VARSTEME may be the game-changer in youth unemployment
Technology-enhanced learning driven by VARSTEME can be a game-changer in addressing youth unemployment. An individual well-grounded in STEM education will likely have well-developed higher order thinking skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking and creative thinking. The World Economic Forum, however, reports a worrying shortage of qualified scientists, engineers, and other STEM- related personnel in South Africa. Ramnarain elaborates: This is a sector that we need to be driving strongly to stimulate economic growth and address joblessness. We have a severe skills deficit in STEM, and so the youth need to be inspired to take up post-matric studies in these areas. For this to happen, they need to experience STEM subjects in an exciting manner. STEM learning experiences such as inquiry-based learning in science promote higher-order thinking, such as creativity and critical thinking in learners. These skills are needed to solve the sustainability problems we encounter in the global world today. Ramnarain wants learners to know the world of STEM is for more than scientists and engineers. He says we are at a crossroads where essential decisions must be taken to find sustainable solutions to challenges such as climate
The new virtual augmented reality research and teaching (VARSTEME) hub at UJ’s Science and Technology Education Department in the Faculty of Education, will accelerate innovation in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education fields. The hub, located at the Auckland Park Kingsway Campus, was launched last year and is designed to create one of Africa’s primary academic centres dedicated to virtual and augmented reality in STEM learning. It will support research and education initiatives with the potential to deliver game-changing breakthroughs. Since its launch, the VARSTEME hub has become a leader in UJ’s Metaverse initiative. Prof Umesh Ramnarain, Head of the Department, who initiated the VARSTEME hub, says there are great expectations for the hub and that he expects it to be a significant feature of the faculty. The VARSTEME hub aims to equip pre-service and in-service teachers with knowledge and skills in using advanced learning technologies, such as virtual and augmented reality (VAR) in STEM education. Associated with this goal was the research agenda to pursue studies on the efficacy and pedagogy of VAR. The economic backbone of South Africa rests on development and
IRRESPECTIVE OF WHERE YOU LIVE, HAVING AN EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND IN STEM IS PURPORTED TO GIVE YOU THE EDGE IN SECURING EMPLOYMENT. change and, more directly for South Africans, the energy crisis we experience. Worldwide, careers of the future will be based on STEM. Irrespective of where you live, having an educational background in STEM is purported to give you the edge in securing employment. The new social and economic demand for higher-order intellectual skills accompanying the global information technology revolution has implications for the educational experiences provided to young people. “All citizens need to feel empowered to participate in discussions and debates on STEM- related issues. STEM is not merely what we experience in the classroom but refers to all
we experience daily.”, Ramnarain expands.
His advice to future students is to seek out opportunities related to STEM. STEM is not an exclusive area for a select few as is sometimes portrayed to us. The field is vast and varied. Ramnarain continues:
innovation in STEM, explains Ramnarain:
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