From STEM to STEAM: Reframing What it Means to Learn

Although involvement in art and design have been shown to play an essential role in catalyzing STEM research, true integration is still an area of active research. The realization of STEM education via STEAM lends itself to interactive and participatory dialogic art; this juncture provides a nonjudgmental space to cultivate the question-making aspect of inquiry, the ability to comfortably hold uncertainty, and a sensitivity to the process of discovery. Even though STEM education can (and often is) inquiry-based, assessments still tend to focus on whether knowledge or skills have been obtained, and this is no different than the current general practice in the arts. Consequently, what does it mean to learn in a STEAM context? This article presents a multifaceted view which can be used to organize meaningful assessments for STEAM learning. Author/Artist Bio Dr. Nicole Radziwill is (as of Fall 2015) an Associate Professor in the Department of Integrated Science and Technology at James Madison University. She is an ASQ Certified Six Sigma Black Belt whose research focuses on quality management and informatics. Dr. Morgan C. Benton is also an Associate Professor in the Department of Integrated Science and Technology at James Madison University. He teaches programming and web development, and his research emphasizes ways to motivate and inspire students in higher education. Cassidy Moellers is a 2015 honors graduate of the ISAT and Media Arts and Design (SMAD) program at JMU.