. Most exemplars chosen will be useful in school subject contexts.

Enhancing Creativity, Problem Solving and Collaboration Skills in STEAM Education (3 credit points)

Development of student creativity, problem solving and collaboration skills is the major objective of STEAM education. This course will study the activity designs, pedagogies and assessment methods which are conducive to these developments in the context of technology. It will start with an introduction of the basic concepts of creativity and problem solving, in relation to STEAM education. Its major learning content includes creative problem solving model and other problem solving methods/approaches, creativity-fostering questioning and instructional skills, thinking strategies for creating inventions, models and modeling and role-playing collaboration skills. Participants will explore how “designing” and “making” inspire each other, and construct ways to foster the development of creativity in, for and through STEAM process. The course will further discuss how all these learning elements can be suitably integrated into problem-based, inquiry-based, technology-infused and art-infused curriculum designs, and how to infuse them into school subject curricula. The assessment of creative processes, attitudes, abilities and products in various authentic assessment tasks will also be discussed and practiced. Through plenty of thinking exercises, experiential/hands-on activities, and sharing of teaching exemplars, participants will finally be equipped with the knowledge, abilities and skills for enhancing student creativity, problem solving and collaboration skills and their related positive attitudes.

Medium of Instruction

The medium of instruction is mainly Chinese (Cantonese) and will be supplemented by English where appropriate.

Entrance Requirements

To be eligible for admission, applicants should be:

• in-service primary school teachers/ panel heads/ curriculum development officers, who will be involved in STEAM Education (e.g. Science, General Studies and Mathematics, etc.); and
• Nominated by principals of their serving schools.

Award

To be awarded a Certificate of Completion, participants must at least obtain a pass in all course assessment tasks and successfully fulfill the attendance requirement (80%) and/or assessment requirements as stipulated by the programme.

Other Information

This Government-funded programme is supported by the Education Bureau (EDB). Schools which release teachers to take this programme are eligible for supply teachers, if deemed necessary. Government and aided schools shall contact the EDB for detailed arrangements. Private and DSS schools shall make their own arrangements for the employment of supply teachers.

Graduates who have satisfactorily completed the programme may apply for credit transfer in post-graduate programmes with relevant courses. Their applications will be considered on an individual basis.