Tag: STEM Outreach

At the heart of a vibrant preschool in Pekan, a meaningful initiative took place — one that blends the joy of reading with the importance of digital literacy for young minds. The program, rooted in the spirit of Reading Makchixx, brought together passionate educators, enthusiastic children, and a mission to nurture responsible digital users from an early age.

The Reading Makchixx initiative was born right here in this very school back in 2018, with an original goal that was simple yet impactful — to encourage English book reading among preschoolers, cultivating a love for language and literacy.

As the program grew, so did its vision. In 2023, Reading Makchixx expanded through a meaningful collaboration with the UNESCO Information for All Programme (IFAP). With this new partnership, the program began to include modules on Media and Information Literacy (MIL) — a vital skill set for today’s digital world. A synopsis of this program is accessible via this link.

In an age where children are increasingly exposed to smartphones, tablets, and digital content, it’s never too early to start building their understanding of safe and ethical online behavior.

The four pillars of Media and Information Literacy guided the design of this initiative:

1. Access – Teaching children how to search and find appropriate information.

2. Evaluate – Helping them understand what is true and safe.

3. Use – Using digital tools responsibly.

4. Share – Learning to communicate and share with care.

For today session, the spotlight was on Digital Privacy — a topic often overlooked, especially for young children. While 5- and 6-year-olds may seem too young for such topics, their interaction with devices and apps makes them vulnerable to online threats.

Using playful activities, stories, and interactive visuals, we introduced the concept of privacy in a way preschoolers could relate to. From understanding the importance of not sharing personal information to knowing when to ask an adult for help, the 100 children of Pra SK Seri Biram learned that protecting themselves online is just as important as knowing their ABCs.

Thank you, Cikgu Zuraidah, for the dedication in helping us stay connected with the participants. We really appreciate your support!

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*UMP STEM Lab Robot Literacy – Introduction to Robot and Robotics can be found here.

33 school children from Rumah Casa Harapan Kuantan had participated in this program. Students have gone through activities including robot anatomy, actuators and sensors.

Thank you PEMEKAR – Datin Seri Fazia & Dato Seri Daing for initiating the program and coordinating the communication between STEM Lab and the participants.

Today I had the opportunity to speak at a gathering of primary and secondary school headmasters from the Kuantan District, an event organized under the Exploria, Pahang State Education Department and Kuantan District Education Department. The focus of my talk was “Pembudayaan STEM di Sekolah” (Fostering STEM Culture in Schools), where I shared UMPSA STEM Lab’s experience in promoting STEM education through our philosophy of See, Think, Explore, Marvel.

STEM Beyond Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

While STEM is typically defined as Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, at UMPSA STEM Lab, we believe it goes beyond just disciplines. Instead, we see STEM as an interdisciplinary and experiential learning approach that fosters critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving.

Our philosophy—See, Think, Explore, Marvel—guides our approach –

• See (Melihat) – Exposing students to real-world STEM applications and inspiring curiosity
• Think (Berfikir) – Encouraging problem-solving and logical reasoning
• Explore (Meneroka) – Engaging in hands-on learning and experimentation
• Marvel (Mengagumi) – Instilling a sense of wonder and appreciation for innovation

At UMPSA STEM Lab, we embed this philosophy into our digital making skillset activities, ensuring that students and educators engage in practical, hands-on learning that enhances their understanding of STEM concepts.

Affordable Learning Kits: A Stepping Stone for STEM Education

During my talk, I shared a personal story about my journey in learning to play a musical instrument. As a child, I wanted to learn the piano, but at the time, music classes were expensive. However, thanks to the inclusion of music education in formal schooling, I had the opportunity to learn using a recorder—a much more affordable instrument. That experience gave me the confidence to later join the school marching band and eventually learn more complex instruments, such as the saxophone.

This experience mirrors the motivation behind UMPSA STEM Lab’s approach to developing cost-effective learning kits for STEM education. Just as the recorder served as a stepping stone to mastering musical instruments, our affordable learning kits serve as a foundation for students to develop their skills in areas like programming, robotics, and physical computing. By providing accessible tools, we lower the entry barrier for students, enabling them to explore and build confidence in STEM learning.

STEM Education Research: Constructivist Learning in Digital Making

Beyond outreach and engagement, UMPSA STEM Lab is also actively involved in research on STEM education, particularly in digital making. During the session, I highlighted some of our key research efforts:

• Constructivist Approach to Learning Programming: Our IEEE Transactions paper explores how UMPSA STEM Cube, based on Raspberry Pi technology, enhances programming education through hands-on learning.

• Arduino Robotics: We apply the Black Box-White Box approach in robotics education, guiding students from conceptual understanding to hands-on implementation.

• Tiered Scaffolding in STEM Learning: We use progressive learning structures to gradually increase the complexity of tasks, helping students build their skills step by step.

Panel Discussion: Strengthening Collaboration in STEM Education

Following my talk, I had the privilege of joining a panel discussion on Pembudayaan STEM. The discussion emphasized the need for stronger collaboration between the education community, industry, and higher learning institutions. I shared my vision for working closely with schools in both STEM outreach programs and STEM education research. By fostering stronger networks and sharing best practices, we can ensure that STEM education remains accessible, engaging, and impactful for students across Malaysia.

Moving Forward: Building a Sustainable STEM Culture

At UMPSA STEM Lab, we believe that STEM is more than just subjects—it’s a culture of learning and discovery. Moving forward, we will continue to:

• Develop cost-effective learning kits to make STEM education more inclusive
• Strengthen research efforts in STEM education and digital making
• Foster collaborations with the education community to create sustainable STEM outreach programs

We look forward to working with schools, educators, and policymakers to build a vibrant and dynamic STEM culture in Malaysia. Together, let’s empower the next generation of innovators, problem-solvers, and critical thinkers.

I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to all the UMPSA, faculty members, fellow academicians, collaborators (locally and internationally), teachers, school children, and student mentors who have been with UMPSA STEM Lab throughout this journey. The curiosity, enthusiasm, and unwavering support in participating in our STEM activities have been truly inspiring. It is the young mind’s eagerness to explore, learn, and innovate that fuels our passion to continue developing engaging STEM experiences. Seeing the excitement and creativity you bring into the classroom motivates us to keep pushing boundaries and making STEM education more accessible, hands-on, and impactful. Thank you for being a part of this journey—together, let’s continue to See, Think, Explore, and Marvel in the world of STEM!

 

A synopsis of the program can be retrieved via the following link.

In today’s program, 38 participants from SK Cenderawasih Pekan were introduced to mBlock programming, learning to use its graphical interface to create sequences of instructions. They explored sequential programming, conditional statements, and loops through hands-on tutorials. These foundational skills were applied in two projects: a Snake game and a Pac-Man game. In the Snake game, they programmed the snake’s movement, growth, and collision detection, while in the Pac-Man game, they navigated a maze, collected points, and avoided ghosts. This approach provided a comprehensive understanding of programming concepts and their practical applications.

Appreciation to Cikgu Rogayah for coordinating the communication between the participants and UMPSA STEM Lab.