RoboSTEAM - Integrating STEAM and Computational Thinking development by using robotics and physical devices

"Specific training is needed to participate efficiently in the Digital Society. Students should be prepared for a new context that includes new problems, new information sources, new devices and even new concepts. New learning approaches are required to help students to better understand and be prepared for the digital society. This society needs skilled professionals for ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) and there are high unemployment rates when this requirement is not satisfied.Given this context, it is especially important for students to learn computer programming from an early age. This knowledge together with other technical skills make possible the development of what is known as ""Computational Thinking"". In this way, they need to develop skills like critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, communication and creativity. In the specific field of school education, students need to see how these problems are solved and to ""touch"" the solution. In this sense Physical Devices and Robotics (PD&R) application is a popular and very valued option.RoboSTEAM project aims to experiment with STEAM integration projects that help learners to develop computational thinking by using/programming PD&R in pre-university education environments. To this end, the present project has included the exchange in the European context of experiences related to this topic. This would allow training of in-service and future teachers in such a way that they can apply this knowledge in class. This project has defined a set of challenges and tools to address them. Two pilot cycles have been carried out exchanging these challenges and tools between institutions so it is possible to analyze the impact of the context where they are used. The main objective of this project is the definition of a knowledge base to facilitate integrating STEAM and computational thinking by using robots. This has been carried out by developing pilot programs, gathering good practices and tools, and defining learning actions and educational resources for teachers. In order to achieve this objective some sub-objectives were defined:- Analyze the different existing activities that deal with STEAM integration- Define some challenges and instruments to facilitate STEAM integration and computational thinking development- Define metrics to evaluate both the integration and the competence development- Establish guides for the definition of integration STEAM challenges by using PD&R- Define educational resources for in-service teachers and future teachers- Establish ways of collaboration between robotic companies and educational institutions- Publish the obtained results in order to involve other educational institutions of the same and different contextsRoboSTEAM project had to be carried out transnationally in order to prove to which extent the proposed methodology and the ICT environment were able to identify patterns and offer different action plans fitted to the potentially very different needs of students from different cultures, in different schools systems, etc. In order to do so, the project was developed by a consortium of eight organizations, including five Higher education Institutions and three schools. The universities are: Universidad de León (ULE), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança (IPB), Karlsruher Institut Fuer Technologie (KIT), University of Eastern Finland University (UEF); and Universidad de Salamanca (USAL). The schools are: Colégio Internato dos Carvalhos (CIC); Agrupamento de Escolas Emídio Garcia (AEEG); and IES - Eras de Renueva (IER). The partnership has worked to produce the following results (taking into account the final grant of the proposal and the outcomes not granted):1. Analysis of the application of PD&R in educational contexts and sample PD&R toolkits for integrating STEAM. 2. Design and implementation of training actions. 3. Guides for defining integrating STEAM challenges that use PD&R in different contexts. 4. ICT tools (questionnaires, rubrics, learning analytics tools) to track how STEAM integrating is carried out and gather evidence that later facilitates making decisions and assessing the acquisition of specific competences. These results have been articulated in two outcomes, two pilots, six LTTA activities and four multiplier events. All the activities were completed and, due to COVID restrictions, the outcomes work was extended to facilitate the application of the project methodology online. The dissemination of results has been important, the feedback obtained from the stakeholders was positive and the participation accomplished almost the expected numbers, even in the pandemic situation."