General Info
The educational policy of STEAM International Lyceum in Bologna fosters a real revolution in the educational sector in Italy. It offers students an educational curriculum that faces the challenges of contemporary society and is placed at a level of quality comparable with the best counterparts at European level.
The main pillars of STEAM International Lyceum curriculum are anthropocentrism, freedom and creativity.
Students engage in challenges to be solved through their individual problem-solving skills. The STEAM approach is not considered a container, but the main and most relevant content: the first and most important purpose of the curriculum is to teach the student how to face and solve - alone or in a team - real problems and obtain concrete results.
Applicability and Audience
Details
Italian schools are allowed by law to define their own educational policies both to compete for excellence and to adapt the educational offer to the real needs of their communities. STEAM International Lyceum invests in providing a cutting-edge educational experience, based on the best international models. STEAM International Lyceum aims to design a much needed bridge between traditional curricula in Italian schools and the innovative educational methods experimented with success in Europe and in the USA.
STEAM International Lyceum is bound to develop its 3-year educational plans according to the following directives:
- continuously examining and incorporating successful STEAM teaching methods around the world;
- adopting an integrated theory-practice approach;
- stimulating students' problem-solving skills through a solution prototyping cycle.
STEAM teaching is composed by theoretical studies and practical activities which encourage students growth at all educational levels through a constant contact with external projects and companies. The educational curricula cover 5 fundamental areas with a focus on the sciences to be applied through current (and future) technologies.
The educational path is developed in 36 weeks and 1224 hours of lessons and activities per year of which at least 50% in English language, over five days (excluding Saturdays) of at least six hours of study or work every day.
The curriculum is based on the English Cambridge curriculum and it is divided in two two-year periods:
- basic curriculum: equivalent to English GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education). It develops basic skills and knowledge;
- advanced curriculum: equivalent to English A-Level. Develop advanced skills and knowledge through work experiences of 300 hours in external organizations, alternating with school attendance.
At the end of this path, students therefore obtain a double high school leaving certificate:
- A-Level: through the English A-Level exams (in collaboration with Cambridge international);
- State exams: through the State exam (like all the other five-year Italian schools) and the achievement of the relative qualification to enter any University in the world.
- CL - Core Lessons
Lessons and activities on STEAM disciplines
- CC - Crash Courses
One day every two weeks, an intensive course on case analysis and advanced applications of a given subjects, in different production sectors or other services
- ALL - Action Learning Labs
Three projects per yeas, each focused on an area; e.g. Mecha (focus on mechanical, mechatronics, engineering products), Bit (focus on digital products), Life (focus on bio-engineering products), Social (focus on sustainable services)
Evaluation by subjects
During every quarter, every class is focused on 4 dimension of competence:
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- Knowledge and understanding: specific content of the subject acquired in every course (knowledge) and self-representation of its meaning.
- Thinking: the use of critical and creative thinking skills and processes on given contents.
- Application: the use of knowledge and skills to create links within and between different operating contexts.
- Communication: the sharing and expression of meanings through various forms.
Evaluation of competences in ALL Project Works
Throughout the year, students are called upon to respond to challenges launched by companies and/or local authorities, using methodologies such as Design Thinking, Lean Startup and Business Model Canvas within the ALL - Active Learning Lab.
These are the evaluation indicators:
- process (responsibility, collaboration, autonomy, initiative, organization)
- product (research, design, prototyping, result)
- presentation (originality, effectiveness, documentation, review and critical spirit).