The Odisha state government announced that it will soon set up Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) labs to develop logical and critical thinking among students of the 422 residential schools and educational institutions that operate under the ST & SC Development, Minorities & Backward Classes Welfare Department.
The labs will implement a teaching-learning strategy that emphasises problem-based, hands-on learning and gives students the tools they need to succeed in their careers, reports The New Indian Express. Giving children the opportunity to visualise the concepts through curriculum-aligned tinkering activities, the labs aim to help them alleviate their fear of STEM disciplines, particularly Science and Math.
This move aims to benefit students of Classes VI, VII and VIII of the residential institutions in particular. They will get to work on projects including fundamental electricity, magnetism, light, force, pressure, and so on. Experiments in chemistry, biology, and mathematics will also be showcased in the laboratories.
For the students to experience a real workshop-like setting and create the models by selecting the necessary materials as directed by their teachers and trainers, all project-related equipment will be stored in the labs. According to sources, the agency has scheduled a baseline assessment before the labs' establishment, even though they are probably going to open this year.
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) labs have already been established by the department in the dorms to provide students living there with access to learning spaces both during and after school hours. STEM education will also include the ICT laboratories.
The process for setting up STEM labs has been initiated by the Odisha Tribal Development Society, which is under the administrative control of the department.
