The Prospect of an A in STEM Education

Michael K. Daugherty
University of Arkansas

Introduction would argue that STEM is missing a key set of creativity-related components
Although the roots of the science, technology, engineering, and mathemat- that are equally critical to fostering a competitive and innovative workforce,
ics (STEM) movement date back to President Dwight D. Eisenhower, and the and those skills are summarized under the letter A for Arts (White, 2011).
formation of NASA and NSF in 1958, the acronym STEM was coined by Dr.
Judith Ramaley, assistant director of the Education and Human Resources Di- A Place for the Arts
rectorate, at NSF in 2001 (Chute, 2009). She defined STEM as an educational
inquiry where learning was placed in context, where students solved real- Like technology education, arts education has always struggled with a
world problems and created opportunitiesthe pursuit of innovation. tenuous position in PK-12 education. Often the arts have been considered a
STEM education has since become perhaps the largest reform movement in luxury in public schools-- an arena for self-expression, perhaps, but not a vital
PK-12 education over the last decade. It seems that everywhere you look there part of education. A sense of elitism clings to the teaching of the arts. Many
are stories about STEM education. Politicians are promoting STEM, federal schools regard the arts as special subjects to be pursued by a privileged or
and state agencies are promoting and funding STEM initiatives, for-profit and talented few. In very early times, the arts were either learned through group
non-profit groups are discussing the importance of STEM education and cor- rituals that were an integral part of worship or taught to a selected few through
porations, and the media are promoting the idea, as well (Puffenberger, 2010). arduous apprenticeship. While some societies regarded knowledge of the arts
Within these education, media, corporate and policy circles, the acronym STEM as the privilege of the social elite, others believed that the arts were subjects fit
has become commonplace. It is used frequently when referring to a broad only for slaves and the children of artisans (Eisner, 2004). The conflicted his-
area of scholarship and instruction that many deem particularly connected tory of art education in modern American schools is surprisingly similar to the
(i.e., those four subjects). Whether the acronym is understood and fashion- history of technology education. Lewis (2004) noted that in the long march
able outside these education groups is not well known. What is known is that from manual training, the subject which today we call technology education
the acronym and associated term is not well-defined, even within groups that has always had to contend with the question of its legitimacy as valid school
make heavy use of it (Storksdieck, 2011). knowledge. In this regard, it shares a similar history of struggle with other sub-
It is not clear whether, when referring to STEM, individuals are addressing jects (like art) whose initial entry into the curriculum was based on a utilitarian
any of the four subjects or those areas in which all four disciplines overlap rather than an academic rationale.
(Storksdieck, 2011). Casual conversations with many professionals in science, As early as 1960, Snow (1960) wrote about the Two Cultures in education
technology, engineering and mathematics will quickly reveal a great deal of where the scientists and perhaps mathematicians were on one side and the
confusion and a sense that most individuals referring to STEM are really speak- other subject matter specialists on the other. Even though the individuals in
ing of science or technology or engineering or mathematics individually. To be the various fields were comparable in intelligence, comparable in ethnicity, not
fair, there are some efforts under way, including a Promising Practices study at grossly different in social origin, and earned about the same salary, they had
the National Academies, where researchers are attempting to explore whether almost ceased to communicate at all (Snow, 1960). Between the two cultures
education can benefit when the four disciplines are linked. existed a gulf of mutual incomprehension and sometimes, particularly among
The rationale for increased emphasis in STEM education is driven largely by the young, hostility and dislike, but most of all there was a lack of understand-
lackluster national assessments of PK-12 students over the last decade or two. ing. Professionals in these disconnected fields have a curious distorted image
These assessments continue to indicate that the United States is failing to com- of each other (Snow, 1960). In an effort to illustrate the gulf between the sci-
pete with other countries when it comes to student performance and interest entific disciplines and the non-scientific disciplines, Snow shared the following:
in STEM subject areas. The argument for STEM education is that if the U.S. is to I have learned the story attributed to A. L. Smith- came over to Cambridge
compete with other nations, our children must be well-versed in 21st century to dine. The date is perhaps the 1890s. I think it must have been at St
workforce skills related to STEM education. We are also often reminded that a Johns, or possibly Trinity. Anyway, Smith was sitting at the right hand of
lack of investiture in STEM will have dire consequences for the economic and the president or Vice Master and he was a man who liked to include all
political power of the United States (Puffenberger, 2010). round him in the conversation, although he was not immediately encour-
White (n.d.) suggests that, in addition to STEM, the future of the U.S. econ- aged by the expressions of his neighbours. He addressed some cheerful
omy rests on its ability to be a leader in the innovation that will be essential in Oxonian chit-chat at the one opposite to him, and got grunt. He then tried
creating the new industries and jobs that will be at the heart of our new econ- the man on his own right hand and got another grunt. Then, rather to his
omy. Where the U.S. has historically ranked first in innovation, it now ranks be- surprise, one looked at the other and said, Do you know what hes talking
tween third and eighth, depending on the survey (White, n.d.). Nationally, we about? I havent the least idea. At this, even Smith was getting out of his
have taken steps to reverse this slide by embracing and funding much needed depth. But the President, acting as a social emollient, put him at ease by
improvements in STEM education (White, n.d.). When American education is saying, Oh, those are mathematicians! We never talk to them (p. 2).
