Abstract
This STEAM Ahead Australia course was designed for American Study Abroad second-year university students attending a Sydney-based university during semester one in 2024. The STEAM course focused on learning about Australian perspectives on Climate Challenges, Sustainability and Community Action. Employing a multi-disciplinary system thinking approach, the course aimed to enhance students’ capacity and engagement in understanding important concepts related to Climate challenges and community actions. Experiential learning activities, reflective practices and reciprocity encouraged students to become more empowered by taking responsibility for their research and their actions (Kemmis, McTaggart and Nixon, 2014). Throughout the 7 week course, students analysed their learning and develop their own world views and practices through the Arts, dialogue and reflection. The researchers facilitated a multi-faceted, multi-disciplined team consisting of educators, business professionals and community Indigenous and non-Indigenous members demonstrated how diverse world views could simultaneously relate to Climate challenges through science, technology, engineering, mathematics and The Arts using STEAM Education. Students’ course evaluations showed that a STEAM Ahead Australia approach using systems thinking was highly valued compared to their other university courses in Australia and America. Students had fun and successfully engaged in sensory explorations applied to serious Climate challenges. These valuable learning experiences transformed their worldviews and enforced their future commitment to Climate Action while learning to ‘risk-take’ in and through the Arts.
Presenters
Bronwen Wade-LeeuwenEducator Researcher (STEAM), School of Natural Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Macquarie University, New South Wales, Australia Kathryn McLachlan
Honorary Senior Research Fellow, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Macquarie University, New South Wales, Australia
Details
Presentation Type
Theme
2024 Special Focus—Traveling Concepts: The Transfer and Translation of Ideas in the Humanities
KEYWORDS
STEAM EDUCATION,THE ARTS, TRANSFORMATIVE LEARNING, INTERCULTURAL, ARTISTIC AND REFLECTIVE PRACTICES
