
STEM Talk with Leaders- Dr.Shailendra Gupta
STEM Talk with Leaders is our distinguished program where we engage with major industry leaders and pioneers, industry leaders, experts, educators, and students to discuss various aspects of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education. It is a fruitful session which includes several questions from curious STEM enthusiasts on how STEM skills play out in real world situations.
About the Speaker: Dr Shailendra Gupta
Dr. Shailendra Gupta is the Consultant CSR at Gujarat Pipavav Port and a pioneer of promoting STEM education in the corporate realm. Dr. Gupta believes in the power of experiential learning. He emphasizes the importance of problem-solving, critical thinking, and creativity in the learning process, all of which are integral components of STEM education. Through various talks, seminars, and workshops, he inspires students and educators to embrace STEM subjects as tools for shaping the future.
Highlights from the interview
Q1. What are Study habits for effective STEM Education?
Effective STEM education hinges on incorporating study habits informed by psychological research, essentially constituting an educational technology. Dr. Shailendra Gupta underscores four pivotal aspects for successful STEM learning:
1. Observation: Observation skills, of nature, classrooms, or daily life, are foundational. Scientific breakthroughs often stem from meticulous observation, exposing gaps for learning.
2. Mental Recap: Consistently engage in mental reviews of acquired knowledge, during breaks or before sleep. This reinforces memory, transferring data from short-term to long-term recall.
3. Read, Write, Review: Read a segment, condense key points in writing, then review notes. This cultivates comprehension, retention, and active engagement.
4. What, Why, and How: Delve deeply into concepts by exploring their rationales. Pose queries like “Why does this occur?” and “How does this function?” This curious approach fuels research and comprehensive understanding.
Q2. What is the relationship between STEM Education and Mental Agility?
“Agility” signifies prompt responses to change, technology adoption, and new methods. Within education, notably STEM, mental agility connects with detailed observation and response.
STEM education nurtures mental agility by focusing on precise observation and critical thinking. In tasks like chemical reactions or logic circuits, students learn to keenly observe changes and colors, enhancing mental agility.
In math, mentally agile students swiftly identify formulas for problem-solving. In STEM, this agility involves rapid decision-making on components and connections, honing quick calculations, predictions, and hypothesis skills.
Given challenges tied to low mental agility, STEM education addresses this by enhancing it. Students adept at quick thinking, calculations, and hypotheses thrive in STEM, boosting agility for various life aspects.
Q3. How important is hands-on training for school students?
Hands-on training is the very essence of education. This principle aligns with modern education policies, constructivism, and activity-based learning.
Education’s core lies in active engagement and practical involvement. Whether in school labs, STEM labs, or home settings, hands-on experience is paramount. goes beyond gadgets and labs; it encompasses daily life, like reading an electric bill or using a map. These practical encounters foster mental growth and academic prowess.
By embracing diverse experiences, students amplify academic abilities and expand their view of potential careers.
Q4. What are the career choices based on STEM Education?
STEM learners possess versatile career opportunities, extending beyond traditional paths into fields like Humanities, liberal arts, Commerce, and management. Present trends advocate liberalization; even a liberal arts graduate aspiring to be a doctor should have a fair chance via Entrance Tests. Effective STEM learning cultivates critical thinking when actively engaged. Lab work should involve collaboration, mistakes, and sincere experimentation. STEM education’s objective transcends results, emphasizing open-mindedness, research skills, analysis, and problem-solving. Pursuing a multitude of professions is feasible for STEM enthusiasts, encompassing scientists, data analysts, researchers, and medical experts. Given the knowledge-driven economy, STEM skills remain consistently sought after. Strive for excellence across subjects, as interconnectedness and exploration are pivotal.
Q5. How are STEM Education and life skills interconnected?
Globally, institutions are acknowledging the significance of problem-solving skills for upcoming achievements. STEM education significantly cultivates these skills, exemplified by tasks like desalinating saline water. STEM embodies problem-solving, training in predicting and resolving challenges. Moreover, STEM fosters critical thinking, a trait prevalent across subjects. The discipline also contributes to diversity management and mental agility, vital life skills. Thus, problem-solving, critical thinking, creativity, teamwork, and research abilities constitute the core life skills, crucial for overall success.
Q6. What is the link between STEM Education and Innovation?
In STEM education, innovation is fostered through curiosity and problem-solving. Stem education nurtures innovators who bridge ideas and reality. Mental fitness necessitates exploration, as showcased by Robo Siksha Kendra‘s dynamic approach. Through learning from mistakes, students are empowered for limitless achievements. Facilitators provide tools, technology, and a STEM mindset, guiding students towards growth and leadership.
Brief of the interview
Dr. Shailendra Gupta, in detailed discourse touched various topics from STEM study habits, metal agility to relationship between STEM skills, life skills and innovation. He highlighted four vital aspects for successful STEM learning: keen observation, mental recaps, summarizing and reviewing, and exploring the reasoning behind concepts. The relationship between STEM education and mental agility is significant, as agility relates to quick responses to change and observation. Hands-on training is essential for genuine learning, encompassing practical experiences in labs and daily life. STEM education offers versatile career options, from Humanities to data analysis. Problem-solving, critical thinking, diversity management, and mental agility are interconnected life skills fostered by STEM education. Innovation is cultivated through curiosity and problem-solving in STEM education.