Learning Design for SDL in STEAM

Mor, Ferguson, and Wasson define learning design as “the practice of devising effective learning experiences aimed at achieving defined educational objectives in a given context” (2015, p.221).  The foci of learning design are thus more on teacher inquiry and professional learning.  Teachers try to improve their own professional practice to facilitate student learning through supporting inquiry and self-reflection, adopting the roles of designer, developer, and evaluator of learning. (Law, 2017).

With a good learning design, students’ learning can be driven by inquiry questions or real life problems.  The learning design of STEAM education has three common orientations, i.e. design focusing primarily on scientific inquiry, design focusing primarily on engineering design thinking and process, and a mixture of both.  To facilitate SDL of students, there is a need for teachers to master learning and assessment design strategies that integrate SDL components.  You are welcome to go to Learning Design Studio to know more about the e-platform that CITE develops to facilitate learning design of teachers.  You may also look at learning designs for primary and secondary schools developed by schools of our previous projects.