APPLICATION OF ONTOLOGICAL ENGINEERING IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF STEM LEARNING IN THE SCHOOL EDUCATIONAL PROCESS

Abstract

The article discusses a project-based learning method and its application for STEM-education. It determines advantages and ontological engineering stages for STEM-education. The article considers development of the ontological model “STEM-education in school”. It presents an ontology “STEM-Education in School” generated in Protégé 4 editor that contains necessary classes, relations, properties, and persons involved in the school education process. There are requirements to this ontology. A hierarchy of classes and fragments of the generated ontology are presented. Enhancement of school education quality can be achieved through the use of the STEM-approach and semantic description of the knowledge about the subject area with the use of ontological engineering methods. Filling of the ontology with actual data of a school will allow creating a comprehensive database of the school. This approach will help to improve efficiency of lesson plan development with the use of the STEM-approach and the learning content.

Currently, professions appear at the confluence of technologies and natural sciences. Implementation of STEM-education from school time will help schoolchildren to adapt themselves more easily in obtaining higher education and future profession. Promotion of STEM-literacy in students will help them to be in demand and able to meet competition in the labour market.