Month: June 2026

Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah (UMPSA) STEM Lab today hosted a roundtable discussion with 38 teachers and education officers from schools under the Pejabat Pendidikan Daerah (PPD) Maran and Jabatan Pendidikan Negeri Pahang. The session served as an important platform to explore future collaborations aimed at strengthening STEM education and digital competency development among students in the district.

The discussion brought together educators, school leaders, and STEM practitioners to exchange ideas, identify current educational needs, and explore opportunities for impactful partnerships between UMPSA STEM Lab and schools in the Maran district. The session highlighted a shared commitment to preparing students for a rapidly evolving technological landscape while fostering creativity, innovation, and problem-solving skills.

Several potential collaboration areas were discussed, including the implementation of hands-on STEM programs such as Vibe Coding with Raspberry Pi, Vibe Coding with Arduino Robotics, Dashboard Design and Data Visualization, and Computational Thinking with Artificial Intelligence (AI). These programs are designed to provide students with authentic learning experiences that combine programming, engineering design, data analytics, and emerging technologies.

A special segment of the roundtable focused on sharing evidence-based pedagogical practices developed and researched by the UMPSA STEM Lab. Participants were introduced to a series of research and outreach initiatives that have contributed to the advancement of STEM and engineering education. Among the highlighted works were studies on collaborative STEM outreach programs, game development-based learning for programming education, computational thinking through scaffolded game development activities, digital making skill development using the UMP STEM Cube, IoT-enabled precision agriculture using Raspberry Pi edge devices, and innovative approaches to engineering education. These research outcomes have been published in reputable international journals, including IEEE Transactions on Education, IEEE Potentials, European Journal of Educational Research, International Journal of Evaluation and Research in Education (IJERE), and the Journal of Mechatronics, Electrical Power, and Vehicular Technology.

To illustrate the importance of pedagogy in learning, participants engaged in an interactive activity involving visual communication and instructional scaffolding. In the first exercise, a participant was tasked with describing a house constructed from multiple geometric shapes without showing the image to the audience. Participants attempted to recreate the drawing based solely on verbal instructions, resulting in significant variations and inaccuracies. In the second exercise, participants were first shown the individual geometric shapes before another participant described a more complex image of a car constructed from similar shapes. The resulting drawings demonstrated a marked improvement in accuracy and consistency.

This activity served as a symbolic representation of the educational philosophy practiced by the UMPSA STEM Lab. Rather than immediately introducing complex technologies, the STEM Lab emphasizes structured learning pathways that progressively build learners’ understanding. Through tiered and scaffolded pedagogical approaches, students are first introduced to fundamental concepts before advancing to more sophisticated digital making activities. This methodology has been successfully applied across various STEM outreach programs involving programming, robotics, embedded systems, artificial intelligence, and engineering design.

The discussion also introduced the Lab’s emerging “Vibe Coding AI Structured Pedagogy” framework. While recent advancements in artificial intelligence have made coding more accessible, the framework emphasizes that effective learning requires more than simply generating code. Students must develop computational thinking, problem decomposition, design reasoning, and critical evaluation skills. The structured pedagogy combines AI-assisted development with carefully designed learning scaffolds to ensure that students remain active creators and problem solvers rather than passive users of technology.

A key focus of the discussion was the role of UMPSA STEM Lab in contributing not only technical expertise but also educational content, instructional modules, and tailored pedagogical approaches. Drawing upon its extensive experience in engineering education, the STEM Lab aims to support schools in implementing meaningful STEM learning experiences that are aligned with curriculum requirements while promoting higher-order thinking skills and real-world problem solving.

The collaboration also seeks to create sustainable pathways for teacher professional development, enabling educators to gain confidence in integrating digital technologies and engineering concepts into classroom teaching. Through carefully designed modules and project-based learning activities, students will be exposed to engineering thinking, computational problem solving, and innovative design practices from an early age.

UMPSA STEM Lab remains committed to supporting schools across Pahang in nurturing the next generation of innovators, engineers, and technology leaders. The roundtable discussion with PPD Maran marks an important first step towards establishing long-term partnerships that will enrich STEM education and empower both teachers and students to thrive in the digital era.

The STEM Lab looks forward to working closely with PPD Maran and its schools in transforming ideas discussed during the session into impactful educational programs that benefit learners throughout the district. Through collaboration, innovation, and research-informed educational practices, UMPSA STEM Lab continues its mission of making engineering and technology education accessible, engaging, and meaningful for all learners.