By Tina O’Keeffe (she/her), teacher, Victoria
Canada currently faces digital and STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) skills shortages due to rapid digitalization across the economy and low enrolment of students in STEM post-secondary programs. A shift in ways that educators approach learning in STEM fields can foster students’ curiosities about STEM careers. One approach that has been gaining traction is the integration of arts into STEM, shifting to a STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) style of education.
STEAM is not simply adding an “A” to STEM and utilizing arts to entice students toward STEM; instead, it must be seen as a pedagogical approach to integrating all five disciplines equally. The difficulty in this shift for educators is that it is not about teaching specific subjects but, instead, about teaching students a new way of utilizing thought processes in their learning.
STEAM learning seamlessly integrates convergent and divergent thinking, fostering a holistic approach to problem-solving and creativity. Convergent thinking (STEM) is emphasized in the analytical process of finding precise solutions to well-defined problems, such as when students apply mathematical calculations or scientific principles to test hypotheses. Conversely, divergent thinking (arts) encourages creative exploration and open-ended inquiry, allowing students to brainstorm multiple possible solutions, think outside the box, and design innovative projects. By blending these two cognitive processes, STEAM education nurtures a balanced skill set, enabling learners to not only solve complex problems efficiently but also to imagine novel possibilities and approach challenges from multiple perspectives.
Introducing STEAM education into classrooms
If STEAM education is not a curriculum of lessons, how do we bring this approach into our classrooms and build interest among students in the STEM field? At home in Victoria, I have seen first-hand how robotics competitions increase student interest in STEAM activities and open the door to applying these skills to future workplaces.
FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics offers a thrilling sports-like challenge to students with either school- or community-based programs. The league offers three levels of competition for students from pre-K to Grade 12: FIRST Lego League (FLL), FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC), and FIRST Robotics Challenge (FRC). The start of the FRC Canadian Pacific Regional, hosted in Victoria, was my introduction to this league in late 2017. Even though I had some basic training in robotics through a microcomputer technician course (one of my interests and hobbies), this by no means prepared me for what was about to come. With the support of the FIRST BC representative, an eager young mentor, a supportive husband, and a zealous Grade 12 student wanting to build big robots, I started our team with 12 students (seven boys and five girls) from Grades 9 through 12.
Our team captain led the team in designing and building the robot. Fortunately, we had a community mentor with a background in robotics who had approached the school about starting a Java programming club and eagerly stepped in to teach students how to program. With a few ratchets, screwdrivers, parts, and much enthusiasm, we set out to meet the challenge of the competition—in eight weeks.
The learning curve was steep; students were provided a basic kit of parts and step-by-step instruction from FIRST (via a tutorial titled Zero to Robot) to set up the drive base, but the remaining parts and design were up to them. Thankfully, this league is built on the cornerstones of gracious professionalism (compete intensely while treating others with respect and empathy) and “coopertition” (teams help and co-operate with others even as they compete). Along these lines, teams are encouraged to share their designs and ideas from previous years, giving us a wealth of information to support our development. We saw this come to light at the competition when we arrived with our robot set up incorrectly. A competing team lent us one of their programmers for four hours to help us. In our rookie year, we were awarded the Rookie All-Star award and were invited to the April World Championships in Houston, Texas. This is likened to the Super Bowl of robotics, as over 400 teams from around the world come together to compete for a chance to be the world’s best and share with others what makes them the world’s best.
Since our rookie year, we have grown significantly in our knowledge base, abilities, and set-up. We now operate the entire school year, starting in September with the FIRST Tech Challenge and joining the First Robotics Challenge in January. The students continue to build and design after their competitions and participate in community events to share their learning with others. We started this team as a club and are now operating as credited courses (ADST 9, Computer Studies 10, Robotics 11, and Robotics 12) that all meet the criteria of the BC curriculum. Our team now operates with over 30 students from diverse backgrounds, ethnicities, gender identities, and interests; it has mentors, both female and male, who have been trained in astro space engineering, mechanical engineering, and computer science, all bringing real-life experience to the classroom.
As a mandate of FIRST robotics, students have a real-world application of their skills that mirrors modern careers and industries by introducing them to relevant worksites and mentors. Team members visit sites within our community to visualize how the components they use on their robots translate to a larger world scale. For example, students visited the fire hall to see how the ladder on a fire truck works and gain an understanding of their robot arm extension. Plus, students are exposed to potential careers in engineering, computer science, robotics, and related fields that bring a broader view of options for their future. The emphasis on iterative design processes (prototyping, testing, feedback, and refinement) gives students the experience to build critical-thinking and problem-solving skills. Students build prototypes out of wood to ensure their idea will work, and, if not, find out what they need to do to improve. Using OnShape (an online, computer-aided design program), they can create a 3D render of their robot and utilize features like assembly constraints, motion studies, and third-party plug-ins to simulate its movement and functionality.
The competition challenges students to solve complex problems through trial and error, building their resilience and adaptability, and to work collaboratively both with their team and with other competing teams.
The students are also encouraged to think creatively when designing robots, solving challenges, and finding novel applications. Competition judges look out for the students’ innovation as they go over their design processes with them.
Last year, our robots were designed with a “Barbie” theme. Our smaller robot in FTC was Skp-R, and our larger robot in FRC was Bar-B, and both robots were styled with pink 3D-printed accessories. Our team focused on the importance of women in STEM (women made up half of our FTC team, and all our mentors were women).
Currently, robotics alumni are studying mechatronic engineering, software engineering, electrical engineering, computer science, architecture, business, and sciences. Not everyone will become an engineer, but everyone will use the skills they have procured on this team in their post-secondary experiences.
Robotics competitions offer students the opportunity to learn skills and attributes they will carry well beyond their secondary school experience. Beyond the robot, students are developing leadership, time-management, business, and technical skills that will serve them well in our rapidly changing world, which waits for them outside the school doors.