Remote STEM Labs

"<< Background >>The consortium applied for the ReSTELA project to tackle the shortage of accessible equipment and resources essential for STEM education in many public schools across the EU, particularly in rural and underserved areas. In addition to limited financial resources and inadequate technical infrastructure, many educators lack the necessary digital skills to provide students with quality, hands-on STEM experiences. This disparity was further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, during which even private institutions struggled to conduct STEM activities due to physical restrictions and the sudden shift to remote learning.Through the ReSTELA System, the consortium gives to students and educators, the ability to access STEM equipment (e.g., robots, sensors etc.) and conduct their workshops remotely (e.g. home). The ReSTELA system empowered educators during training sessions and enabled students, through pilot sessions and dissemination events, to participate in STEM activities regardless of their location or financial circumstances and proving equal learning opportunities. This initiative laid the foundation for long-term, sustainable access to quality STEM education and supports continuous learning even during pandemics.<< Objectives >>The ReSTELA project aimed to develop an innovative remote system for educators and students to access various STEM labs, improving their digital skills and enhancing learning outcomes. It empowered educators by equipping them with theoretical and technical skills to effectively teach STEM subjects and provide hands-on experiences by offering free access to this system, lectures and workshops, following a ""train-the-trainer"" approach and pilot sessions with students in Cyprus, Italy, and Estonia, with the ability to also be accessed from all over EU. The selected hardware was based on affordability, popularity, and STEM benefits, while also incorporating advanced robots to offer access to otherwise expensive technology. Presentations, activities, and quizzes were developed for: 1. BBC Microbit; 2. Arduino (Grove kit); 3. DexArm robotic arm; 4. NAO humanoid robot; and 5. Ohmni telepresence robot. ReSTELA supported the digital transformation of education across the EU, increasing innovation, competitiveness, and equal learning opportunities. A handbook was created including project information, benefits of STEM education, overview of the ReSTELA system, details on the selected hardware, lesson plans and activities.<< Implementation >>The activities implemented included: A1. Project website and Social media presence: dissemination via a FB page (>100 followers), and a dedicated project website with all project info and newsA2. Learning management system: an online classroom was developed, where all the educational material, quizzes and additional resources can be accessed by anyone at any time (> 950 views) A3. Activities involving the identification of groups participants and STEM topics, including online dissemination and identification of stakeholders: during dissemination A4. Acquiring of STEM hardware and adaptation existing hardware for remote ReSTELA: based on research regarding STEM hardware and latest developmentsA5. Adaptation and further development educational and training material for use with the ReSTELA methodA6. Training and pilot activities: 18 sessions conducted, using a hybrid method, a combination of physical and online. In total, more than 304 participants attended: 235 in person and 69 virtually A7. Dissemination events: conducted and/or attended 9 events with over 2000 attendees, who were very eager to learn more about our project, the remote system and the robots, and the educational material<< Results >>The project's outputs and results are:- Research regarding STEM hardware and latest developments- Identification of hardware, five robotic platforms, for STEM education- Development of the ReSTELA system- Acquire the equipment and adapt them for the ReSTELA system- Adapt the existing educational material for the use with the ReSTELA method (e.g not physical activities)- Development of a complete handbook: project information, STEM benefits, ReSTELA system, 5 robotic labs and their activities- Conducted train the trainers sessions for educators- The trainers then conducted pilot sessions with the students- Disseminated project info, activities and results through the projects social media and website as well as the consortium's own channels- Organized and/or attended relevant events to disseminate the project and identified participants. These events include, robotic competitions, science fairs and school visits"