Integrated Self-Directed Learning Approach to School-based STEAM Curriculum Development Project

Overview

In collaboration with the Centre for Information Technology in Education (CITE) of the Faculty of Education at the University of Hong Kong, this seminar will showcase how the speaker integrated STEAM education in Secondary 3 curriculum. It is emphasising 'Self-directed Learning', 'Design Thinking' and 'Digital Literacy', aiming at coaching students to become active learners. Regarding design thinking as a foundational methodology, students are encouraged to empathise with real-world issues and decide on appropriate digital technologies to address the problems from the seven major thematic areas.

The seminar will highlight specific student projects that demonstrate significant progress in engaging with STEAM and project-based learning.　This programme promotes student self-directed learning through diversified assessment at different stages. For example, students will engage in peer assessment when presenting their 'Project Proposal', self-monitor their progress and evaluate their own learning when writing the 'Project Logbook' and also compose 'Criteria for Success' to implement assessment for learning. In this way, as students participate in the engineering design process with value education, they can demonstrate their digital collaborative creativity to achieve their creation goals through feedback and reflection.　

Participants of this seminar will:
1. be inspired to reflect how STEAM education can align with value education to simultaneously promote and cultivate students' abilities in self-directed learning, design thinking and digital literacy through the practical experience of this school; and
2. prompt participants to reflect on whether existing STEAM teaching models provide sufficient autonomy for students to cultivate the necessary 21st century skills such as self-directed learning. Supporting students' self-directed learning process requires corresponding teaching strategies, including assessment design. Participants can reference the strategies of diversified assessment and tools employed by this school.