STEAM & Design Thinking
STEAM combines design thinking, product development and project work in an awe-inspiring futuristic lab. As opposed to working in classes and silos of Maths, English, Science, Computing, Business, etc., students acquire knowledge and skills through projects that combine the subjects. Students “learn by doing,” working on real-world projects designing real-world solutions. They design and fabricate steel, wood, acrylic prototypes plus mechanical, electrical, and control systems while developing strong coding and programming skills.
Students develop the 5Cs – critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, communication, and commitment –that are so critical in today’s workplace. The STEAM programme overlaps with the MBA programme and provides students the opportunity to also launch a venture and participate in Sunmarke’s Venture Incubator and Sunmarke’s Shark Tank.
Preparing Students For The Future, The 4th Industrial Revolution
In Primary School, students learn through discovery and invention, developing their creative problem-solving skills with real-life problems, acquiring a wide array of vital technical and coding skills. They design prototypes with the engineering design process, learn about innovation, SMART technologies and artificial intelligence (AI), and enterprise and developer “maker” characteristics.
In Secondary School, students begin to master those technical skills, which are aligned to future industries—industry 4.0. They refine their engineering skills, learn about rapid prototyping and industry-ready standards whilst combining entrepreneurial skills with maker-space ideas. They develop their understanding of SMART technologies and AI and work with industry mentors which helps them gain insights into the real world and a glimpse into the future.
Critical Thinking
STEAM requires students to think deeply and analytically, to engineer solutions to problems. Project-based learning and cross-curricular projects enable students to acquire wide subject knowledge and skills, in different real-world contexts. Students learn to see the bigger and smaller picture.
Problem Solving
Since the beginning of time, humans have been finding ways to increase efficiency, from inventing of the wheel to Roman engineering in construction to the constant updates of modern day apps. In STEAM, students use processes like Engineering Design Process to iterate their solution, take risks and think outside-of-the-box.
Arts in STEAM
The arts are integral to engineering and solving problems. It’s one thing to engineer a solution that works; it’s another to provide that perfect design combining aesthetics, function and user-friendliness – remember how the sleek iPhone usurped the clunky Nokia phone. The Arts help link the logical with the creative – innovating creativity.
“My son has matured immensely at Sunmarke's Sixth Form. The teachers are great role models for him”
