By Marcus Chau
STEM or STEAM? Why is there an A added to the list? Does this make it better or not? Today we will look into the new letter added to STEM, and introduce what STEM and STEAM is.
STEM:
STEM is a curriculum that aims to equip students with skills and knowledge in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, including sub specialties such as statistics, biology, psychology, economics, agriculture and aeronautics. STEM is a useful asset to have for the future: employment in STEM occupations has grown 79 percent since 1990 according to the Pew Research Center. Students are also more likely to be involved in learning STEM, double the amount of students compared to the last generation is likely to take part in STEM activities now. As our technology advances more, an increased number of STEM jobs will be on the rise and it is crucial for development in our communities.
STEM is a topic that everyone should have heard of and is important to our education system. Much more organizations are taking notice of STEM than before and cities or even countries are creating programs for children and adults alike to dabble into this area. STEM also contributes for students to gain subject-matter knowledge while also developing the flexibility and well-roundedness, representing a dynamic set of fields.
STEAM:
It is said that creative skills and knowledge of the arts, such as design, writing and history, help STEM employees solve problems in more innovative ways. By adding arts into STEM, students who explore humanities, language arts, dance, drama, music, visual arts, design, new media and more can make themselves more marketable in today’s workforce. Furthermore, a 2019 LinkedIn report notes that creativity, persuasion and collaboration are the top three skills companies seek in prospective employees.
STEM vs. STEAM:
When looking at STEM vs. STEAM, the main difference is in the way they approach scientific concepts. STEM focuses on the hard scientific, technological, engineering or mathematical skills to drive progress or create a new concept. In STEAM, students learn both hard and soft skills to solve problems.
Is STEAM better than STEM:
STEM aims to equip learners with “future-ready” and practical skills by focusing on the teaching of science, technology, engineering and math. STEAM can also equip learners with these skills, but additionally fosters a love of creativity and imagination by bringing arts into the equation. It really is a matter of opinion, but many think that STEAM is better than STEM as STEAM encourages collaboration to understand a STEM concept.
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