10 Key Design Elements for the Nextgen STEM Schools

AUSTIN, Texas - March 24, 2021 - PRLog -- Record STEM Class Participation During The Pandemic Thanks To Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs)

The coronavirus pandemic has been hard on parents, students, teachers, and school administrators alike.

Nonetheless, we should celebrate the incredible innovation that's taken place over the last year as schools and universities across the country were suddenly thrust into providing online classes to an unprecedented degree.

Let's take a moment to look at one of the most large-scale STEM classes ever offered – a Stanford University computer science department hosted its introduction to computer programming (using Python), dubbed "Code in Place," to a massive online audience of over 10,000 students, over 900 section leaders, and 50 teaching leads. (The class will be repeated in the spring; applications to be a section leader are now open and student applications will be accepted starting on April 2.)

How Will The Post-Pandemic STEM Classrooms Change?

However, as impressive as the sudden shift to online instruction has been, most of us are eager to return to normalcy.

Fortunately, we can now see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Schools and universities will be able to reopen to full capacity in the near future, thanks to the rollouts of highly effective coronavirus vaccines from Moderna, Pfizer, and others.

Now is the time to resume planning for the future of STEM education facilities, particularly in light of the increased funding that school districts will receive thanks to the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

But how will new STEM school initiatives change the built environment in the coming post-pandemic years?

The NextGen STEM Curriculum Is Being Adopted By More States

The biggest change may come from the STEM curriculum itself.

The general public may unaware of the state-by-state revolution that's been taking place in STEM education over the last 10 years: the introduction of the Next Generation Science Standards in 2013.

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) were designed by education groups in engineering and science disciplines, including members of the National Science Teachers Association, concerned about developing higher-order thinking skills among students.

What Makes NextGen STEM Different From Past Standards, Such As Common Core?

In contrast to the Common Core Standards, which created a national furor when they were introduced to all 50 states back in 2009, the new Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) have been able to have been able to "fly under the radar" since they were introduced in 2013. (To date, only 26 states have adopted NGSS.)

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