In an effort to strengthen academic relations and share international knowledge, Naruto University of Education once again presents academic activities through the holding of a guest lecture. This event featured a lecturer from the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Semarang State University, Mr. Arif Widiyatmoko, Ph.D. as the main speaker. The activity took place at the INCET Room, Naruto University of Education, Japan. This public lecture carried the topic “Synthesizing STEM and ICT Education” which is relevant to the needs of 21st-century education.
In his presentation, Mr. Arif Widiyatmoko, Ph.D. emphasized the importance of integrating the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) approach with ICT (Information and Communication Technology) in science learning. According to him, this integration not only enriches students’ learning experiences but also helps foster critical thinking, collaboration, and creativity skills that are much needed in today’s digital era. Not only conveying theory, Mr. Arif Widiyatmoko also invited participants to directly engage in simple practices using the STEM approach.
During the practical activities, participants were divided into small groups to participate in two main activities: building a straw bridge and the egg drop challenge. Through these activities, participants were invited to experience firsthand how engineering, science, and problem-solving concepts can be put into practice in learning. The participants’ enthusiasm was evident in their enthusiasm in developing strategies and working together in groups. These activities not only trained technical skills but also fostered cross-cultural communication and teamwork. These practical activities also served as concrete evidence that STEM learning can be applied simply yet meaningfully, even in a short lecture setting.
Along with the activity, a collaborative discussion was also held between Mr. Arif Widiyatmoko, Ph.D., Mrs. Fidia Fibriana, Ph.D. and Dr. Andhina Putri Heriyanti which resulted in the Implementation of Arrangement which will present Kusaka Sensei as a guest lecturer in Indonesia and pave the way for the UNNES STEM Education team to join international research with Japan, Singapore, and Taiwan regarding STEM Literacy & Collaborative Learning towards achieving the SDGs.
