Innovation event model for STEM education: A constructivism perspective

Changyan Di; Qingguo Zhou; Jun Shen; Li Li; Rui Zhou; Jiayin Lin

doi:10.3934/steme.2021005

Article Contents

2021, Volume 1, Issue 1: 60-74. Doi: 10.3934/steme.2021005 open access

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Innovation event model for STEM education: A constructivism perspective

1.
School of Information Science and Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
2.
School of Computing and Information Technology, University of Wollongong, NSW, Australia
3.
Education Research Institute of Gansu Province, Lanzhou, Gansu, China

* Correspondence: zhouqg@lzu.edu.cn; Tel: +86-931-8912025
* Correspondence: zhouqg@lzu.edu.cn; Tel: +86-931-8912025

Academic Editor: Ergun Gide

Received: December 31, 2020

Revised: January 31, 2021

Published: February 2021

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Abstract

STEM education aims to cultivate innovative talents by improving students' ability to comprehensively apply interdisciplinary knowledge in solving practical problems. This paper first develops an innovation event model through the analysis of 50 historical innovation events that can be traced back to whole human history. The model divides the realization process of those innovation events into four steps: 1) pointing out a problem, 2) proposing solutions to the problem, 3) concrete implementation of those solutions, and 4) iterative modification process. And then, the relationship between innovation event model and STEM education is established from the perspectives of subject integration and constructivism of STEM education. Based on this model, we can understand some key issues in the implementation of STEM education from a top-down view, including the nature of STEM education, the knowledge integration model, and the relationship between subject-specific education and integrated education. This will help to gradually improve our cognition and understanding of STEM education, so as to achieve its initial goal of integrated and innovative education. This article will contribute to a holistic rethinking about how to renovate STEM education in different levels of schools and colleges, equipped with such an innovation event model.

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Mathematics Subject Classification: Perspective.

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Figure 1. The Innovation Event Model

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Figure 2. A schematic diagram of the structure of knowledge

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Figure 3. Design STEM curricula around students' life experiences

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Figure 4. The mind map of "The Crossroad"

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Table . LIST OF INNOVATION CASES

Order	Invention	Driving problem
1	Kay Shuttle technology [4]	To improve efficiency of working
2	Jenny's Loom [4]	To improve efficiency of working
3	Microscope [4]	By accident
4	Barcode [4]	To collect product information automatically at checkout
5	Television [4]	To transmit images electronically
6	Internal combustion engine [4]	To improve thermal efficiency
7	Ultrasound diagnosis [4]	To detect the pathological changes of organs in the human body
8	Mercurial thermometer [5]	To measure the patient's temperature accurately
9	Fahrenheit [5]	To get the temperature exactly
10	Echometer [5]	To improve the method of auscultation
11	U-shaped mercury manometer [5]	To get the patient's blood pressure
12	Compass, quadrant, spinnaker [5]	To solve the problem of positioning in navigation
13	Watt steam engine [5]	To improve performance of older steam engine
14	Using steam engines in manufacturing [5]	To improve performance of that field
15	Steam driven vessel [5]	To improve performance of that field
16	Steam Locomotive [5]	To improve performance of that field
17	LD process [5]	To improve performance of that field
18	Cotton gin [5]	To improve performance of that field
19	Music box [5]	By accident
20	Typewriter [5]	To page a book automatically
21	Edison's Light Bulb [5]	To improve performance
22	Telegram [5]	To realize long distance communication
23	Telephone [5]	To realize long distance transmission of sound
24	Radio [5]	To transmit information wirelessly
25	Movable type printing(Bi Sheng) [5]	To improve efficiency of printing
26	Movable type printing (Gutenberg) [5]	To improve efficiency of printing
27	Penicillin [5]	To kill bacteria
28	Fessenden oscillator [5]	To detect underwater objects
29	Aniline violet dyeing technique [5]	By accident
30	Porcelain glazing technology [5]	By accident
31	Fiberglass [5]	To make glass threads
32	Plastics [5]	By accident
33	Maxim's machine gun [5]	To load the bullet with the force of the gun after firing
34	Radiotelegraph Communication (Marconi) [5]	To send a telegram by wireless
35	Radar (Watson Watt) [5]	By accident
36	Aspirin(Felix Hoffmann) [5]	To relieve his father's pain
37	Plane [5]	To fly like a bird
38	Transistor [5]	To overcome the limitations of the vacuum tube
39	Google [6]	To improve efficiency of finding information in the Internet
40	The internet [6]	To share the computing resources
41	WWW [6]	To connect information from different computers
42	Computer [6]	To compute automatically
43	Integrated circuit [6]	To reduce the size of the circuit
44	Disinfection of drinking water [7]	To effectively curb waterborne diseases
45	Ice market [7]	To explore new market
46	Artificial ice making technology [7]	To make ice cubes to help patients cool down
47	Freeze preservation technology [7]	To keep the taste of food
48	Three-point suture [19]	To achieve vascular suture?
49	Artemisinin (Tu Youyou) [20]	To treat malaria
50	Apgar Score [21]	To reduce neonatal mortality effectively

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