STEAM Education and the Innovative Pedagogies in the Intelligence Era

1. Introduction

As we delve into the era of intelligence, the importance of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) education has become increasingly evident. The rapid advancement of technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) also offers new opportunities for enhancing the educational experience. However, despite the increasing awareness of the value of STEAM education, there remains a scarcity of research on how to effectively incorporate these emerging technologies and cultivate essential 21st-century competencies in students.

This Special Issue aims to address the pressing need for transformative teaching and learning methods that integrate intelligent technologies and innovative pedagogies in STEAM education. It brings together a collection of original research articles and reviews, providing valuable insights into the current state of STEAM education and the innovative pedagogies in the intelligence era. In this editorial, we will introduce articles from the Special Issue, with the aim of providing a concise overview of the research content and results presented in these articles. We believe that this collection of articles will inspire further exploration and collaboration within the field, ultimately contributing to the ongoing advancement of STEAM education for the benefit of future generations.

With a total of 12 articles, including both empirical research and review articles, the collection offers valuable insights into the current state of STEAM education and its future prospects. The articles can be broadly categorized into two themes: technological application innovations in STEAM education and innovative pedagogies in STEAM educational contexts.

2. Technological Application Innovations in STEAM Education

By embracing technology and leveraging new methodologies, educators can create more engaging and effective learning experiences, better-preparing students for the challenges of the future.

Wu, Liang, and Zhan [1] in their paper on Course Recommendation Based on Enhancement of Meta-Path Embedding in Heterogeneous Graph, address the issue of student dropout in online courses, often resulting from a loss of interest during the learning process. The authors propose a novel course recommendation method called HGE-CRec, which leverages context formation for heterogeneous graphs to model students and courses. This approach employs meta-path embedding simulation and meta-path weight fusion to enhance the meta-path embedding set, thereby improving the representation ability of meta-path embedding and avoiding the manual setting of the meta-path. The article demonstrates that the HGE-CRec method outperforms several existing baseline methods, providing more effective course recommendations for online learners.

Another article, A Novel Method for Cross-Modal Collaborative Analysis and Evaluation in the Intelligence Era by Wu et al. [2], explores the use of intelligent information technology in cross-modal learning analytics to facilitate procedural and scientific educational evaluation. The authors focus on assessing learners’ emotional status during the learning process and propose an intelligent analysis model for this purpose. This model aims to accurately capture the emotional changes of learners, providing effective technical solutions for cross-modal learning analytics. The article showcases the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed method through experimental results, highlighting its potential to innovate classroom teaching evaluation in the intelligence era and improve the overall quality of modern teaching.

Moreover, this Special Issue highlights the potential of digital technology in various educational contexts.

Ke and Lin [3] present a study on the Dynamic Generation of Knowledge Graph Supporting STEAM Learning Theme Design. This research proposes a dynamic completion model for knowledge graphs based on subject semantic tensor decomposition. This model aims to provide more reasonable STEAM project-based learning themes for teachers by calculating multidisciplinary curriculum standard knowledge semantics. The study demonstrates the effectiveness of the model through an application experiment, generating STEAM learning themes.

López-Nores et al. [4] focus on the topic of Digital Technology in Managing Erasmus+ Mobilities: Efficiency Gains and Impact Analysis from Spanish, Italian, and Turkish Universities, assesses the efficiency gains that can be achieved through the ongoing digital transformation in managing the Erasmus+ program. The authors analyze the workload, resources, and expenses associated with Erasmus+ proceedings at four universities in Spain, Italy, and Turkey. The study reveals significant savings in terms of paper wastage and administrative time, potentially enabling the management of up to 80% more mobilities with the same resources and staff.

In their paper, Practice Promotes Learning: Analyzing Students’ Acceptance of a Learning-by-Doing Online Programming Learning Tool, Iftikhar, Guerrero-Roldán, and Mor [5], investigate the factors that influence students’ acceptance of learning-by-doing tools, such as CodeLab, in the context of an introductory programming course. The authors employed the Unified Theory of Acceptance and the Use of Technology (UTAUT) model, which they extended by adding the factor of motivation. The results reveal a strong relationship between acceptance and motivation, suggesting that students are more likely to use online learning-by-doing tools if they feel motivated and engaged in the learning activities.

By focusing on gamification, Parody and coworkers [6] in their paper on Gamification in Engineering Education: The Use of Classcraft Platform to Improve Motivation and Academic Performance, present a gamification teaching experience using the Classcraft platform in a first-year university mathematics course. The authors hypothesized that using Classcraft could enhance learning and promote the development of the Four C’s: critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity. A comparison between a gamification group and a control group demonstrated that the gamification group achieved higher mean marks and improved Four C’s development, supporting the effectiveness of the gamification platform.

