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Arts & Communication

ARTICLE
Fostering community belonging through STEAM

education: Board game design in a university art
appreciation course

1
Dan Li * and Sheng Kuan Chung 2
1 Department of Art, University of Central Oklahoma, Edmond, Oklahoma, United States of America
2 Department of Curriculum and Instruction, College of Education, University of Houston, Houston,
Texas, United States of America

Abstract

Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) education
integrates diverse disciplines through a transdisciplinary approach, emphasizing
design thinking and inquiry-based learning to develop technical skills and social
connection. This study explores a STEAM-focused project implemented in an Art
Appreciation course for non-art majors at a university in Nacogdoches, Texas,
where 27 students designed board games to strengthen their sense of belonging
to the university and local community. Using the principles of design thinking—
*Corresponding author:
Dan Li empathy, ideation, prototyping, and testing—students combined technological
(dli4@uco.edu) skills and collaborative practices to create engaging and meaningful outcomes
Citation: Li D, Chung SK. that reflected their understanding of community identity. The study addresses
Fostering community belonging two key research questions: (1) How do students design board games using the
through STEAM education: Board framework of design thinking to express community identity and belonging? (2)
game design in a university art
appreciation course. How do their reflections and creative processes contribute to fostering a sense of
Arts & Communication. belonging to the university and community? Drawing on Strayhorn’s framework
2025;3(3):4437. of academic belonging, findings demonstrate that the integration of creative
doi: 10.36922/ac.4437
production with community storytelling strengthened students’ connections
Received: August 5, 2024 to place, peers, and institution. Through inquiry-based learning, students
Revised: January 30, 2025 developed both technical proficiency and deeper community engagement, while
their board games served as cultural artifacts that encoded shared experiences
Accepted: March 26, 2025
and values. This research advances our understanding of how STEAM education
Published online: April 11, 2025 can simultaneously promote technical innovation and strengthen community
Copyright: © 2025 Author(s). belonging. It contributes to the broader understanding of STEAM’s role in
This is an Open-Access article general education curricula, suggesting new approaches for combining practical
distributed under the terms skill development with meaningful community connection. In addition, it offers
of the Creative Commons
AttributionNoncommercial License, implications for curriculum design and pedagogical practices in higher education,
permitting all non-commercial use, particularly in fostering student engagement through creative, community-
distribution, and reproduction in any centered projects.
medium, provided the original work
is properly cited.
Publisher’s Note: AccScience Keywords: STEAM education; Design thinking; Inquiry-based learning; Maker
Publishing remains neutral with movement; Transdisciplinary curriculum; Community engagement; Sense of belonging;
regard to jurisdictional claims in
published maps and institutional Student identity
affiliations.

Volume 3 Issue 3 (2025) 1 doi: 10.36922/ac.4437