Transition Year STEAM Challenge Taster Programme

Sample of images from the Taster Programme 2023/24. Credit: Anita McKeown, Rebecca White

In the 2024/25 school year, we facilitated a STEAM Challenge Programme with Transition Year (TY) students at Coláiste na Sceilge in Cahersiveen, Co Kerry. This innovative programme, emerged from our Problem to Pitch module as a manageable taster to introduce STEAM and Challenge led learning to teachers and learners (2022-2024, co-funded by Science Foundation Ireland and the Department of Education). Our research has shown that with timetables, subject specific learning and different skills sets, transitioning to project and challenge led learning can seem overwhelming. It was designed to test a model to support educators in this transition to inspire and equip students with essential skills in design thinking and the Four C’s: Communication, Creativity, Collaboration, and Critical Thinking. Over five-week group rotations, we engaged learners in a journey of discovery and learning, integrating key aspects of our lessons and challenges to foster a love for learning and the development of adaptive skills.

Programme Learning Goals & Objectives

Our STEAM programme was crafted with several overarching aims:

Introduce learners to the five stages of design thinking: Empathise, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test.
Increase awareness of the importance of design in problem-solving: Helping students see design as a critical tool for innovation.
Facilitate the use of the Four C’s: Embedding Communication, Collaboration, Critical Thinking, and Creativity in every activity.
Promote highly interactive environments: Ensuring that active learning and engagement were at the heart of the programme.
Connect design thinking to real-world contexts: Making learning relevant and practical.

STEAM Challenge Taster Programme

1	2	3	4	5
Design Challenge Stations	Tower Building	Worst Idea Ever	The 5 Chairs	Ready Steady Build

Weekly lessons in the STEAM Challenge Taster Programme

Week 1: Design Challenge Stations

For the first lesson in the programme, we used a station-based activity to see how the learners work together in teams to solve a problem through design and build, before front loading with specific content and skills. Challenges included:

Build a tower that holds the weight of 'x' (the weight is typically 1-2 x 400ml containers filled with water)
Build a bridge that a toy race car can drive across
Build a boat that floats with weight added (2 x 400ml containers filled with water)

Week 2: Tower Building

Sample worksheet from STEAM Challenge Taster Programme

After exposing the learners to the elements of design thinking and working together on a challenge, the level of complexity was increased in Week Two. In teams, learners were asked to design and build a tower of a height no less than 30cm that could withstand a hurricane. To do this, they could only use newspaper and tape, and the hurricane was simulated by a hairdryer. In this session, the learners were supported with a mini lesson on rapid response prototyping; exploring three basic elements that will prove useful- surfaces, structures and fasteners/joiners. Before moving on to the main design challenge (the tower building), they worked in teams to build examples of the three elements. They then needed to apply the elemental knowledge to their towers, to ensure a greater chance of success withstanding the hurricane. It is here that they were connected to real-world demonstrations of these techniques by examining structures such as the Eiffel Tower.

Week 3 Worst Idea Ever

Worst Idea Ever is an ideation activity that encourages learners to deliberately explore 'bad' ideas such as a chocolate teapot or reading glasses without lenses. This inverted approach not only alleviates tension, but also enhances their self-assurance and ignites their creative thinking, enabling them to work out ways of turning these ideas from 'bad' to 'good'. For example, the chocolate teapot was turned into a hot chocolate stirring spoon, a glass hammer became a ceremonial token and a car with no engine transformed into a temporary shelter.

Week 4 The 5 Chairs

Sample worksheet from STEAM Challenge Taster Programme

Now that the learners had three sessions to practise their design and build skills, it was time to focus on a key component of design thinking that is often overlooked in other disciplines. Empathy is a key phase of the process as it is vital to have an understanding of the audience you are designing for. We wanted to introduce learners to empathic design through engagement with a user’s needs. In this session we used our adaptation of Stanford University’s five chairs challenge, enabling learners to begin to think of the users’ needs and begin to integrate these concepts into their design ideas.

Week 5 Ready Steady Build

Student design

The final week of the programme supported learners to use all the skills of the previous weeks in a final building challenge. The challenge is an engaging and competitive event that requires participants to construct various structures or projects within a limited timeframe, using specific materials or guidelines. In this challenge, learners were asked to:

Design a carrier that can hold the weight of a brick to and from specified points. Each component of the carrier must be made from a different material. You must include a minimum of two techniques you have practised using in previous sessions- Structure/Fastening / Joining/Surface.

The challenge encouraged creativity, teamwork, problem-solving, and adaptability. It is a fun and dynamic way to promote collaboration and innovation while fostering a sense of excitement and urgency among participants.

Impact and Feedback

Mentimeter reflection completed at the end of a session

Feedback from both learners highlighted the effectiveness of the STEAM Challenge Taster programme, underscoring significant improvements in student motivation, critical thinking skills, and the ability to integrate knowledge across various disciplines.

Our approach to creating enjoyable learning environments was key to this success. By emphasising fun, safe risk-taking, and collaborative, active learning, we made the challenges an enjoyable experience for all participants. This not only enhanced engagement but also fostered a love for learning.

Additionally, by developing peer-oriented learning experiences, we helped learners feel more connected and supported, creating a strong sense of belonging. Integrating practices that engaged learners' whole selves proved to be highly effective, allowing them to bring their full selves to the learning process and resulting in deeper, more meaningful educational experiences.

The STEAM Programme at Coláiste na Sceilge has demonstrated that with the right approach, we can create educational environments that not only impart knowledge but also cultivate essential life skills. The positive outcomes from our MCSS research reinforce the importance of continuing to innovate and adapt teaching methods to meet the evolving needs of students and educators. As we move forward, addressing challenges such as institutional resistance and providing adequate professional development will be crucial. Our experience this year has been a testament to the power of interactive, student-centred learning, and we are excited to build on this foundation in future programmes. To access the free-to-use STEAM Challenge Taster Programme, sign up at muinincatalyst.com

The Future is Now.

It is time to prepare today's students for today’s world.

For the 2024/25 academic year, we will be offering free CPD (funded by the Department for ESD and Futures Literacy) as part of a move towards transitioning Ireland's education system in line with global educational reform. Get in touch at hello@futurefocus21c.com

Muinín Catalyst Sustainable STEAM uses a transdisciplinary, STEAM-based pedagogical approach. Returning to SDG 4, Target 4.7, one of the core missions of the Muinín Catalyst Sustainable STEAM programme is to ensure an arts / design and culture-led approach to learning that is transdisciplinary and transformative. Learning that supports the development of informed citizens, that are systemic, critical and creative thinkers who can apply their knowledge in agile ways that are sensitive, generative and appropriately responsive to context, in relevant and meaningful ways.

This is done through placed-based learning, which enables individuals to experience learning in local, real-life scenarios. Place-based approaches to learning grounded in local communities and contexts are relevant, engaging and inquiry-based. Students gain confidence and competence in affecting change, learning to manage risk, and develop creative, real-world solutions that are eco-socially just and restorative.