STEAM in Oulu
The core of the community consists of early childhood education, basic education, and upper secondary education units that cooperate with professionals from different fields and organizations. The goal is to develop STEAM learning. Activities are developed in cooperation with a large network of partners. STEAM is short for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, & Mathematics.
STEAM in Oulu originated from an innovative school and teacher community which started the work in 2018 in Oulu. Currently, the network includes all basic education units, several daycare units, and some upper secondary schools.
STEAM activities in Oulu are developed by the city’s internal operators, such as the Museum and Science Centre, Oulu City Library, Oulu2026 Project, and Oulu Cultural Services.
The University of Oulu, Oulu University for Applied Sciences, and OSAO actively participate in the development work.
The network also includes local businesses that value the STEAM ideology.
STEAM in education
The development of Oulu’s STEAM Study Path began with project funding granted by the Finnish National Agency for Education in 2018. Six schools and the University’s FabLab came together and created the STEAM Study Path for basic education. The study modules developed in the Study Path have already been tested and adopted by Oulu’s schools.
STEAM pedagogy utilizes technology, sciences, and art as approaches to teaching self-direction, interaction skills, and critical thinking. The goal is to educate determined, responsible, cooperative, and bold problem solvers.
In teaching, STEAM means combining school subject groups and technologies into larger study modules. Students participate in building the modules, and cooperation with teachers is important. STEAM education works best when it is a part of the school’s curriculum work. STEAM modules can include any school subjects.
STEAM means learning that is experimental, communal, and centres the students. It improves the school’s culture from the perspective of creating and learning together. Each school creates its own STEAM methods, but no school is ever alone.
