CONTEXTEuroSTEAM is a 3 year project consisting of 7 partners from 5 EU countries (UK, BE, IT, ES, PT) who directly deliver STEM education & enrichment activities for and within schools. The project is seeking to address the key objective of Erasmus+ Key Action 2 by “co-operating for Innovation and Exchange of Good Practices enabling educational organisations to work together in order to improve their provision for learners & share innovative practices”. EuroSTEAM specifically addresses the Erasmus+ 2016 School Education priority to address the underachievement in the basic maths, science & literacy skills through more effective innovative teaching methods. Desk research has highlighted the need for the project by highlighting a European demand which is increasing for science, technology, engineering & maths (STEM) skills. Demand for STEM professionals is expected to grow by 8% between now and 2025, much higher than the average 3% growth forecast for all occupations. However, it is widely acknowledged from major European and global studies such as Eurostat & PISA, that many European countries are suffering from low achievement & low interest among learners in STEM subjects.To challenge this trend, EuroSTEAM will develop 3 IO'sIO1: Comparative Analysis ReportIO2: STEAM Camps Curricula & Course MaterialsIO3: EuroSTEAM online toolkitFurther EuroSTEAM will enhance current teaching methods through the provision of 5 day teacher training & through the dissemination of best practice approaches via 3 Multiplier Events.IMPACTThe main output of the project will be the development of a training toolkit for teachers to deliver effective & innovative STEM education activities which nurture & enhance natural creativity in order to increase student’s interest in scientific education. This will offer school learners & their educators’ different approaches to find their interests and strengths in STEM education while providing a better understanding, at the EU level, on the impact of innovative teaching practices as a method for addressing underachievement in basic skills of maths, science and literacy. The lasting outcome of the project will be to increase the quality of STEM education ensuring the availability of innovative didactical materials across EU to increase motivation for both teachers and learners to increase their understanding maths, science and literacy education. The project will directly reach 2144 individuals through participation in teacher training, multiplier events, dissemination of the EuroSTEAM online toolkit & the pilot delivery of the STEAM camps to learners. Indirectly, it is anticipated that the project will reach a further 26,000 individuals.SUMMARY OF KEY TASKSSWC (P1)• Project Management & Coordination• Leading the development of the EuroSTEAM online toolkit (IO3)• Conducting comparative needs analysis for the UK in IO1 • Pilot delivery of STEAM camps (IO2)• Hosting the final conference (E3)TM (P2)• Responsible for coordinating & disseminating the Comparative Analysis Report (IO1)• Conducting comparative needs analysis for Belgium in (IO1)• Pilot delivery of STEAM camps (IO2)• Pilot & Evaluate the EuroSTEAM online toolkit • Hosting the Comparative Analysis Report Seminar (E1) CMR (P3)• Leading the development of the STEAM camps & associated curricula and course materials (IO2)• Pilot delivery of STEAM camps (IO2)• Planning & Design content for EuroSTEAM online toolkit (IO3)• Pilot & Evaluate the EuroSTEAM online toolkit (IO3)• Hosting the STEAM camps Launch Event (E2)ETIC (P4)• Quality • Dissemination • Conducting comparative needs analysis for Portugal in (IO1)• Development of one STEAM camp (IO2)• Pilot delivery of STEAM camps (IO2)• Pilot & Evaluate the EuroSTEAM online toolkit (1O3)TK (P5)• Conducting comparative needs analysis for Spain in (IO1) • Development of one STEAM camp (IO2)• Deliver teacher training to 14 school teachers • Development of one STEAM camp (IO2)• Pilot delivery of STEAM camps (IO2)• Pilot & Evaluate the EuroSTEAM online toolkit (1O3)HG (P6)• Provide input into the comparative needs analysis for Belgium in (IO1)• Provide best practice examples for input into the development of STEAM camps (IO2)• Pilot delivery of STEAM camps (IO2)• Pilot & Evaluate the EuroSTEAM online toolkit (1O3)• Disseminate & Implement the EuroSTEAM IO’s in their SchoolsVMDC (P7)• Provide input into the comparative needs analysis for Italy in (IO1)• Provide best practice examples for input into the development of STEAM camps (IO2)• Pilot delivery of STEAM camps (IO2)• Pilot & Evaluate the EuroSTEAM online toolkit (1O3)• Disseminate & Implement the EuroSTEAM IO’s in their Schools