in crisis, policy makers and educational leaders roll out the STEM argument, The gulf between academic and applied disciplines in PK-12 schools has
that the science, technology, engineering and math curriculum needs to be grown unchecked for more than a century. In some cases, educators have
emphasized as the cornerstone of U.S. competitiveness in a world where Chi- seemed to take pleasure that their particular discipline held little in common
nese students do lightening drills on the periodic table of elements at age 4 with the other fields of study represented in the school curriculum. Ellis (2011)
(White, n.d.). There is certainly no question that STEM education and STEM noted that educational silos developed early in American educational institu-
skills are a vital part of this countrys perceived edge, but many educators tions as a method of control and a mechanism for wrestling the largest share of

Journal of STEM Education Volume 14 Issue 2 April-June 2013 10

limited resources for those subject areas deemed to be most important to the Their research findings illustrated that visual learning is an important method
various stakeholders. Linton (2009) noted that the silo effect in educational for exploiting students visual senses to enhance learning and engage the
institutions and the academic isolation that results, goes against human na- higher cognitive parts of the brain. By thinking and communicating visually,
ture. He further noted that student interaction with individuals and ideas from students in their study improved how they performed during experimental
other fields can increase knowledge and insights, as well as lead to more pro- research tests. Other recent research also supports the connection between
ductive and effective conclusions. the arts, creativity and workplace readiness. In 2008, The Conference Board
The divide between the disciplines has been exacerbated by the federal and Americans for the Arts, in association with the American Association of
No Child Left Behind legislation that was passed in 2001 to improve school School Administrators, conducted a survey of 244 corporate executives and
performance by setting standards of accountability. With mandated, stan- school superintendents in an attempt to define the role of creativity. The study,
dardized tests in mathematics, reading and language arts administered each called Ready to Innovate, demonstrated that companies are looking for em-
year, the focus of PK-12 schools shifted to improving test scores in these areas, ployees that exhibit the creativity provided by the arts. The findings indicated
since negative consequences resulted for the school if scores did not achieve that companies want employees who can identify problems, identify new pat-
specified levels (Hetland et al, 2007). The result is even less support for the terns, integrate knowledge across disciplines, originate new ideas, and work
arts, as well as other non-assessed subject fields, in many of our schools than with a fundamental curiosity (Lichtenberg, et al, 2008). Strikingly, the find-
there had been in the past. ings also noted that over 63 percent of the employers surveyed indicated that
In reaction to the progressively weakened position of the arts in public they prefer the creative employee to the employee with technical skills related
schools, arts advocates have tried to make the case that the arts are important to the job (Lichtenberg, et al, 2008). Similarly, both the superintendents who
because they improve students performance in traditional academic subjects, educate future workers and the employers who hire them agree that creativ-
such as reading and mathematics. Believing that educational decision mak- ity is increasingly important in U.S. workplaces (83 percent and 61 percent,
ers would not accept arguments based on the inherent value of arts learning, respectively), and that arts training are crucial to developing creativity (Lich-
arts advocates have skirted the fundamental question of the core benefits of tenberg, et al, 2008). Yet, there is a gap between understanding the need for
studying the arts and fallen back on the bonus effects of arts education as a creative employees and putting into place education and training systems that
justification (Hetland, et al, 2007). As with technology education, scant em- result in creative employees. The research findings also point out that most
pirical, or even theoretical, evidence has been available to support such argu- high schools and employers provided such education and training only on an
ments. elective or as-needed basis (Lichtenberg, et al, 2008). Given the results of this
Storksdieck (2011) noted two major arguments for increased arts in PK-12 study, it seems that the arts have a case to make for a greater integration into
education. The first argument refers to art as a way of knowing and learn- all programs that advocate creativity as a goal.
