| Daniel Lim |
THE Oil and Gas Discovery Centre (OGDC) recently hosted a five-day science workshop for government secondary school students in the Belait District.
Organised in collaboration with the Kid International Discovery (KID) Museum of Bethesda, Maryland in the United States, the workshop is part of the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative, Professional Fellows Programme (YSEALI PFP), and involves a representative from one country visiting another country – in this case, an American representative visiting Brunei – to impart onto participants knowledge on various science and technology related topics.
The workshop was also meant to provide students the chance to interact with the foreign representative and further strengthen ties between the two countries.
Ten students from five government schools in the Belait District participated in the workshop, conducting and demonstrating various science experiments on circuitry and mechanics, among others.
KID Museum Maker Educator Ram Mosher, who facilitated the workshop, said he came to Brunei through the YSEALI PFP to “introduce to the students of Brunei what we call the ‘KID Museum’s invention studio’, which essentially teaches students technical skills and walks them through the invention process using the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics) learning approach, fully tapping into the students’ potential to learn new skills”.
STEAM learning is a popular movement founded by Georgette Yakman in 2007 to promote and integrate design and art in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields.
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In response to what he hopes to impart onto workshop participants, Mosher explained, “Our pedagogy at KID Museum is to teach life skills through STEM learning and STEAM learning, and so we not only teach kids how to do woodworking, textile and electronics, but also 3D printing and coding, which is part of the Maker Movement that we try to impart on the students.”
Maker Movement, or Maker Culture, represents a contemporary culture involving a technology-based extension of do-it-yourself (DIY) culture, which includes reverse engineering various existing creations through tinkering to create new and exciting devices.
Mosher added, “We also try to teach the students what we call social emotional skills, such as teamwork, grit and all the various skills that are beneficial to being successful in this interconnected world, where interaction between people – especially people from different countries – as well as having the resolve to keep improving oneself are key to one’s success.”
Recounting his Brunei experience, he said: “Everybody here is just so friendly, amazing and welcoming.”
He also praised workshop participants, adding that they are “respectful, concentrated and working hard on their current projects”.
Mosher visited the longhouses and waterfalls in the district.
“I have had a wonderful time in Brunei and the visit has been a great experience,” he says, adding that he hopes the workshop has allowed students to explore new skills and techniques, as well as broaden their mindset and encourage them to think outside of the box.
The OGDC plans to organise more similar workshops in the future in Belait and other districts.
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