Experimento
International STEM education program
Expanding STEM education (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) is on the agenda of just about every education policy in the world. However, achieving this goal depends on well-qualified educators. With Experimento, we’ve created a range of hands-on teaching and learning materials for science and technology lessons that are modular and adaptable to country-specific needs.
Experimento is an international education program that is directly related to the everyday lives of children and young people. The program focuses on independent experimentation, exploration, and comprehension of natural phenomena and technological developments in heterogeneous classes that address the environment, energy, and health. We emphasize up-to-date materials pertaining to global challenges, such as the greenhouse effect, the use of renewable energy, or water filtration.
Instructions and materials for use in the classroom
Methodical training seminars for educators, didactically prepared teaching materials, and specific experimentation materials lead to lessons that develop enthusiasm, enjoyment, and understanding for science and technology.
Successive, modular lessons for all age groups
Around 130 experiments for age groups 4-7 years (Experimento | 4+), 8-12 (Experimento | 8+), and 10-18 (Experimento | 10+) ensure continuous knowledge that builds along the entire education chain.
© Siemens Stiftung
Developed by education experts for international deployment
Experimento was developed by Siemens Stiftung and the foundation “Stiftung Kinder forschen” (Little Scientists’ House) along with a team of independent education experts from universities. From the beginning, the materials were developed for international use in three languages (German, English and Spanish). Partner universities and education institutions in 12 countries have already implemented the program.
All experimentation instructions and visual media for Experimento are available for download in English and German on the Siemens Stiftung Media Portal. The Spanish-language materials can be found on our Latin American education portal CREA.
© Siemens Stiftung
Interest in science and technology knows no borders: The education program Experimento is now helping teachers in 12 countries give children and young people the skills they need for a successful future. In multi-day workshops, trainers show how to prepare exciting experiments with simple materials and how to implement them in a didactically appealing way in science and technology classes.
The program’s content is adapted to circumstances in each country or integrated into the existing education system through close cooperation with universities, teacher training institutions, schools, vocational training centers, foundations, bilateral and multilateral institutions, and public authorities. This creates effective synergy and a lively cycle of new ideas.
»The principle of electric circuits is the same everywhere, but the possibilities for using them are endless.«
Dieter Arnold, Experimento-Trainer
Experimento is based on the principle of inquiry-based learning, which sees children and young people actively shaping their own learning processes: They come up questions, apply a range of methods to arrive at solutions, reflect on what they’ve discovered, and summarize the results – all on their own. The young researchers learn that their own actions lead to success – a valuable, motivational lesson that boosts a child’s belief in his or her own capabilities. It also means that learning is not limited to the classroom and encourages applying lessons to everyday life, reassessing information, and coming up with new ideas outside of school.
Creating values in STEM
The education program Experimento is about more than acquiring science and technology knowledge. We specifically incorporated values into the program as it was conceptualized with Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) in Munich. Multi-tiered, age-appropriate value-building STEM lessons should focus on personal and social values, such as cognitive ability, problem solving skills, cooperation, and the ability to take action. Societal values such as conscientiousness and engagement on behalf of nature, the environment, and a sustainable future are encouraged.
Experimento is used in twelve countries on three continents, in four languages. By the end of 2021, the program had reached around 19,000 educators and 1.5 million children worldwide. It is very important to us to evaluate and improve the quality and impact of our program on a continuous basis. We are constantly discussing with our educational partners and with teachers themselves about how we can consistenly develop Experimento further.
Evaluation proves concept and materials
The Chair of School Pedagogy at the Technische Universität Munich (TUM) School of Education and the Institute for Biology Education at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich assessed the Experimento program for elementary schools from 2018 to 2020. The results show that the teachers are very satisfied with the Experimento training programs and materials. The pupils clearly benefit from the experiments conducted, in terms of both skills and motivation. All the results can be found in this report:
Evaluation Guidelines
The evaluation guidelines also provide all partners with ideas for systematically monitoring, reflecting upon, and further developing the program.
Ludwig Maximilians Universität:
Head of Education
Dr. Barbara Filtzinger
barbara.filtzinger@siemens-stiftung.org
+49 89 540487 0