ing that will expand the toolbox of STEM. For example, he suggested that The Ready to Innovate study, the Americans for the Arts 2007 National Pol-
art can provide a useful tool in engineering as researchers attempt to make icy Roundtable (where the Ready to Innovate study was first unveiled), and
products and systems more appealing, acceptable, and useful to people. Simi- other similar studies have led many to suggest that STEM should be amended
larly, Storksdieck noted that in science, art can be seen as a different way of to STEAM. While there are plenty of detractors who suggest that if you add
seeing the world, or a heuristic that leads to a different understanding of the art to STEM you might as well add everything else (history, language arts,
world. The second claim is based on the limitations of scientific research and philosophy, etc), there is a specific learning theory that those who talk about
engineering design. Art, in this view, is a means to free the scientists and en- STEAM have in mind when adding arts to STEM (Storksdieck, 2011). Root-
gineers mind and infuse a degree of creativity and innovation (Storksdieck). Bernstein (2011) observed that while many people are at a loss to identify
That same level of creativity and innovation is then seen as equally valuable useful connections between the arts and STEM, it should be noted that the arts
to understanding science and applying engineering concepts outside the di- provide innovations through analogies, models, skills, structures, techniques,
rect confines of those professional fields. Art-infused instruction may allow methods, and knowledge. Arts dont just make science pretty or technology
students, who have no particular interest in becoming a professional engineer more aesthetic, they often make both possible (Root-Bernstein, 2011). Root-
or scientist, to understand and apply those concepts more readily to other Bernstein went on to provide common examples where art made science and
endeavors. technology a reality:
White (n.d.) supported the second argument for increased arts participa- Modern cell phones and PDAs use a form of encryption called frequency
tion in STEM education when he noted that STEM is based on skills generally hopping to ensure your messages cannot easily be intercepted. Frequency
using the left half of the brain and thus, is logic driven, while research sug- hopping was invented by the composer George Antheil in collaboration
gests that the arts expand the right hemisphere of the brain where creativity with the actress Hedy Lamarr.
and innovation are fostered. He went on to imply that the combination of Electronic display screens employ a combination of red, green and blue
STEM education with arts education (STEAM) would provide a curriculum dots from which all the different colors can be generated. That innovation
that offered the best chance for regaining the innovation leadership essential was the collaboration of a series of painter-scientists and post-impres-
to the new economy (White, n.d.). Arne Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education, sionist artists like Seurat.
expanded upon this claim when he noted that: The first programmable device was invented by J. M. Jacquard to control
the looms that made his tapestries. The same technique was used to
For todays students to be the innovators and economic leaders of the program the first computers.
future, they will need to have experiences as musicians and dancers, paint- Computer chips are made using a combination of three classic artistic
ers and sculptors, poets and playwrights in short, they will need to inventions: etching, silk screen printing and photolithography.
be creative innovators who will build our nations economy for the future Camouflage was invented by the American painter Abbot Thayer, who
(PCAH, 2011, p. 3). was unable to convince Teddy Roosevelt to use it in the Spanish American
War. By World War I, however, painters like the Vorticists in England and
A research study conducted by McGrath & Brown (2005) proposed that the Cubists in France were co-opted by their governments to design prints
the visual arts had real potential to improve cognition in STEM education. to protect troops, equipment, and planes (Root-Bernstein, 2011).

