STEMEIC2020 TRACKS NARRATIVES
Track 1: STEM and BEYOND: Interaction between STEM, Technology, Robotics, Engineering, Arts and Math
Humanities and the sciences have a long history of interaction. Integration of arts learning approaches into STEM education, transforms STEM learning to STEAM learning: What about STREAM? The integration of robotics, gamification, and simulations in STEM education takes project-based learning pedagogy to another level.
Track 2: STEM Technopreneurship: Linking the Dots
Entrepreneurship studies and education courses have increased significantly with the realization of its importance for economic growth. Do STEM students have an enterprising tendency? Can STEM students dare the entrepreneurial landscape? How do technopreneurs influence STEM education?
3: Innovative Pedagogy for STEM Subjects
Embracing STEM involves cultivating a positive mindset in learning by doing. It is not limited to becoming technically skilled in Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics. What are some of the innovative pedagogies we can employ to cultivate a positive disposition and mindset towards STEM?
Track 4: Smart Devices and Digital Content in Learning of STEM Subjects
How can technology-supported learning help to move beyond content delivery and truly enhance science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education so that students develop a broad mix of skills? Could innovative teaching and learning approaches spark thinking and creativity, enhance student engagement, strengthen communication, and build collaboration? Would they make STEM teaching and learning more effective, more relevant, and more enjoyable? What digital devices would answer these questions? What digital content would demystify STEM subjects?
Track 5: Role of M-Learning, Virtual Classrooms, Virtual Laboratories, and LMS in STEM subjects
The accelerated pace of technological innovation in recent years has created a pressing need for educational research that can help us better understand how school learning is being mediated by emerging technologies. This need is particularly strong in science, a discipline that shares a symbiotic relationship with technology. What are some of the emergent technologies that shape students’ experiences in STEM education?
Track 6: Languages and Learning of STEM
Knowing how to express yourself in a content area is about more than vocabulary. Language is about more than vocabulary. It is a discourse. Language development is a social construct with students, especially those learning English as a second language, in need of social interactions. However, the challenges posed recently by the COVID 19 pandemic have revived the need for online teaching and learning approaches. The education sector has responded by urging a major shift to online learning. The complex social and academic use of language in STEM subjects and the integration of English as a second language in Kenya are concerns of STEM educators. So what is the confluence between STEM subjects and Languages? How can it benefit students in STEM subjects? How can science teachers play a role in the student’s overall language development by providing the context of STEM?
Track 7: Gender Parity in STEM: The Role of Schools, Teachers, Parents, and Students
Recent studies show that the number of female students enrolled in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) related disciplines have been decreasing in the last twenty years, while the number of women resigning from technological job positions remains unacceptably high. How could we then encourage the girls and women to persist in STEM and bridge the gap?
Track 8: Enhancing STEM learning experiences through the Private sector. Industry, and Development Agencies
STEM education is not purely academic. It involves collective intelligence – where stakeholders from the industry coming together to solve real-world problems that require complex and creative thinking skills as well as tools to apply them. How can people collaborate with the Private sector, Industry, and Development Agencies to enhance STEM education? (e.g. in the mitigation of the COVID-19 global pandemic)
Track 9:The Role of Civil Society (NGOs, Communities, Unions and Associations) and ) and Philanthropy (UNESCO, UNDP, World Bank, Embassies and Donors) in Promoting STEM Education
Reimagining and revitalizing STEM education through investments supported by NGOs, Communities, Unions and Associations is the desire of STEM educators, in order to spread STEM innovations. What are the voices of Non-Governmental Organizations on Science, Technology and Innovation? Scientific organizations/Academies could play valuable roles as partners in promoting and sustaining STEM education. What is the relationships between the schools and community stakeholders in promoting STEM education? Do embassies have a role in promoting STEM education? What about philanthropy and its contribution to STEM education?
Track 10: The Role of National and County Governments in STEM Education
Government policies that incentivize companies to invest in innovation and scientific research to create promising job opportunities for STEM graduates. The functions of Educational and training are shared between the national and county governments. How do Governments adjust and refine their STEM strategy and policies to ensure continued progress in line with its evolving STEM ecosystem. How do Governments build a strong STEM education?
Track 11: Educational Challenges, Approaches and Solutions:
In this track, we wish to answer the “what-is-worth-knowing questions”, by exploring major themes concerning the current situation in education, teaching and learning. It will focus on globally relevant challenges such as multicultural education, education for citizenship, social inequality and schooling, gender and socialization, new technologies and new literacies in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic. It will as well as provide perspectives and dialogue on the ways/approaches of overcoming the challenges from a global perspective.