3. Innovative Pedagogies in STEAM Education

Several articles in this Special Issue emphasize the importance of interdisciplinary and learner-centered approaches.

For instance, the study by Wang et al. [7], Developing Computational Thinking: Design-Based Learning and Interdisciplinary Activity Design, explores the concept of design-based learning (DBL) and its connection with computational thinking (CT) teaching. The study establishes an interdisciplinary activity design model by analyzing existing design-based scientific cycle models and research into STEAM education. The researchers design specific activities using Scratch to teach graphical programming to fifth-grade students, comparing the promotion effects of interdisciplinary activity design and traditional programming activities on students’ CT development. The results indicate that the proposed interdisciplinary activity design is more effective in promoting students’ CT levels than traditional programming activities.

Similarly, In the study presented by Montés et al. [8], titled “EXPLORIA, STEAM Education at University Level as a New Way to Teach Engineering Mechanics in an Integrated Learning Process”, focuses on implementing STEAM learning in the Bachelor of Engineering in Industrial Design and Product Development at CEU Cardenal Herrera University through the EXPLORIA project. The authors describe the integration of STEAM learning within the EXPLORIA project to improve the learning of the physics subject, particularly regarding the part of the syllabus related to mechanical engineering. The study shows the adaptation made in the physical part to teach the integrated mechanics part of this learning process. The complete learning process is carried out through several challenges and milestones that students must overcome through the application of the physical knowledge learned in class. An ad hoc questionnaire validates the effectiveness of the proposed methodology, highlighting the students’ assessment regarding the new teaching methodology.

Kučera et al. [9] introduce Educational Case Studies for Pilot Engineer 4.0 Programme: Monitoring and Control of Discrete-Event Systems Using OPC UA and Cloud Applications, focusing on the development of case studies for educational purposes. These case studies aim to address the modeling and control of a virtual discrete-event system using a PLC program and its subsequent interfacing with a cloud application. The prepared case studies are suitable for use in the education of engineers for the digitalization of production processes and can also be helpful in research on creating digital twins.

The growing popularity of design thinking in K-12 education, as shown in Li and Zhan’s [10] systematic review paper, A Systematic Review on Design Thinking Integrated Learning in K-12 Education, indicates a shift toward more creative and human-centered problem-solving approaches in education. The authors find a growing popularity of integrating design thinking into K-12 education, particularly in STEM-related curricula. They also identify several core concepts of design thinking frequently valued and pursued in K-12 education, such as prototype, ideate, define, test, explore, empathize, evaluate, and optimize. The review reveals that while design thinking shows great educational potential in K-12 education, empirical evidence supporting the effectiveness of DTIL is still limited. This trend aligns with the broader goals of STEAM education, which aims to foster collaboration, innovation, and adaptability in students.

Zhao et al. [11] explore the Factors Influencing Student Satisfaction toward STEM Education: Exploratory Study Using Structural Equation Modeling. By extending the planned behavior theory, the study aims to predict high school students’ learning satisfaction with STEM education. The results indicate that subjective norms and playfulness factors of STEM education positively relate to students’ attitudes toward STEM education, with attitude being the most important factor influencing student satisfaction and acceptance.

Wu and coworkers [12] in their paper, How K12 Teachers’ Readiness Influences Their Intention to Implement STEM Education: Exploratory Study Based on Decomposed Theory of Planned Behavior, examine the factors that affect K12 teachers’ intentions to implement STEM education in China. Using a decomposed theory of planned behavior combined with teacher readiness, the authors developed an assumption model of the factors influencing teachers’ STEM education intentions. Their findings indicate that teachers’ intentions are significantly influenced by attitudes, perceived behavioral control, perceived usefulness, self-efficacy, and behavioral readiness. Additionally, emotional readiness directly impacts teachers’ intentions to implement STEM education, while behavioral and cognitive readiness indirectly affect intentions through self-efficacy.

4. Conclusions

These articles collectively showcase the potential of various innovative pedagogies, technologies, and methodologies in STEAM education from primary and secondary schools to universities. The articles cover topics such as design thinking, digital technologies, student satisfaction, educational case studies, and integrated learning processes. As we continue to explore and develop these innovative approaches, it is crucial to maintain a focus on creating engaging, effective, and inclusive learning environments that prepare students for the challenges and opportunities of the future. We hope that this Special Issue serves as a valuable resource for educators, researchers, and policymakers interested in understanding and implementing innovative pedagogies and technologies in the context of STEAM education and the Intelligence Era.