STEAM COURSE INTRODUCES BPHS FRESHMEN TO HUMAN-CENTERED DESIGN
ethel Park
BETHEL PARK SCHOOL DISTRICT
ABOVE: Shabur Karimov( left) and Maggs Browning( right) connect an electronic invention tool called a Makey-Makey to a circuit they designed to play a song. TOP RIGHT: Introductory STEAM students collaborate on a human-centered design technique called“ What’ s On Your Radar?” to brainstorm inventions that would improve student life. BOTTOM RIGHT:( Left to right): Edric Craven and Alex Chitsazzadeh invent a robotic vehicle with Little Bits, electronic building block kits.
STEAM COURSE INTRODUCES BPHS FRESHMEN TO HUMAN-CENTERED DESIGN
Introductory STEAM is a new semester-long course being piloted at Bethel Park High School in 2016- 2017 as an elective for Ninth Graders. As the STEAM acronym indicates, this class takes an interdisciplinary approach to teaching science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics.
To accomplish this, a team of teachers share the responsibility of designing and presenting the coursework. The team includes Science Teacher Lee Cristofano, Music Teacher Jonathan Derby, and English Teacher and Instructional Technology Coach Charles Youngs.
Together, they use a project-based approach and introduce the students to STEAM concepts focusing on humancentered design.
“ Human-centered design has the students thinking critically and solving problems by examining ways that can make life better,” notes Mr. Cristofano.“ Our students work through the same processes as professional designers and makers.”
Projects thus far have included inventions, building robotic vehicles with LittleBits electronics, conductive sewing, paper circuitry, and virtual reality video recording and editing.
The coursework takes place in any of three innovation studios, classroom spaces
46 Bethel Park at the high school specially outfitted for STEAM-related learning activities.
According to the human-centered design process, students begin planning their projects using a series of divergent, critical thinking and brainstorming activities. Next, they consider how people would interact with a proposed innovation. They do so by observing, interviewing, and researching their prospective users and their needs.
Students prototyped and presented their designs, which included such ideas as a portable backpack grill, a lunch box that heats and cools food, a school participation reward app, and a smart locker filled useful gadgets.
“ A key part of human-centered design is user experience, having empathy for the
( Left to right): freshmen Brianna Nicholas, Thomas Kowalski and Sean Heh enjoy viewing their classmates’ videos. user, and thinking of how one’ s innovation can make life better for people,” Mr. Youngs explains.“ To improve their designs they have to consider the world around them.”
Last year, Mr. Cristofano and Mr. Youngs, gained training in human-centered design from the LUMA Institute, based in Pittsburgh. Technology education teacher Brad Kszastowski and assistant to the superintendent Janet O’ Rourke also participated in the training, which was provided as part of a 2015 Remake Learning grant.
“ Collaboration is important,” says Mr. Derby.“ While some assignments are individual, most projects require students to work together as they brainstorm, plan, prototype, and test their ideas.”
Mr. Derby( right) checks the musical notation of Sean Heh( center) and Lindsey Barber( left) before they create and wire a circuit board to play a song using Makey- Makey, an electronic invention tool.