Digital creativity and problem-solving in higher engineering education: Developing an e-course using the educational affordances of STEAM methodology

Abstract

STEAM methodology has been proven effective in combining different learning topics in inter-disciplinary teaching approaches, to achieve better learning results. It appeals to the contemporary world’s demands by preparing tomorrow citizens in terms of job efficacy and 21st century skills. Especially, students with high engineering expertise need to develop core skills, including problem-solving, information processing, collaboration and communication skills, and engagement in life-long learning perspectives, embedded in current social and economic circumstances. To do so, inter-disciplinary education which -among others- blends science and humanitarian studies, and creativity development explored in technology-enhanced learning environments, are found to be of great importance. In this direction, we developed a web-based educational framework appealing to engineering students’ needs in higher education. In this study, it is explored how STEAM methodology bridges the desired educational standards to 21st century skills and consecutively it is proved that students’ involvement in a properly designed STEAM problem-solving instructional scenario affects positively their creative thinking skills. Through the experimental design, students elaborated on the factors that structure creativity, such as imagination, self-esteem, experimentation, implementation, and communication throughout their engagement in the creative problem-solving process in a STEAM methodology framework, called “STEAMapT2theGalaxy”.

Keywords: engineering education, e-course, problem-solving skills, creativity, STEAM

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1004588