Is Coding Considered a STEM Subject?

What is STEM?

STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, and it has swiftly become a global basis for education and innovation. The information that students acquire as a consequence of STEM education serves as the foundation for the design and implementation of technology. The relevance of STEM in enhancing the brain’s functioning is well acknowledged. Numerous research articles have demonstrated that STEM-based education may boost children’s cognitive performance beginning in primary school.

This is why STEM is such a critical component that may significantly aid in guaranteeing our children’s technology literacy, which in turn can work as a catalyst for assisting the young ones in remaining relevant in the future. Coding can assist youngsters in comprehending and making sense of complex mathematical subjects such as calculus and algebra. The reasoning used in software development may be applied to mathematics in academia and life.

Coding As a STEM Subject

Since its inception, coding for children has been a hot subject, mostly because many parents saw coding as a mammoth effort that they cannot grasp; thus, expecting children to do so sounded nearly impossible. While their fears were understandable, one critical element they overlooked was the progress of technology in the programming sector. Indeed, not just in the programming department, but also in programming education.

As technology advanced, so did the approaches for educating people to understand technology. In the case of coding, there have been several improvements in the process of teaching youngsters to code. With the development of Scratch and block-based coding systems, children may easily learn the fundamentals of coding. This new technological pattern has aided youngsters in comprehending the subtleties of coding and its functioning about how a computer functions in a gamified fashion.

However, this is not the only reason for the drive for children to learn to code; another significant reason for the push for children to learn to code was due to expert forecasts about the future need for programmers. Because programming is a kinesthetic activity, it has been deemed an important 21st-century talent that everyone should grasp. Learning the fundamentals of programming at a young age can benefit children since it provides ample opportunity for them to learn from their mistakes in code and develop via trial and error.

Pursuing a STEM profession opens up a world of possibilities, and many of these careers are in great demand. Within the science field, a STEM student may pursue careers as a chemist, environmental scientist, geneticist, or astronomer, among others. STEM professions in technology include positions such as computer systems analyst, web developer, software developer, or computer hardware engineer. Engineering possibilities are also plentiful, with popular occupations including mechanical engineer, nuclear engineer, computer engineer, and chemical engineer. Anyone interested in pursuing a profession in mathematics may do it as a statistician, financial adviser, or financial analyst. Additionally, some unique STEM job options do not fall neatly into the categories of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. A medical illustrator, for example, will require a good basis in both art and science.

Entrepreneurs and Programming

As children, some of the most important individuals in business and technology experimented with STEM topics. Elon Musk was so good at coding at the age of 12 that he was able to create and market his first computer game. At the same age, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg developed messaging software that enabled employees in his father’s dentistry practice to interact with one another from various locations across the facility. Zuckerberg was tutored privately. Musk was an avid reader. However, both were interested in STEM subjects when they were very young.

STEM education provides a plethora of advantages for young people. It exposes them to fascinating subjects that may lead to profitable and satisfying employment options. Early exposure to computer science tends to increase females’ likelihood of majoring in and working in the area. Opportunities for girls in technology are growing as a result of initiatives by firms such as Google to achieve gender parity.

Children who study STEM subjects can lay the groundwork for careers in high-paying professions such as computer science. Graduates with degrees in this discipline earn much more than graduates with other degrees throughout their careers.

Digging Deep on STEM

In STEM challenges, children create products to address real-world problems. Anything created by humans to meet a need or solve a problem is considered technology. By definition, a product created by children as part of a STEM challenge is a technology.

Technology initiatives can catalyze integrated STEM projects. For instance, the Air Force Collaboratory is a one-of-a-kind program that I find intriguing due to its real-world digital situations and hands-on scientific and math requirements.

Several STEM classes include technology by utilizing computers as research tools — a critical stage in the engineering design process.

Numerous STEM classes need students to use equipment such as electronic balances and monitoring devices, as well as a range of science and digital math tools, all of which are considered technologies.

Educational websites such as BrainPOP engage children in STEM learning through entertaining activities. For instance, when I worked with children on a roller coaster project recently, this teaching game assisted them in comprehending/reviewing potential and kinetic energy.

Can Coding Be Considered STEM?

Many believe that the ‘T’ in STEM directly represents programming. Coding is one of those talents that is applicable across a wide variety of fields. While coding is frequently likened to language acquisition, the abilities acquired via coding are more directly connected to STEM topics.

For instance, debugging code adheres to the scientific approach. Both programmers and scientists conduct experiments to validate their theories. They monitor the findings and make necessary adjustments based on what they notice. Mathematics ideas are readily apparent in coding. Distance measurement and working with variables are fundamental. And a substantial portion of our technologies and engineering roles are built on a solid foundation of code. When we examine the STEM topics, we see that coding is connected to each of them.