The iSTEM Process

The iSTEM Process 8 Cog

The iSTEM process was developed by the Cessnock Academy of STEM Excellence (CASE) as part of the STEM Industry School Partnerships (SISP) program. It provides consistent language across K-12 schools based on an industry-recognised engineering design process and scaffolds the understanding and application of design thinking.

The SISP program is developing teaching and learning units to embed the iSTEM process into the curriculum. There are different versions of the iSTEM process that vary in the number of cogs. The purpose of the different versions is to allow for the process to be adapted to different stages and types of problem solving activities. Teachers are encouraged to adapt the iSTEM process to various aspects of their teaching of STEM.

A series of poster designs are available for display in schools and can be found in the downloads section of this resource page.

Activity cards and resources are also available in downloads to embed design thinking in your classroom.

The iSTEM process has been designed to assist in the learning and teaching of STEM from K – 12.

Downloads

5 Cog iSTEM Process 439 KB

The five stage/cog version of the iSTEM process, recommended for Pre-school and Early Stage 1 students, creates the foundations of the STEM Process. When embedded within curriculum, students become familiar with the each stage. Through continual application, mastery can be accomplished to assist the continuum of learning.

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7 Cog iSTEM Process 554 KB

The seven stage/cog version of the iSTEM process is recommended for Stages 1 - 3. With the addition of "Brainstorm", allows students to expand on ideas for a possible solution. "Evaluate" provides an additional layer for students to reflect on their planning and practice in creating an effective solution, both assisting in building skills in problem solving.

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8 Cog iSTEM Process 609 KB

The eight stage/cog version of the iSTEM process is recommended for Secondary students, Stage 4 - 6. The addition of "Identify" provides an extra process which allows students to autonomously identify parameters in the early stages of the STEM process. This leads to a clearer understanding of expectations for planning and establishing the best possible solution.

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7 Cog Process - Alternative (RACE) 94 KB

The seven stage/cog version of the iSTEM process was developed by the Rivers Academy of STEM Excellence as an alternative to the SISP version. It is used in the academy from P-12.

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iSTEM Process Magnet Templates 138 KB

Attached are a series of image templates for each of the Cogs from the iSTEM process. It is recommended that you produce magnets out of the images as a teaching aid to assist students to develop a deep understanding of the iSTEM process.

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8 Stages of the iSTEM Process 715 KB

In this document, each stage/cog of the iSTEM process is outlined with key questions to ask students and possible actions your students would need to undertake when completing each stage of the process.

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8 Stages of the iSTEM Process Power Point 1 MB

In this the original PowerPoint file for each stage/cog of the iSTEM process is outlined with key questions to ask students and possible actions your students would need to undertake when completing each stage of the process.

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