Exploring Numeracy through STEAM Education Practices
This course is geared towards effective practices in STEAM education, through the delivery of interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary STEAM teaching and learning pedagogies.
The aims are:
- Stimulate imagination, creativity, and breakthrough innovation in STEM learning
- Develop teachers' knowledge, understanding and confidence to teach a transdisciplinary approach to STEAM education, breaking down the traditional barriers between the different disciplines of Science, Technology. Engineering, Art and Mathematics
- Identify Numeracy Teaching and Learning Opportunities in STEAM Education
- Promote innovation and excellence in teaching of numeracy in the contemporary practical settings of STEAM education, that incorporate the Engineering Design Process
- Develop an understanding of how to interweave the teaching for robust understanding and meta-practices in mathematics in schools, through STEAM education.
The course will use practical hands-on investigations and group work, discussion and reflection opportunities, STEAM Project work, engineering design challenges, Design Thinking challenges, practical “Learn by Doing” tasks, video and tutor-led presentations, brainstorming, paper-based/digital journaling, STEAM frameworks. There will also be time given to subject planning, STEAM schemes of work, and presentations of work.
Learning methodologies will include the following STEAM practices with a particular emphasis on numeracy skills: asking questions & defining problems; observations; problem solving; critical thinking; planning and carrying out investigations; constructing explanations and designing solutions; data collection; developing and using models; spatial awareness; drawing for design; communication and expression; engaging in argument from evidence; reasoning; integrating and connecting; understanding and recalling.
The course will include a particular focus on developing childrens’ numeracy skills as outlined in the Literacy and Numeracy for Learning and Life strategy, Stem Education Policy Statement 2017-2026, the National Skills Strategy 2025 and STEAM skills linked to the Creative Schools initiative.
Further information from Dr Maeve Liston (Maeve.Liston@mic.ul.ie).
Course fee: €50. Book here.
