From hands-on to minds-on: Using design thinking to transform STEAM and makerspace learning

This session explores how design thinking can transform STEAM and makerspace activities from hands-on tasks into deeper, minds-on learning experiences. Drawing on the journey of Mutiara Harapan Islamic School in Semarang, Indonesia, participants will learn how a structured design thinking approach was developed and embedded to create more meaningful, student-centred learning. 

While STEAM and makerspaces are widely adopted, many implementations remain focused on project completion rather than developing critical thinking, creativity, empathy, and problem-solving skills. This session examines how the school addressed this challenge by engaging students in empathising, defining problems, ideating, prototyping, testing, and reflecting on authentic, real-world issues. 

Attendees will gain insight into teacher support strategies, implementation challenges, and practical solutions, alongside examples of student projects and their impact on learner outcomes. Participants will leave with scalable strategies to strengthen STEAM programmes, build teacher capacity, and embed design thinking in their own contexts.