Page 140 - AC-3-3

Arts & Communication Fostering belonging through STEAM education

(1) Perceived inclusion, (2) connectedness to peers The first step is to ensure that all participants are aligned
and faculty, and (3) engagement with university and with this goal, emphasizing the importance of building
community spaces. Responses were analyzed to identify connections by sharing personal stories about their
recurring themes in students’ descriptions of their evolving experiences in university life or living in the town. Students
relationships with campus traditions, their peers, and then define the term “belonging.” What does it mean to
their role within the academic environment. In addition, them? Which board games have they played that made
students’ board game content was cross-referenced to them feel engaged?
determine whether themes of belonging were creatively Next, in groups, students sketch out the design of
expressed through game mechanics, storytelling elements, their board games, considering the rules of the game, the
or visual design. By applying this structured analytical storyline, the number of participants, and the elements
approach, the study ensures that students’ reflections are they wish to incorporate. This is the prototyping stage.
systematically interpreted in alignment with broader Moving into the testing phase, students demonstrate how
belonging frameworks. to play their board games in class, allowing their peers

Upon data collection, text-based data were categorized to form teams and engage in gameplay. This interactive
into distinct themes, while visual artifacts were evaluated experience provides an opportunity for students to offer
using a modified eight-studio habits of mind rubric. This feedback to each group, enabling them to refine their
rubric assessed aspects such as craft development and final projects. This iterative process aligns with the design
understanding of artworks. thinking framework, emphasizing both the iterative and
To specifically analyze shifts in students’ sense of reflective processes necessary for continually improving
belonging, responses were coded for indicators of the final product.
perceived inclusion, connectedness, and engagement For this project, students were tasked with creating a
with the university community. This included examining complete board game to promote a sense of community
how students described their evolving relationship with and belonging within the university. Each game had to
campus traditions, their peers, and their role within the feature at least four distinct characters and include rules, as
broader academic environment. In addition, we cross- well as items designed to represent various aspects of the
referenced these reflections with their board game Nacogdoches community or university life, depending on
content to determine whether the themes of belonging the chosen theme. The design process involved using vector
were expressed creatively through their game mechanics, graphics in Adobe Illustrator to create detailed images
storytelling elements, or visual design. for the game board. Once the design was finalized, it was
The theoretical framework for this project integrates key produced using a laser cutter, enabling precise cutting and
components of contemporary art education, including big engraving of shapes and lines on the board. After cutting
ideas, enduring understandings, and essential questions, or engraving, students applied acrylic paint to enhance the
alongside core elements of STEAM education: design thinking board’s visual appeal and ensure it accurately reflected the
and studio habits of mind. These components collectively intended theme.
guided the framework for the board game design project, To maintain originality and avoid reliance on online
serving as foundational elements for both the instructional templates, students were required to submit both the 3D
approach and the assessment of student outcomes. object STL files and vector files (such as.ai files). This
requirement ensured that their designs were created from
3.3. Creating a board game for community scratch and tailored specifically to their project. Students
engagement primarily used Tinkercad, a browser-based 3D design tool,

The community-based STEAM project began with a visit to create the components for their board games. Tinkercad
to the university’s makerspace, where students gained facilitated the design of 3D objects, which were then
hands-on experience with technologies such as 3D printing integrated into the board games. The maker space later
and laser cutting. This visit allowed them to familiarize assisted students in sending the designs to the 3D printers
themselves with the facilities and understand how these for production.
technologies could be applied to their board game designs. In addition, students needed to provide a set of
The project was guided by the design thinking framework, instructions for playing their board games and complete
which encompasses the stages of empathize, define, ideate, an exhibition card. The exhibition card offered an overview
prototype, and test. of the game, its objectives, and any unique features.
The primary goal of this project is to foster a sense of The project was planned to span 5 weeks, including
belonging to both the university and the local community. a week-long university Spring Break. This timeline

Volume 3 Issue 3 (2025) 7 doi: 10.36922/ac.4437