iSTeM21, short for Inisiatif Sukarelawan Teknologi Muda untuk Pembelajaran Abad ke-21, was launched by educators from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia’s (UTM) Faculty of Electrical Engineering (FKE) to address students’ struggles in grasping basic concepts of electronics and robotics. Recognizing the importance of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education, UTM, in collaboration with the Malaysian National Commission for UNESCO (MNCU), initiated this program to simplify learning in these fields through innovative teaching aids like TinkerKit and TinkerCode.

The iSTeM21 program follows the concept “From educators to teachers, from teachers to students, and from high schools to primary schools,” promoting a knowledge-sharing cycle. It has successfully progressed through three phases, with the first phase taking place on July 16, 2024, at UTM Makerspace. This phase involved 30 teachers from 16 selected secondary schools across Johor.

Phase 1, titled “From Educators to Teachers,” featured a team of UTM educators, led by Ir. Dr. Fauzan Khairi Che Harun, including lecturers, assistant engineers, and students. Prior to the event, the team underwent intensive courses and hands-on practical training to refine their skills in preparation for guiding the participating teachers.

The program was divided into four key modules: robot assembly and software installation, Blynk control, AI control with machine learning, and AI activation using Tinkercode AI. Participants used the Tinkerbot educational kit and WiFi-enabled Tinkercode programming to build and control robots.

Teachers were paired into teams, with one controlling the robot via mobile apps (Teacher A) and the other managing the AI component (Teacher B). This exercise fostered teamwork, communication, and problem-solving skills as they worked together to navigate the robots according to the given instructions. The program culminated in a mini-competition to assess the participants’ skills. Only selected teachers from Phase 1 advanced to Phase 2 of the program.

Through iSTeM21, UTM and MNCU aim to equip teachers with hands-on STEM knowledge, ultimately empowering them to bring these skills to their classrooms, inspiring the next generation of young innovators.

This article was written by: Nurul Ashikin Abdul-Kadir, Fauzan Khairi Che Harun