Solving STEM Problems through Modelling

In STEM education, meaningful problem solving goes far beyond applying formulas or following predefined procedures. Deep understanding requires students to think in terms of systems, identify relationships, and construct models that explain how and why phenomena behave as they do. This 6-hour, practice-oriented module focuses on modelling as a core tool for understanding, reasoning, and problem solving in higher education STEM contexts.

Participants explore the use of visual and conceptual models, learning how abstraction, symbols, and representations support sense-making across disciplines. Through collaborative modelling activities, the module highlights how meaning is negotiated, models are critiqued, and representations are revised—making students’ thinking visible and open to development.

The 6 hours training is delivered in English and is particularly relevant for higher education instructors, doctoral students, and educational developers who wish to strengthen students’ systems thinking, address common misconceptions, and design learning activities where the emphasis is not only on correct answers, but on the quality of reasoning and modelling processes behind them.