I could “scream” trying to understand the above acronyms. This is not a
Malaysian invention but very much American.
What is STEM education? It is just science, technology, engineering and
mathematics. At least they seem congruent.
What is STEAM? When you add “Art” for the “A”, you have STEAM. This
allows students who are not scientifically or mathematically inclined to feel
comfortable in the “A”.
What is STREAM? Add the “R” for reading and now you have STREAM, a multidisciplinary
approach.
Not everyone will be convinced that adding of “A” or “R” is beneficial to
STEM. It may seem as dilution of STEM’s focus and objectives. While it is
beneficial for STEM students to have exposure to the arts and know how to
communicate, it is an agenda by those outside of the STEM community. STEM is
necessary for moving forward in the world. The U.S. realises this and is focused
on it.
Many older folks (like me) who were in school in the 60s or 70s may
remember that “pure science” classes had two “arty” subjects – history or
geography and English literature. That gave a broad base for those who were
inclined to STEM. Why can’t we do the same? In fact, many of the subjects could
be delivered by technology rather than “white-board and markers”. The problem
is also we add irrelevant subjects like Tamadun Islam or “Moral” classes hoping
for the future harmony and prosperity of the nation. But politicians “hijack”
the agenda and we continue to be battered by race and religion.
Finally, the real issue in STEM is the employability of graduates. The
outcome has to be attractive and available. That today is not forthcoming
unless the Government and private sector embarks on application research,
clusters for start-ups, and a Science Civil Service, amongst others.
References:
1. The
differences of STEM vs. STEAM Education (and the rise of STREAM), Amy
Pietrowski (https://edtechmagazine.com)
2. STEM vs. STEAM vs. STREAM: What’s the
difference? Ali Trachta (https://www.niche.com/blog/stem-vs-steam-vs-stream/)
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