STEAM education prepares students not only in terms of employability, but also in terms of being more adaptable to the challenges of daily life.

Core to this is combining creativity and analytical thinking skills to solve problems. This means developing the ability to approach a problem from multiple perspectives. It is the proverbial “out-of-the-box” approach in problem-solving. It is an integrated approach that involves the following:

• Communication
• Teamwork
• Critical thinking
• Judgement formation
• Problem-solving
• Curiosity and lifelong learning

STEAM learning obviously encompasses subject matter and knowledge, but a STEAM curriculum also develops crucial life skills that will help students thrive in life after education.

What are STEAM skills?

1. Expression and communication skills

STEAM education puts emphasis on strengthening expression and communication skills. This is crucial not only in the workplace, but also in relationships. The ability to be clearly understood and understand is a life skill that can go a long way in strengthening bonds among friends, families, communities, and coworkers. Communication skills are crucial in public policies and science literacy of the general public.

Ironically, the dominance of social media as a platform for public discourse has given rise to miscommunication and the amplification of disinformation. Social media has made it possible to make the world a smaller community by providing a convenient way for communication and expression; however, it has become weaponized and used as a tool for polarising society.

Communication is both a science and an art, whether that’s on a level of personal, one-on-one communication, or on a large-scale public communication. It’s a science because it involves precise syntax and semantics - and it’s also an art because it involves expressing ideas that usually have varying connotations.

2. Teamwork

Although the Pareto principle - better known as the 80-20 rule - still applies in most situations, teamwork is crucial in achieving many types of tasks. The ability to be a teamplayer and collaborate with people of different backgrounds and personalities is important not only at work but also in many personal situations.

It could be as technically complex as preparing a robotic probe mission to Mars, or it could be as mundane as organising a surprise birthday party for a friend.

3. Critical thinking

Critical thinking is the best antidote against credulity and misinformation. It’s about examining the merits of a new and unfamiliar idea or piece of information not at face value. It’s a process whereby you can weed out wrong or incomplete information, and is very useful when you are analysing data at work or even when you simply want to find the best product in the grocery store.

STEAM education trains students to hone their critical thinking skills through projects and exams that involve observation, comparison, contrast, and analysis. It is crucial in solving problems and evaluating the merits of new data.

4. Judgement formation

Judgement formation helps students reach the right or most optimal conclusion or opinion regarding a given set of data or situation. This is very important when it comes to the decision-making process. It might be about choosing the correct investment portfolio, redesigning a software application, or merely about selecting the best neighbourhood to live in.

Judgement formation must be based on reliable information that is thoroughly evaluated. This is particularly crucial when it comes to big-ticket decisions that have serious implications, either personally or professionally.

5. Problem-solving

Whether pursuing science-related and technical career paths or other careers, problem-solving skills are always necessary. It might be just a small problem that needs to be solved or something that has important and serious consequences. It could even be a life-or-death decision. However, in most cases, it would be just a routine component of a job. STEAM education prepares students to become creative and analytical problem-solvers.

Want to teach problem-solving skills to your students? Check out our problem-solving lesson ideas here.

6.Curiosity and life-long learning

A wise, albeit enigmatic, quotation about education that is usually attributed to Einstein, goes something like this: “Education is what remains when you have forgotten what you have learned from school.” It implies the ability to relearn something you have forgotten and also learn something new. Education is a lifelong process that we believe everyone should pursue, either in a formal or informal sense. It could be something that would benefit professional growth or personal development.

How is STEAM used everyday?

From factory assembly lines to mission control rooms of space agencies and from professional workplaces to mundane household chores, STEAM has a wide range of applications on a daily basis.

For example, knowing that mixing ammonia and bleach is a bad idea is a basic household application of STEAM education. Even cooking and preparing food requires some level of STEAM-related knowledge, such as in the case of proper heating of meat.

All the technicians, clinicians, scientists, and engineers use their specialized STEAM-related skills and knowledge to keep our global civilization working on a daily basis. This is especially true that we are now in a multi-tiered, interdependent technological civilisation. Any serious disruption in one of the major systems such as power generation and distribution could lead to the collapse of the global civilisation.

STEAM problem solving

Solving problems using the STEAM approach is a holistic and creative approach integrated with critical thinking. It is not anymore purely technical, mathematical or scientific. It also includes softer skills like intuition, collaboration, and a socioeconomic approach.

STEAM influence on logical thinking

The main emphasis of the STEM education curriculum was logical or systematic and rigorous thinking. This included the application of algorithmic and mathematical approaches. This is excellent when you are trying to solve mechanical and technical problems.

However, it will not work very well with many of the complex real-world larger problems like the issue of using fossil fuels, which also has a geopolitical component. The STEAM influence on logical thinking is making it more dynamic and flexible rather than totally regimented.

STEAM & critical thinking

Critical thinking is one of the most important life skills that STEAM education can reinforce among students. It is integrated with the creative approach of evaluating problems and new information.

Why is STEAM important in education

The STEAM education curriculum prepares students for the challenges of the future job market, which may become dominated by automation and artificial intelligence.

It is a way of adapting to the dynamics of possible careers that are yet to be developed. The integration of the arts in STEAM education is an acknowledgment of the role of creativity in technical and scientific pursuits.

Are you an educator looking for STEAM resources for middle school, high school or university? Take a look at Arduino Education kits and how they can support your hands-on STEAM lessons.