On November 12th, an open class on STEM projects, “Renewable Energy Sources,” was held in the format of a mini-conference in the new chemical laboratory of the Department of Natural Science Disciplines of U. Sultangazin Pedagogical Institute.
The session integrated disciplines such as “New Approaches in Teaching and Assessment in Schools, “ “Ecology and Life Safety,“ and “Fundamentals of Teaching on the Coursera Platform”
The idea for the STEM lesson emerged during a recent visit by Professor Ekaterina Todorova from the University of Forestry in Sofia, Bulgaria.
The moderators were the staff of the Department of Natural Science Disciplines: associate professors Olga Chernyavskaya, Galiya Ruchkina, and senior lecturer Sergey Kurlov.
There 1st- and 3rd-year students of “Chemistry,” “Chemistry-Biology,” “Biology-Chemistry” educational programs creatively explored renewable energy issues and presented their projects.
A competent commission evaluated projects based on theoretical, practical, engineering-technological, economic, social, and environmental criteria. The Head of the Department, Gauhar Baubekova, supported the students' ideas and suggested organizing STEM events on a regular basis.
The STEM-lesson employed an integrated approach, linking academic scientific and technical concepts to real-life contexts. It demonstrated how well-chosen topics and formats can build an educational bridge between universities, schools, and society.