Journal of STEM Education Volume 14 Issue 2 April-June 2013 11

 Theres a long tradition of artists-turned-inventors in the U.S. For example, abilities. Indeed, the arts provide a kind of permission to pursue other experi-
Samuel Morse and Robert Fulton were among the most prominent American ences in a particularly focused way and to engage in the exploration of what
artists before they invented their ground-breaking devices, respectively the the imagination might bring. Although many in the arts community seem in-
telegraph and the steam ship. Root-Bernstein (2011) recently published a clined to promote the inclusion of art in STEM on the basis of its contribution to
study illustrating the connections between Nobel laureates in the sciences and the core STEM disciplines, the evidence to support such claims is thin. Winner
engagement in the arts as adults. Nobel laureates in the sciences are 25 times and Cooper (2000) noted that they could find no research-based evidence that
as likely as the average scientist to sing, dance or act, 17 times as likely to be studying the arts, either as separate disciplines or infused into the academic
an artist, 12 times more likely to write poetry and literature, eight times more curriculum, raises grades in academic subjects or improves performance on
likely to do woodworking or some other craft, four times as likely to be a musi- standardized verbal and mathematics tests. Warning of the peril associated
cian, and twice as likely to be a photographer. Many connect their art with with basing the study of the arts on improved academic performance, Hetland
their scientific creativity (Root-Bernstein, 2011). et al (2007) stated that:
White (n.d.) contends that art ability in the 21st century actually applies Justifying the arts only on instrumental grounds will in the end fail, because
to a larger, broader segment of the workforce than skills commonly associ- instrumental claims for the arts are a double-edged sword. If the arts are
ated with STEM. Americas competitiveness is distinguished by its productiv- given a role in our schools because people believe that arts cause academic
ity in creative industries and exports, from movies, television and games to improvement, then arts will quickly lose ground if academic improvement
architecture and the myriad of individuals who use their imagination to create does not result, or if the arts prove less effective in improving literacy and
new products and services. In his 2002 publication, The Rise of the Creative numeracy than high-quality, direct instruction in these subjects (p. 3).
Class, sociologist Richard Florida noted that approximately 30 percent of the
U.S. workforce or 40 million Americans, create for a living (Florida, 2002). In Hetland et al. (2007) additionally maintained that art education should not
contrast, a quick look at NSF statistics indicates that science and engineering be justified wholly or primarily in terms of what the arts can do for mathemat-
makes up approximately 10 to 12 percent of the U.S. workforce (White, n.d.). ics or reading, but must stand on what it delivers directly. Also, it seems that art
Jakus (2011) affirmed that he believed a well-developed STEM/Arts part- education has a learning heuristic that might have a great deal to offer educa-
nership is essential for optimal innovation in U.S. education and economics. He tion in general, and STEM education in particular. Similar to the engineering
maintained that a strong STEM/Arts partnership can provide educational and design method in engineering or the design loop used in technology education
economic policymakers with a balanced approach that was not available to and the scientific method used in science classes, art utilizes studio habits of
the relatively small, but intense, corps of theoreticians, experts and clever in- mind or studio thinking as an experience-based technique for problem solv-
vestors that led humankind to make the unbelievable technological advances ing, learning, investigatio, and discovery. Studio habits of mind refer to eight
we have witnessed in recent generations. A STEM/Arts partnership can lead dispositions used in many academic arenas and in daily life. The dispositions
to a more effective application of engineering and math skills and knowledge include Develop craft, Observation, Envisioning, Reflecting, Expressing, Explor-
to promote the pursuit of life, liberty and happiness for the long-term (Jakus, ing, Engaging and Persisting, and Understanding the Art World.
2011). Storksdieck (2011) supported this assertion when he noted that those Developing craft refers to learning to use tools and materials, learning ar-
in the STEM field should take a cue from those in the humanities field and tistic conventions, and studio practice (learning to care for tools, material,
have at least one thing that stimulates their creativity and imagination. Further and space).
support was added by White (n.d.), who noted that the mission is to make Engage and Persist involves learning to embrace problems of relevance
the country aware that arts are not just a nice thing to have in the educational within the art world and/or of personal importance, to develop focus and
systems, but rather they are an essential national priority to the future of the other mental states conducive to working and persevering at art tasks.
