Digital Society’s STEAM Engine – trends and research

In my book Learning Design in Practice for Everybody I identify STEM schools to have growing impact in the future. At the same time, as STEM should adopt an A to make the concept fully adapted for the Digital Society. These schools that are directed on Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics, the Art-part is bringing the necessary softskills, which makes the “concept” complete. Just like steam in its physical form was one of the main drivers at the birth of the Industrial Society. STEAM in its educational form will lead the way for the knowledge-based society of the Digital Age.

STEM to STEAM

In this spirit, Emily Newton identifies five trends in STEM-education published in Euroscientist where the second trend focus of the soft skills of STEAM. She writes:

“For too long, people have viewed science and art as too different and unable to mix. However, creative subjects like music and visual art can help students become more rounded and better problem-solvers.”

Since in a world with artificial intelligence and robots. Where automation forms a foundation for industrial production and almost every part of the rest of the society. Creativity, collaboration and problem-solving are some of the main cornerstones for the working life. The STEAM-education should in this spirit, in order to maximise the output, start in early age, even among preschoolers. 

Digital Learning 

To optimize this mix of science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics, digital learning forms the bridge to make it effective. The interactivity, the learning by doing approach and direct feedback among other features makes it a very engaging environment to prepare the children for the Digital Society. Find out more about the STEM trends Emily Newton identified here.

Written by
LarsGoran Bostrom© 

Author of Learning Design in Practice for Everybody and developer of SOE PublishingLab