The TACTIDE EU STEM project

The TACTIDE EU STEM project: TeAching Computational Thinking with Digital dEvices

Jansen, Marc (University of Applied Sciences Ruhr West)
Fanchamps, L.J.A. (Open University of the Netherlands)
Milrad, Marcelo (Linnaeus University)
Specht, M.M. (TU Delft Web Information Systems)
Hamidi, Ali (Linnaeus University)

2022

One major challenge the educational community is facing relates to how to effectively integrate computational thinking (CT) concepts and ideas into a particular school curriculum. Acquiring CT-skills by means of STEM offers rich opportunities within students´ education which may lead to learning gains. Previous research has shown that, to maximize the appeal and potential of CT learning environments, a precondition must be set first. The materials used must invite problem-based, inquiry-based and self-discovery learning, must be used without creating misconceptions and, above all, must give students the opportunity to acquire knowledge that can be directly transferred to everyday practice in an accessible manner. All the above puts demands on teachers who carry out learning and teaching in these environments. The EU funded TACTIDE project has tried to incorporate relevant curricular components into a coherent task, implementing assignments and challenges across different subjects and curricula of three different European countries. Based on the analysis of each national curricula, common topics have been identified and sub-scenarios have been developed. These sub-scenarios have been conceived to promote the integration between the topics mediated by CT. To achieve this objective, a greenhouse scenario has been conceptualized and designed towards teaching CT, by the use of microcontrollers such as the BBC micro:bit and the Calliope Mini, as an overarching STEM-topic. Using available sub-scenarios, a Moodle-course for teachers was developed for daily school activities to which other subjects in the core curriculum were interconnected in order to integrate CT skills and abilities. Scalability across different school levels and heterogeneous groups of learners, especially focusing prior knowledge, have been considered important design elements.

Computational Thinking
teachers
curriculum
STEM
learning scenarios

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:c95b9690-e718-4a8f-a1df-9e4f0226f5d5

https://doi.org/10.34641/ctestem.2022.466

978-94-6366-563-6

Proceedings of Sixth APSCE International Conference on Computational Thinking and STEM Education 2022 (CTE-STEM)

6th APSCE International Conference on Computational Thinking and STEM Education, 2022-06-15 → 2022-06-17, Delft, Netherlands

Institutional Repository

conference paper

© 2022 Marc Jansen, L.J.A. Fanchamps, Marcelo Milrad, M.M. Specht, Ali Hamidi