U.S. in this rapidly changing global economy. Envision involves learning to picture mentally what cannot be directly
Responding to concerns that the U.S. risks lagging behind other nations observed and imagining possible next steps in making a piece.
in both the scientific literacy and the innovative capacity of its workforce, the Express includes learning to create works that convey an idea, a feeling, or
Art of Science Learning project (an NSF supported research project) convened a personal meaning.
scientists, artists, educators, business leaders, researchers and policymakers in Observe addresses learning to attend to visual contexts more closely than
three conferences in the spring of 2011 to explore how the arts can be engaged ordinary looking requires, and thereby to see things that otherwise
to strengthen STEM education and spark creativity in the 21st-century Ameri- might not be seen.
can workforce (Storksdieck, 2011). Reflect includes both questioning and explaining (thinking and talking
with others) and evaluating (judging ones own work and working pro-
Studio Thinking cess, and the work of others in relation to standards of the field).
Explore asks the learner to reach beyond ones capacities, to explore play-
Although the arts in U.S. schools are classified among the core subjects, fully without a pre-conceived plan, and to embrace the opportunity to
and school districts generally identify them as such, there are unresolved is- learn from mistakes and accidents.
sues about their position in the curriculum. No one wants to be regarded as Understanding the Art World includes learning about art history and cur-
a barbarian, yet at the same time privilege of a residence in the main school rent practice, as well as learning to interact as an artist with other artists
hallway is typically assigned to other subject areas. Despite the recent enthusi- and within the broader society (Hetland et. al, p. 6)
asm about their contributions to academic performance, the arts are generally Studio thinking includes habits of mind that are important not only for the
regarded as nice, but not necessary (Eisner, 2004, p. xi). arts, but most other disciplines, as well. For example, PK-12 students must
The question of whether or not the arts do more than serve the needs of in- learn a great deal about tools and materials in a science or technology educa-
dividuals, as important as such a contribution might be, is yet undeteremined. tion lab, and this kind of learning is analogous to the art of studio habit called
Eisner (2004) argues that the arts can serve as models of what educational Develop Craft. The disposition to Engage and Persist is clearly important in
aspiration and practice might be at its very best. The arts have an important any serious endeavor: Students need to learn to find problems of interest and
role to play in refining our sensory system and cultivating our imaginative work with them deeply over sustained periods of time. The disposition Envi-

Journal of STEM Education Volume 14 Issue 2 April-June 2013 12

sion is important in the sciences (e.g., generating hypothesis), in history (e.g. (ISKME) recently launched a learning program designed to incorporate
developing historical imagination, and in mathematics (e.g., imagining how the arts into STEM education. One of the lessons, called Sun Curve De-
to represent space and time algorithmically). Express is important in any kind sign Challenge, is an example of incorporating design and creativity into
of writing that one does. Observe is also required across all disciplines. The science learning. The activity, created by San Franciscos INKA Biospheric
disposition to reflect is also important in any discipline. Similarly, Explore em- Systems and inventor-sculptor Paul Giacomantonio, consists of a vertical
phasizes the need to experiment and take risks, regardless of the discipline of hydroponic garden attached to a fishpond, along with a sculpture that
study. Understand the Art World has its parallels in other disciplines, in which serves as a scientific laboratory. Student teams, participating in the chal-
students are asked to identify links between what they do as students in a lenge, design a working model for an affordable and renewable way to
particular discipline and what professionals in that field do, have done, and are grow food.
doing (Hetland et. al, p. 7). Discovery Communications has developed a weekly Science of the Movies
Observe an art class where studio thinking is at the core and you will dis- television show on the Science Channel in an effort to draw connections
cover that learning is a great deal more complex than the practice of a craft. It between STEM and the arts. The hour-long program examines the sci-
seems probable that studio habits of mind differ from heuristics used in other ence of filmmaking through the exploration of a variety of topics includ-
disciplines only by emphasis. For example, there is likely more attention to ex- ing stop-motion animation, sound design and Foley techniques, and
press in visual arts than would be found in scienc, or history. Indeed, studio computer-generated imaging.
