From STEM to STEAM: LED Light-Adjusting and Paper-Curved Pop Up Card Hands-On Curriculum Module Design

Pass researches on STEM education emphasized the rational problem solving among applied engineering and technology, while the nurture of the imagination and creativity in the students' art field was overlooked. Hence, this research aims to develop a STEAM curriculum module, with basic electronic technology and skill as the foundation, combining scientific RGB colour theory and the artistic concept of drawing and modelling design, with application of the Adobe Illustrator and SketchUp softwares, developing into a hands-on module "LED light-adjusting and paper-curved pop up card" STEAM curriculum. This research combined expert teachers from electrical engineering, physics and art fields to collaboratively develop the curriculum module, through reflective dialogues of three instructing teachers and two team teachers, experiencing three years of curriculum module revision. The first year developed the integrated curriculum of the mini DIY LED light-adjusting board that combined technology, engineering and mathematics, the second year combined with science concept and developed the STEM curriculum for LED light-adjusting board experiments, the third year combined with the artistic paper-curved pop up card and developed the STEAM curriculum module. This module can be applied in the living technology curriculum of the grade 8, which based on student-centred learning, with application of 6E Learning by DeSIGN™ Model for teaching, and this STEAM curriculum module can provide and be applied in 24 lessons of the secondary school's living technology curriculum.