PROGRAMME DESCRIPTION

EPICURUS, as a collective of educators steeped in the practice of artscience and experiential learning, would like to call for application to participate in a programme that will utilise artscience as philosophy, methodology and approach, and content for bringing together existing and interested practitioners in alternative/creative/non-orthodox approaches to STEM+A learning, whether in formal classroom or alternative learning setting. We are particularly interested to work with individuals who have experience working with underprivileged/underserved or disabled children and youths, as well as strong interest in widening participation in STEM.

This programme intends to mix lectures and activities, through both online and hybrid modes, that would culminate in an actual implementation of theory to practice by encouraging and facilitating participants in prototyping low-tech and easily replicable learning tools which they could then test and implement in collaboration with their target community/students. The facilitators come from both the university and industry, and each has experience working with a range of communities ranging from policymakers to NGOs to students.

The purpose of this programme is not to reproduce another top-down mode of delivery, but to experiment with a mode of educational practice that grows from the ground, and which could empower the educators and learners to produce their own mode of learning in STEM, the arts, and beyond. Through this programme, we intend to create a repository of open-source tools that could then be shared among educators.

The lecture topics covered are:

• Artscience Philosophy in STEM Education

• How to Think about STEM Differently

• Worldbuilding as Holistic Approach to STEM education

• Nurturing Collaborative Learning and Learning Facilitation

There will be two main phases of the programme:

• First phase
  July 23 (asynchronous) &
  August 6 (Zoom)
  The first phase will involve two Saturdays of online interactive lectures that are open to those who are interested in the above-mentioned topics.

• Second phase
  August 26, 9am–12pm &
  August 27, 10am–1pm (Makerspace@UM)
  The second phase will involve a making and doing workshop where participants will begin the process of prototyping and developing lesson plans and learning tools they intend to bring back to their students and communities. The physical workshop will be a separate signup to be announced during the first phase.

Dr Sithi V Muniandy is currently a Professor of Theoretical Physics at the Physics Department, University of Malaya. He obtained his DPhil in Mathematics (Oxford, UK), MSc in Theoretical Physics and BSc (Hons.) in Physics (UKM, Malaysia). His research specializations are in statistical physics and quantum physics with research interest covering topics from transport processes, physics of information in noisy quantum systems. Dr Sithi advocates STEM education enriched by passion and purpose through holistic Art+STEM=>SDG learning philosophy, in collaboration with researchers from the Faculty of Creative Art, Museum of Asian Art, and Academy of Malay Studies. He founded the Learning Enrichment Committee (LearnX) at the Department of Physics, University of Malaya that promotes activities that 'open up the mind, to think out of the box'. He served as the Deputy Dean (Research) at Faculty of Science, Dean of Frontier Science Research Cluster (IPPP), the University of Malaya Senate member and currently heads the Center for Theoretical and Computational Physics.

Dr Clarissa Ai Ling Lee is presently a senior lecturer at the Drama Department of the Faculty of Creative Arts at Universiti Malaya. Beginning October 2022, she will be a visiting junior fellow with the Käte Hamburger International Center for Advanced Study “Cultures of Research” (c:o/re), RWTH Aachen University for a year. She conducts research in the areas of artscience, sustainability studies, participatory and speculative design, media arts, and digital media technology. She has been involved in using methods of participatory learning and design in both the classroom setting and through the workshops she has been conducting since 2015, and has published on the outcome of such work in highly-esteemed journals. She published Artscience: A Curious Education with Gerakbudaya in 2021.

Dr Daniel Loy has held various roles in his 20 years of experience, encompassing leadership in corporate and social innovation, STEM education, and strategic planning. His PhD is in free choice education, specialising in out-of-school learning. In recent years, he’s been actively working in the social innovation space, advocating for greater social equity and educational reform, and championing social enterprises. Currently, he is the Director of the Entrepreneurship & Innovation Hub at Monash University Malaysia where he is also a Senior Lecturer (Practice) with the School of Business. Prior roles helmed include Director of the Centre of Learning & Innovation at Petrosains, and Vice President of Social Innovation with the National Innovation Agency.