Our Values

STEAM education  generates creative solutions to complex problems across multiple disciplines and levels (i.e. personal, professional, local, national, global, societal) . It ignites student interest, sparks curiosity, and inspires wonder in the world. 

Key high impact practices for creativity and expression include ePortfolios, common intellectual experiences, writing intensive courses, capstone courses and projects, and collaborative assignments and projects.

STEAM promotes a well-rounded educational experience for the whole student.  It is collaborative, fosters habits of mind, and provides for integrative explorations. 

Key high impact practices for holistic learning include experiential learning, service-learning, community-based learning, common intellectual experiences, and learning communities.

STEAM education fosters convergent thinking through the integration of individual disciplinary knowledge, practices, dispositions, values, insights, tools and ways of thinking to tackle significant societal challenges that exist at the intersection of multiple fields. Convergence provides opportunities for cross-pollination between disciplines on a topic from multiple perspectives. 

Key high impact practices for convergence education include ePortfolios, common intellectual experiences, writing intensive courses, capstone courses and projects, and collaborative assignments and projects, learning communities, and service learning,  community-based learning.

STEAM education encourages a culture of student engagement and trust, persistence and success, and a sense of belonging and agency. It promotes inclusive and equitable learning and practices for diverse learners across campuses, classrooms, and learning environments. 

Key high impact practices for diversity, equity and inclusion include service learning and community-based learning, diversity/ global learning, collaborative assignments and projects

STEAM education encourages synergies and leverages ideas to cultivate change for the future. It fosters innovation to build capacity for solving the problems of the future. 

Key high impact practices include internships, capstone courses and projects, service learning and community-based learning, undergraduate research, collaborative assignments and projects, and ePortfolio.

STEAM education is grounded in evidence from high-impact teaching practices, builds upon data from best practices in learner centered teaching design, and asks faculty to to question their description of the practice, and how the implementation procedures are effective for the student population. It provides for authentic research experiences. 

All of the AAC&U high impact practices are key to evidence-based teaching and learning.