The LLLPlatform was a partner in the Erasmus+ KA2 ‘CODESKILLS4ROBOTICS’ project, a joint effort for the promotion of coding and STEM skills in primary schools involving six partners from four European countries. Spanning over a 28-months period, from 1/9/2018 - 31/12/2020 the project focused on robotics as an introductory channel to coding and sought to facilitate the development of programming and computational thinking skills among primary school students by producing a comprehensive set of tools designed for teachers, parents and policy-makers. The project results and resources is available on the CODESKILLS4ROBOTICS interactive portal and mobile app.
Objectives
Programming and computational thinking skills are becoming ever more important in our society and working life: an increasingly digitalised economy has transformed the labour market and brought digital skills to the forefront of the educational scene. As emphasised by the 2015 New priorities ET 2020, “knowing how to code is empowering. It allows to understand the digital world we live in and to shape it. Basic coding skills are essential for accessing the jobs of tomorrow and today”. In light of these recommendations, ICT school curricula have been shifting their focus from computer literacy to digital literacy, i.e. on teaching students not only how to work a computer, but mostly how a computer works and how to make it work for you. Often selected as an introductory channel to programming, robotics effectively initiates students to various STEM disciplines while also promoting transversal employability skills such as problem solving, leadership and creativity.
In the above context, the CODESKILLS4ROBOTICS project pioneers:
designed, pilot-tested and evaluated a complete tool kit that supports primary schools in developing their own digital-inclusive strategies for the promotion of coding, robotics and STEM skills;
developed an educational pack containing all the essential materials, tools and resources for the introduction of coding and robotics to primary schools; the educational pack is based on a targeted Digital Competence Framework, which also served as a basis for the monitoring and assessment of the students’ progress;
introduced the Open Badges system as a method to validate and award the coding skills acquired by both teachers and students, in conjunction with an online assessment tool developed to this purpose; a mobile app meant to support teaching, learning and assessment is also developed;
in accordance with the 2018 Digital Education Action Plan for EU, designed a strong campaign as part of the EU Code/Robotics Week; CODESKILLS4ROBOTICS Competitions will be organised at the regional, national and EU level, thus promoting transnational cooperation.
CODESKILLS4ROBOTICS clubs were set up for students as well as an Open Badges System for teachers and students to validate their coding skills. The project developed eLearning platform and Mobile Application with a team of teachers to make it easily accessible for students on their mobile phones anywhere they wish to connect.
Oficial website: http://codeskills4robotics.eu/
Coordinator: National Center for Scientific Research “Demokritos” – Greece
Partners: LLLPlatform – Belgium; Regional Directorate Of Primary And Secondary Education Of Crete – Greece; Private Institute Emphasys Centre – Cyprus; Technological Educational Institute Of Crete – Greece; Hälsinglands Utbildningsförbund – Sweden
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