Getting Real about the E in STEAM

Abstract

STEM and STEAM are in the news. Researchers and educators in my field (cognition, art, and creativity) argue reasons for adding the A to STEM. While I visit this below, my focus is elsewhere. In this brief essay, I want to explore the meaning and importance of the E appearing in both STEM and STEAM. What’s engineering doing in this mix? And what are some reasons for affirming the arts when the role of engineering is clarified? Author/Artist Bio Dr. James S. Catterall is Professor Emeritus and past Chair of the Faculty at the UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies. Dr. Catterall is an Affiliate Faculty member at the UCLA Center for Culture, Brain, and Development. Dr. Catterall is also the Principal Investigator at the Centers for Research on Creativity, (CRoC), based in Los Angeles and London, UK. (www.croc-lab.org). Dr. Catterall is coauthor of “Critical Links: Learning in the Arts and Student Academic and Social Development,” Arts Education Partnership’s (AEP) 2002 landmark compilation, which provides summaries of numerous significant research studies in dance, drama, the multi-arts, music and visual arts as well as comprehensive summaries written by some of the most recognized names in arts research.