24 November 2021, 17:00-19:00

Amphitheater of Computer Technology Institute and Press “Diophantus”

Kazantzakis street, University of Patras campus

Recent European Commission policies (i.e. European Skills Agenda, European Education Area and Digital Education Action Plan) call for a holistic approach to competence development, which combines “soft” skills (including digital skills, green skills, entrepreneurial skills, life skills) with “hard” skills (thorough domain knowledge combined with practical skills). Then it comes as no surprise that they strongly advocate the need for widespread adoption of STEM education, as this is the most promising candidate teaching approach that enables students integrate of all the above competences.

The STEM (and more recently, STEAM) education approach is radically different in focus, content and method from prevailing educational approaches. STEM/STEAM education highlights the key role of science and computational thinking, integrates research and engineering with creativity, relies heavily on modern technology and is tightly associated with real-life issues. Consequently, it seems that the adoption of STEM/STEAM education will require a paradigm shift in educational practice which in turn will require a change in mindsets.

Teachers and educators are once again invited to play a key role in this transformation. They are the ones who will be called to implement in the classroom the new education policies and put in practical use the STEM/STEAM education approach. Its wide adoption depends on their successful performance. Therefore, investing in their professional development via initial or lifelong learning becomes a key success factor.

Project STEAMonEdu contributed to innovative and cross-disciplinary approaches in implementing STEAM education by revising and strengthening the professional profile of the teaching profession. As a result, the project created a solid interdisciplinary base for developing STEAM related competences. The project integrated three different aspects:

• Community: Teachers and educators are given a central role as members of an online community supported by an online platform that provides access to a repository of material and best practices and allows discussions that facilitate peer learning
• Identity: Identification of the roles and competences involved in applying STEAM as an educational practice, production of the first STEAM educator competence framework, design of the STEAM educator profile and development of a self-assessment tool
• Development: Professional development of teachers and educators via MOOC and blended learning course