Like all organisations and businesses, STEM Learning has made significant operational changes since the UK started pulling down the shutters in early March 2020. None of us could have imagined that 12 months on, we would still be living with significant restrictions in both our business and personal lives – but the early changes we made allowed the organisation to make significant and tangible progress, even during this exceptionally challenging period.
STEM Learning’s Strategic Advisory Group met to reflect on what we've achieved during the last year, what we've learnt and how we can use these learnings to shape our future strategy and success. So, after living with the effects of the pandemic for the last year, here are our five key findings…
1 When face to face learning at our National STEM Learning Centre in York was paused in March 2020, we immediately moved many of our activities – particularly our intensive, normally residential professional development – to remote delivery. This proved to be very popular and demonstrated the appetite for continued professional learning from teachers and technicians - including those who may previously have been limited by funds, time, travel or senior leader approval.
2 Our bespoke, tailored, school-based support has continued remotely – and successfully - throughout this period, particularly for ENTHUSE Partnerships (groups of schools working together and with us to improve STEM teaching and learning) and schools engaging with our bespoke triple science support. However, feedback from schools remains that, where an activity is helping them address specific needs, this is often better provided through face-to-face support with interactive dialogue and collaboration. This helps to ensure more impactful engagement of whole departments, whole schools, and – where appropriate - groups from across multiple schools. This is one of the first things we will reintroduce once circumstances allow.
3 Unsurprisingly, face-to-face engagement is often the preferred route for unleashing young people’s passion for STEM subjects and careers. We will support both physical and remote strategies in order to effectively re-engage our STEM Ambassadors with schools. Online engagement, when appropriate, has allowed us to extend our reach to include even more young people and their families. It has stimulated innovations such as the hugely successful STEM pantomime.
STEM Ambassador Chris Joly, who’s a retired engineer, said: “Before the pandemic disrupted our lives, I was doing STEM lectures as and when schools within a reasonable radius around my home were seeking support. I always enjoyed standing in front of a class and seeing the energy and enthusiasm of the students.
“When STEM activity went online, the geographical limitations were removed, and there was no shortage of interest! Although going virtual has meant it’s not been possible to see students’ reactions, it’s very rewarding to be able to reach many more students than previously, particularly through events organised by the regional hubs.”
4 STEM Clubs activity has continued virtually via teachers and non-school groups/parents – even during periods when schools were closed to most pupils. There is a clear appetite amongst STEM Club partners to coordinate the support landscape. This provides an opportunity to extend further the reach and effectiveness of STEM Clubs, and encourage additional corporate funding streams to support this crucial way of helping young people experience ‘practical STEM’.
5 The period since March 2020 has seen a very significant expansion in visits to and downloads of the resources collection on the STEM Learning website. This huge reach has proved to be highly effective in generating new partnerships with resource providers, allowing us to strategically enhance our collection. The Nuffield Research Placements successfully transitioned to a virtual delivery method and have had great success in attracting students and placement providers. Events such as the Virtual Careers Fair, which reached over 27,000 young people and engaged 25 STEM employers during Careers Week, have been excellent learning opportunities for everyone involved. This was a terrific example of how virtual working has the potential to reach larger numbers of students, teachers and schools who may have previously been geographically or financially restricted.
Summary
STEM Learning has conclusively proved its ability and willingness to react quickly and flexibly when faced with a huge and rapidly evolving challenge. The spirit of creativity, innovation and adaptability demonstrated by the entire team, and our partners across Science Learning Partnerships, Computing Hubs, STEM Ambassador Hubs and others, has been outstanding and heartwarming in equal measure. The trick for us now is to ensure these qualities are not reserved for exceptional circumstances, but become part of our everyday and future business and activities.
Virtual engagement with our audiences has been key, but it also remains clear that face to face engagement and physical experiences – for young people, teachers and volunteers - remain absolutely fundamental as part of our long-term activity mix. So it is our fervent hope that this will be able to return soon and will be complemented by our agile, improved remote options across our programmes – meaning we emerge from the pandemic world as a more progressive, forward-thinking and adaptable organisation.
Sir Michael Griffiths, chair of the Strategic Advisory Group, said: “As we emerge from the pandemic, many things will have changed about the ways schools operate and children learn. It is vital that STEM Learning continues to provide excellent support if we are as a nation to produce the scientists, technologists, engineers, mathematicians and healthcare professionals we need for our future prosperity.
“It is reassuring that STEM Learning is itself willing and able to adapt and evolve new effective ways of working to complement the existing successful support for schools, teachers and - most importantly - children."
What lessons have you learned, and what strategies have you adopted during the pandemic which you intend to continue? Join the discussion on STEM Community here.