habits of mind should support constructivist or problem-based learning in any The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) recently
discipline in which instruction keeps discipline-centered work as the focus of launched a design activity called Space School Musical that calls upon
the lesson and activity. It seems very likely that the STEM disciplines could students to produce a musical based on the solar system. NASA provides
utilize several components of studio thinking toward the improved delivery the song lyrics and 36 activity guides and students produce a theatrical
of truly integrative STEM education. The studio-thinking heuristic can pro- play.
vide a common language for intellectual growth and would almost certainly Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics through Art (STEM-
complement the tools used in each of the STEM disciplines and may actually A), a center whose mission is to expand STEM education through arts
extend those learning mechanisms. In Smart School (1992), David Perkins out- immersion, recently launched a series of lessons and activities designed
lines two components of learning experiences that educators need to address. to immerse STEM with the arts. For example, Circuit Bending calls on stu-
Teachers must decide what students should learn and how to teach them. Stu- dents to modify or hack old toys and discarded electronics low-voltage
dio thinking may be informative in both arenas. Storksdieck (2011) suggested battery powered musical instruments. Students acting as experimental
that U.S. schools tend to extract ingenuity from the education process after electronic artists re-appropriate lo-fi, antique digital items for manipula-
the first few years of school and replace it with the memorization of facts. This tion during live performances.
has proven to be a mistake, and many in the art community are now trying to CrayonPhysics is a website dedicated to combining technology, ar, and
envision STEM education built around and authenticating our native ingenuity physics in creative ways. The site utilizes Newtons Laws of Motion in a
through the inclusion of art. web-based game that helps students design real-time contraptions?
Students learn about the relationships of Newtons Laws while watch-
Examples of STEAM ing how their contraption knocks a star off different platforms. Kids solve
puzzles while designing innovative, functional, artistic, two-dimensional
Numerous projects and curriculum initiatives have launched in recent years physical objects. The goal is to help students solve puzzles with artistic
toward the end of expanding the role of the arts in STEM education. The spe- and physics creativity.
cific goals of these efforts range widely, but at the core they all focus on the
role of creativity, the benefits of interdisciplinary learning, the interconnectivity
between disciplinary concepts, the role that knowledge from one discipline Conclusions and Recommendations
might have in learning in the other, and the benefits of a metadiscipline. The In education and political circles STEM education has been gathering enor-
STEAM movement is the latest suggested addition to STEM education. By add- mous support in the last decade. Not only has President Obama announced a
ing the A to create STEAM, educators are attempting to reinvigorate the role $250 million public-private initiative to recruit and train more STEM teachers,
of creativity and innovation in STEM. Some examples of STEM efforts that but also the U.S. Department of Educations Race to the Top grants competition
include the arts are: is giving bonus points for applications that stress STEM instruction (Piro, 2011).
The Learning Worlds Institute recently launched The Art of Science Learn- This funding is on top of the nearly $700 million the federal government al-
ing to explore ways in which the arts can improve learning in the sci- ready spends on science and math education programs within NASA, NSF, and
ences. The project uses hands-on, imaginative approaches, and studio- other agencies (Piro, 2011). This financial support is largely being perpetuated
thinking methods used in the creative arts to attract and retain young on the belief that the U.S. is becoming less competitive and securethat we
people in STEM fields. are losing our national status in STEM fields. Yet, in the midst of all the inter-
Time Warner Cables Connect a Million Minds initiative is designed to in- est in STEM education, educational and political leaders may want to invest in
crease students awareness and skills in STEM-related fields specifically programs that promote innovation and creativity, as well as STEM.
