STEM stands for "Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics" and suggests an integrated approach to these domains whereby science and mathematics are learnt through interdisciplinary projects that use technology and the principles of engineering. Opened in 2016 at La Grande Boissière campus, the STEM Centre was conceptualized by ABCP Architecture in collaboration with INITIAL, EPFL and the LGB STEM team.
The STEM Centre is an open space divided up in 4 major areas:
- Idea Lab (idealization, collaboration and creativity)
- Innovation Lab (critical thinking, building and developing)
- Bot Lab (robotics, prototyping and testing)
- Bubble (implementation, reflection and presentation)
With bright open spaces to imagine new worlds, wall-to-wall whiteboards to brainstorm and hypothesize, and state-of-the-art equipment to explore and experiment, the STEM Centre creates the ideal atmosphere for students to dream, invent and keep up with advancements in an ever-changing digital world.
Combining different subjects, but also different year groups, the STEM Centre aims to merge various elements of the curriculum to encourage innovative ways of thinking and building. As a result, every day is a success as our students become ever more curious about the world around them, and come up with projects that captivate both their classmates and teachers.
Goals
The goals behind the design of the space were to:
- Facilitate cross-discipline communication and productive collaboration
- Emphasize non-formal non-traditional teaching and learning
- Encourage divergence in thinking and experimenting through hands-on authentic learning opportunities
- Foster every student's learning journey (feel, ask, imagine, plan, create, discuss, reflect, share)
- Develop competences such as collaboration, creativity, critical thinking and communication
Programme
The STEM Centre offers a wide range of activities. The main elements of our programme are:
- Events (including educational trips)
- Extra-curricular activities and workshops
- Educational STEM projects
Partnership with EPFL
The STEM Centre has the pleasure and privilege of benefiting from a fruitful partnership with EPFL (Ecole polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne). EPFL is a technical Swiss university specialised in the field of science and technology, ranked as one of the 20 best universities in the world. The STEM Centre regularly works in collaboration with the Chili Lab led by Pr. Pierre Dillenbourg (Computer-Human Interaction in Learning and Instruction).
Some articles written by members of the EPFL's Chili Lab with the support of Ecolint:
- J. Nasir*, U. Norman*, W. Johal, J.K. Olsen, S. Shahmoradi, and P. Dillenbourg, "Robot Analytics: What Do Human-Robot Interaction Traces Tell Us About Learning?", 28th IEEE International Conference on Robot and Human Interactive Communication (RO-MAN), pp. 1–6, 2019.
- S. Shahmoradi, J.K. Olsen, S. Haklev, W. Johal, U. Norman, J. Nasir, and P. Dillenbourg, “Orchestration of Robotic Activities in Classrooms: Challenges and Opportunities”, European Conference on Technology Enhanced Learning (ECTEL), pp. 640–644, 2019.
- J. Nasir*, U. Norman*, B. Bruno, and P. Dillenbourg, "You Tell, I Do, and We Swap until we Connect All the Gold Mines!”, ERCIM News, vol. 120, 2020, [Online].
- H. Khodr, S. Kianzad, W. Johal, A. Kothiyal, B. Bruno and P. Dillenbourg, "AlloHaptic: Robot-Mediated Haptic Collaboration for Learning Linear Functions*," 2020 29th IEEE International Conference on Robot and Human Interactive Communication (RO-MAN), Naples, Italy, 2020, pp. 27-34, doi: 10.1109/RO-MAN47096.2020.9223563.
- J. Nasir, U. Norman, B. Bruno and P. Dillenbourg, "When Positive Perception of the Robot Has No Effect on Learning", 2020 29th IEEE International Conference on Robot and Human Interactive Communication (RO-MAN), Naples, Italy, 2020, pp. 313-320, doi: 10.1109/RO-MAN47096.2020.9223343.
