How to make STEM subject attractive and motivating? What STE(A)M-based Open Educational Resources will the CHOICE project offer? What is the students’ role in the co-creation of the resources?
The objective of CHOICE is to increase young people’s motivation to choose STEM careers through a practice-oriented multidisciplinary STE(A)M approach to education.
STEM stands for the academic disciplines Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics to which STE(A)M approach adds another dimension. The “(A)” stands for Arts or, in some interpretations, it means All and indicates involving all other academic subjects in STEM education – connecting teaching and learning STEM with social and humanistic studies, language learning or artistic, creative as well as sports activities.
To make teaching and learning of STEM subject more interesting, engaging and motivating for students, the CHOICE project will offer a set of 20 Open Educational Resources (OER) based on the STEAM approach, and co-created by teachers and their students.
While the teachers, as the subject experts, will guarantee the quality of the content and academic value of the resources, the students will ensure that the resources will be attractive and motivating for their peers.
On 27th and 28th January 2021, CESIE held an international training where 40 secondary school teachers from Italy, Cyprus, Spain and Greece learned how to co-produce educational resources adopting STE(A)M approach, shared and discussed their ideas for topics and methodologies, and prepared the first drafts. Teams in each implementing country will now co-produce innovative Open Educational Resources (OER) addressing 5 macro-areas:
- Connecting STEM and arts
- Experiential projects
- Using languages in STEM lessons
- Using technology in social sciences
- Turning sports and physical activity into a STEM learning experience
The topics and content of the educational resources will be consulted with professionals from STEM-related academic and business field to ensure that the new resources reflect practical application of the subjects in real-world context. In Italy, CESIE cooperates with Liceo Scientifico Benedetto Croce on the implementation of the project and the development of CHOICE educational resources. The first resource will connect mathematics with arts, using the famous painting Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh as a base for the creation of origami applying advanced mathematical and geometrical skills. Other resources will deal with the environmental issues combining laboratory experiments with practical application of STEM subjects, robotics and coding, social phenomena, and healthy lifestyle.
To keep updated on the progress of CHOICE OER development, and other project activities and results, follow us in action here, on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linkedin, or visit the project website.
About the project
CHOICE – Increasing young people’s motivation to choose STEM careers through an Innovative Cross-disciplinary STE(A)M approach to education is an Erasmus + project, Key Action 3: European Forward Looking Cooperation Projects in the fields of Education and Training.
Partners
- CESIE (Italy, coordinator)
- Liceo scientifico Benedetto Croce (Italy)
- GrantXpert Consulting Ltd (Cyprus)
- Grammar school Nicosia (Cyprus)
- ΕUROTraining (Greece)
- Regional Directorate of Education of Western Greece (Greece)
- Blue Room innovation (Spain)
- Institut de Maçanet de la Selva (Spain)
- Lifelong Learning Platform (Belgium)
For further information
Read more about CHOICE, see the project website e follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linkedin.
Contact Cecilie La Monica Grus: cecilie.lamonica@cesie.org.