through the exploration of different media forms. Recently, Time War- In STEM education, learning goals are typically framed as cognitive out-
ner has launched the first of a series of programs they refer to as Crack comeswhat we want the students to know. However, it may be in the best
the Codes as a part of their overall Connect a Million Minds initiative. interest of the STEM movement to consider additional learning goals. Through
Launched in late March of 2011, the first program was entitled Crack- this paper, numerous authors and studies have been identified that suggest
ing the Codes in the Digital World and was designed to show K-12 stu- the development of educational programs that engage both the right and left
dents the science behind broadcast technology through on-site visits and hemispheres of the brain. In his book, A Whole New Mind, Daniel Pink (2005)
meetings with Time Warner staff. urged readers to foster and strengthen creativity and innovation. He noted that
The Institute for the Study of Knowledge Management in Education our society is transitioning from the Information Age, powered by the logical,

Journal of STEM Education Volume 14 Issue 2 April-June 2013 13

sequential and analytical left side of the brain, to a Conceptual Age, powered Lichtenberg, J., Woock, C., Wright, M. (2008). Ready to innovate: Are educators
by the inventive, innovative, and creative right side of the brain. and executives aligned on the creative readiness of the U.S. workforce?
Generally, STEM education curricula focus on reasoned and clear solutions to The Conference Board, Research Report 1424.
the problems of society, while art education curricula typically express uncer-
tainty, ambiguit, and vaguenessan essential foundation of educational ex- Linton, G. (2009). The silo effect in academia and its consequences. Higher
periences focused on the development of creativity and innovation. We need Education Pedagogy & Policy. Retrieved May 8, 2012d from http://glin-
the products of both STEM and art education. There is nothing that prevents ton.wordpress.com/2009/01/14/the-silo-effect-in-academia-and-its-
us from having both except a false divide that was manufactured more than a consequences/ on May 8, 2012.
century agothe belief that the arts and the sciences needed to be separated
and delivered to different clients. Lewis, T. (2004). A turn to engineering: The continuing struggle of technol-
More than 50 years ago, Snow (1960) lamented the two cultures created by ogy education for legitimization as a school subject. Journal of Technology
literary intellectuals and artists and the invisible and hostile divide between Education,16(1).
them. Many have begun to see that the divide is a myth and now work dili-
gently to engage our youth in STEM and art education. While some might McGrath, M.B., and Brown, J. R. (2005).Visual learning for science and engi-
argue that adding art education to STEM might open the flood gates to all neering, Computer Graphics and Applications, IEEE, 25(5), 56-63.
disciplines and that the arts community is simply attempting to attach itself
to a popular STEM movement in PK-12 education, the results do not seem Perkins, D. (1992). Smart schools: From Training memories to educating minds.
to support that assertion. In their book, Meeting Standards through Integrated New York, NY: The Free Press
Curriculum (2004), Drake and Burns offer numerous research reports that il-
lustrate the cumulative positive impact of an integrated curricular approach Pink, D. H. (2005).A whole new mind: Moving from the information age to the
and vastly improved test scores of students who complete such curricula. If one conceptual age. New York, NY: Penguin Group.
of the goals of STEM education is to increase innovation and creativity in the
U.S., then it makes perfect sense to integrate artistic design, artistic expression, Piro, h. (n.d.)Going from STEM to STEAM: The arts have a role in Americas
reflectio, and a multi-sensory appeal in the curriculum. It is not clear how future, tooEducation Week..Retrieved October 18, 2011, from<http://
such integration should be carried out, whether art should be fully integrated www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2010/03/10/24piro.h29.htm>.
to create a STEAM acronym, or whether art should merely be used to inform
STEM education, but it is clear that art education has a great deal to offer the Presidents Committee on the Arts and Humanities (PCAH) (2011). Reinvest-
movement. ing in arts education: Winning Americas future through creative schools.
Washington, DC: Author.
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Journal of STEM Education Volume 14 Issue 2 April-June 2013 14

Dr. Daugherty is a professor of Engineering and Technology Education and Head of Curriculum
and Instruction in the College of Education and Health Professions at the University of Arkansas.
Daugherty speaks nationally/internationally on technological literacy, problem-based learning, and
STEM education. In 2001, Daugherty was awarded in the prestigious Technology Teacher Educator of
the Year by the Council on Technology Teacher Education and was awarded the Award of Distinction
by the International Technology and Engineering Educators Association in 2004 and was inducted
into the Academy of Fellows in 2009. Daugherty is the author or co-author of 18 books/book chapters,
over 60 journal articles, monographs, and other publications.

Journal of STEM Education Volume 14 Issue 2 April-June 2013 15