Context of project The EuroSTEAM project is an Erasmus+ funded project that aims to increase basic maths, literacy and Science skills of students throughout Europe by introducing STEAM teaching methodologies to teachers. Low attainment levels in these subjects is a common problem throughout Europe with a varying underperformance throughout different regions. This is highlighted in various Euopean poilicy documents which claim that approximately 20% of young learners throughout Europe are not adequately equipped with relevant STEM based skills.The EuroSTEAM project has a key aim to tackle this problem and identify a new approach to nurturing these skills within students. The Eurosteam project had a duration of 36 months beginning in September 2016 and concluding on the 31st of August 2019. Project objectives By taking into account our key aim of boosting skills of young learners, the EuroSTEAM project had these objectives: 1. Formulate a research study identifying underachievement in maths, science and literacy skills of learners aged 11–14 throughout Europe and identify how problem based STEAM methodologies can address these shortcomings. 2. Develop a range of STEAM resources which are accessible for teachers to deliver in their classrooms to boost the required skills set and to provide teacher training handbooks in 5 European Languages. 3. Develop an Online Toolkit which acts as a hub for downloading resources and also allow users to contribute their own resources to ensure the continuity of the toolkit. Participating organisations The project consisted of: - South West College (United Kingdom) – SWC is a vocational and technical college located in Northern Ireland. SWC is the lead partner on the EuroSTEAM project. - Thomas More Kempen (Beglium) – TM is the largest University college in Flanders with Aproximately 14,000 learners participating in a multitude of programmes. - Childrens museum Rome (Italy) – Il Museo Dei Bambini is a non-profit museum for children, schools and families where the exhibits can be observed, touched and interacted with in order to support learning. - ETIC (Portugal) – ETIC is an educational institution in the fields of creative industry and has a focus on promoting innovation, technology and creativity within education. - TKNIKA (Spain) – TKNIKA is the Institute for the Innovation of the Vocational and Educational Training System which promotes innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship in schools and VET centres of the Basque Country. - Heilig Graf (Belgium) –HG is a school organisation and one of the first secondary schools in Belgium to start with a specific programme called STEM. - Via Mar dei Caraibi (Italy) – VMDC is a school situated in a heterogeneous district of Rome. Main activities undertaken The project has had 7 transnational partner meetings. With the inclusion of face to face meetings, partners have also gained the opportunity to collectively test and consult with each other on project outputs. Intellectual outputs Throughout the project, partners have produced the following 3 outputs. 1. Comparative analysis report which identifies the underachievement of Maths, Literacy and Science skills within young learners throughout Europe and the need for a "problem based" STEAM approach to teaching. 2. The development of 3 creative and educational camps which use STEAM based teaching methods to educate students in a variety of subject areas, piloted to 730 students. 3. The development of an online toolkit which provides an online area where educators can learn about the project and access the outputs of the project. Multiplier events Throughout the project there has been 3 Multiplier events participated by 167 stakeholders . The events were: 1. A workshop seminar hosted by Thomas More in Belgium which disseminated the results of the comparative analysis report. 2. A demonstrative launch of the STEAM camps which was hosted in the Children’s Museum Rome. 3. The final event was a showcase for the entire project results and was held at South West College in Northern Ireland. Results and impact Each organisation trialled the STEAM camps to a minimum of 100 students carrying out baseline surveys and following up with evaluations to understand each students experience. Results proved that there was a boost in skills in the key areas of Science, Literacy and Maths. The number of students carrying out the pilots was 730. The online toolkit hosting all of the outputs has had a total of 753 unique users at time of writing which will reach over 1000 within a year. Long term benefits The dissemination of the project will continue and results are expected to take a noticable leap when the new School year begins in September with the amount of users and feedback continuing to grow between September – December 2019. We foresee the online toolkit continuing to grow and evolve with continued contribution from teachers and educators to produce a growing library of resources.