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STEAM FAQ

We have gathered some of the frequently asked questions from teachers who
personally developed and conducted STEAM lessons in their schools. Here are the
Top 10 questions about STEAM!

Q There are difficulties in operating a class according to the standards of STEAM

within a fixed time frame. In the case of primary schools, it is not easy to
perform a STEAM class within 40 minutes. How can we effectively execute a
STEAM class within this 40-minute period?

A It may be difficult to implement a class reflecting all of the STEAM components
of Context Presentation, Creative Design, and Emotional Touch for a
single theme within the limited time frame of 40 minutes. In this case, it is
recommended to conduct a STEAM class by dividing it into two to four lessons,
and it may also be efficient to guarantee the continuity of activities by using
methods such as implementing block times. The case is similar for secondary
schools. There are also many STEAM programs that can be conducted within a
single lesson according to the theme. Thus, efforts must be taken to reorganize
and apply a program to suit the situation of a pertinent school and the level of
its students.
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Q Each subject has its own goals, content elements, achievement standards, and
achievement levels. However, STEAM has no determined specific goals or
elements, and a too-open-ended scope, so a STEAM class sometimes becomes a
simple program for experiencing science. Thus, it is thought that an integrative
aspect related to the achievement goals and achievement level is needed rather
than an integration of content elements. How can we realize this?

A STEAM recommends that a problematic situation be presented in the real

world, focusing on scientific technology, for students to plan the achievement
goals and achievement level of related subjects to be reflected as much as
possible. To achieve this purpose, you must compress and present contents on
the subject knowledge that students need to learn, present a context to solve
a problem in relation to the real world, and compose a class for students to
display their creativity while looking for a solution.

Q What is the difference between a conventional project class and a STEAM

class? I cannot feel a great different when I compare the two in the aspects of
self-directed learning, the establishment of plans, solution of problems, mutual
cooperation, and a sense of accomplishment emerging as a result of learning.

A They are similar in the aspect of nurturing abilities to solve problems. However,
there is a clear difference in that a STEAM class must satisfy the standards of
STEAM previously mentioned (to include scientific content, to include two or
more elements, and to reflect the learning standards framework). Through this
process, the students can grow in their abilities to solve problems in the real
world with naturally integrated knowledge from various fields of study.

Q When it is hard to simultaneously connect subjects while operating a STEAM

class, how can we settle this issue?
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A When a connection between subjects cannot be made at the same time, you
must reorganize the curriculum by changing the order of the units. Therefore,
it is essential to reorganize the integrated curriculum before the semester starts
to establish a connection between subjects. However, if you have already
missed the time to reorganize the curriculum, you may still modify the yearly
instruction plans with all teachers in related subjects or conduct the STEAM
class in the next semester. Or, you may use the weekends at the end of the
semester as a week for STEAM connection between subjects, or plan for all
teachers to conduct a STEAM class for one week after the second round of
written examinations. Here, the teachers must let students perform the activities
that are proper for the theme of each subject. They must also adjust the
timetable, purchase required articles, and produce the materials needed for the
class in programs that especially require ordering.

Q Students find Creative Design to be the most difficult part. When I show an
example to the students, they have a tendency to just follow my lead. How can
we instruct the students to be able to perform Creative Design projects by only
presenting a context or a mission?

A One way is not to show an example but to present a context connected to their
lives for them to lead their own designs into various results. Furthermore, you
can also give students constant feedback in the process of Creative Design,
highlight and encourage the positive aspects in the case of a failed design, and
instruct them to make new attempts to find a way to supplement their designs.

Q Must the item of ‘ability to use tools’ be included in the step of Creative Design
in STEAM? In addition, must a result be made by using a tool?

A The key to Creative Design is to let students reflect their own ideas in the
class and its activities. Through this, you can increase their tendency to think
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in creative ways in order to help them experience and solve a problem on

their own. It is not easy to solve a problem given in the real world with only
theoretical knowledge. While students design a process to solve the problem
in a creative way, a natural integration of various studies is induced, with a
variety of results emerging from this process. Here, the results can be seen in a
variety of forms, such as manufactured articles, prototypes, movements, videos,
writings, music, research and activity reports, research reports, and role playing.
They may even be something other than a work or piece, and ideas through
brainstorming can be taken as a great result in the Creative Design step.

Q Creative Design is one of the important elements in STEAM and also a section
where individual students show the greatest gaps between them. How can we
reduce this gap?

A You can reduce the gap by encouraging students not to rapidly find a determined
answer but to present their ideas according to various themes and perform
their Creative Design step in groups through cooperation with each other and
forming an atmosphere of respect for new and creative ideas. Additionally, it is
recommended for teachers to provide learning materials or the like to students
who lag behind, and induce them to solve the problem on their own.

Q Some teachers deeply understand STEAM, while others may find it unfamiliar.
I wonder if there is no added difficulty to introducing STEAM classes.

A STEAM can be seen as a kind of shift in educational viewpoints. We must

change the current educational viewpoint and methods for educating that focus
on teachers, a single subject, traditional knowledge in studies, and control.
The shift will bring more educational methods focusing on students, the
integration of subjects, application, and autonomy, along with various materials
and experiences through STEAM. You need not think that teachers should
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present everything to the students, but they should instead let students find a
problem and solve it through various methods on their own to suit the STEAM
class structure. You must present a guideline to students for them to find the
knowledge they need and to realize this knowledge on their own through
discussions. Currently, the Ministry of Education and KOFAC are operating and
supporting various programs for training teachers, and the materials presented
in these trainings and workshops, along with other materials related to STEAM,
can be downloaded from the STEAM website (steam.kofac.re.kr) to use them.

Q Recently, there has been increasing interest in career education. How are
STEAM and career education being connected to each other? And, how can we
actually connect careers and STEAM in schools?

A In order to connect STEAM and career education, it is first recommended to

select a theme for exploring a new occupation by connecting careers in the
step of Context Presentation. In addition, it is also good to let students explore
and examine the jobs related to the theme they are learning through creative
activities. In addition, career education using resources in local communities
is also possible. For instance, if there is a museum or enterprise in your local
community, you can compose a STEAM class related to that and plan an
on-the-spot study experience, or you can refer to the programs operated by
places visited for the class. The Korean government is currently promoting
the development of a STEAM test-free semester program for growing the key
integrated concepts needed for the society of the future through integrative
discussions, solutions to problems in the real world, and project studies
according to the regular execution of a test-free semester system launched
in 2016. Promoted is the development of a STEAM program for students
to participate in person, where the students find their own careers through
integrative activities and a program for students to sufficiently experience
careers through STEAM education during a test-free semester.
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Q An evaluation of students must be done after finishing a STEAM class. How
can we evaluate the students?

A It is recommended to evaluate the students without focusing on the results

and by paying more attention to the process. The evaluation includes a mind
map evaluation, learning plan evaluation, discussion evaluation, evaluation
through observation, evaluation of presentations by each group, learning
results evaluation, self-evaluation table, similar problem solutions, portfolio
evaluation, and self-reflection journal evaluation.