SILO is an acronym for Scientifically Integrated Learning Outcomes. It is also a play on words because education as a sector has often been criticised for teaching in silos where subjects are taught in isolation to each other. Historically, this has largely been the result of the institutional nature of education where students physically move from one class to the next. The SILO project takes a different approach by integrating the learning outcomes within the existing Australian Curriculum which relate to STEM. Although the SILO project attempts to address the international focus on improving STEM education, it also seeks to address translation of research which is about bridging the gap between theory and practice. The two research questions are depicted in Figure 1.1.
Figure 1.1
Research Questions