188. Which Design Process Should You Use in STEM?

6/20/2025

Natasha and Claire return to unpack an essential question for STEM educators:

Should you be using the Design Process or the Engineering Design Process in your classroom?

With a mix of practical advice and personal stories, they explore how each approach supports creativity, critical thinking, and hands-on learning. Whether you're a seasoned STEM teacher or just getting started, you'll hear thoughtful insights on when to emphasize open-ended design thinking versus structured problem-solving. Plus, the hosts dive into the importance of developing key “making” skills—like prototyping, tool use, and collaborative iteration—to empower students as confident creators and problem solvers. Tune in for a conversation that will help you make informed decisions to best support your students' growth as future innovators.

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Check out our full conversation above or the edited audio podcast episode for the highlights of our conversation below!

Links from the Show:

Related The STEM Space Podcast Episodes

• 8. STEM vs. STEAM+

• 156. Would an Engineer Solve Your Problem?

• 157. Training Astronauts ft. NASA's Ike Theriot

Vivify STEM Blog Posts

• Scientific Method vs. Engineering Design Process: Which is used in STEM Learning?

• I Didn’t Always Want to be an Engineer | Claire

Vivify STEM Lessons

• Eating in Space STEM Challenge

• Bridge Engineering STEM Challenge

• Newspaper STEM Challenges

Other STEM Resources

• Food Truck Championship of Texas

• The Facebook post that started this conversation!

• Space Colony Competition

• SEEC (Space Exploration Educators Conference)

• NASA | Meet the Teams Leading Moonwalking Test Mission (ft. Ike Theriot)

• Subscribe to the Vivify Newsletter!

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