eCraft2Learn

Digital technology is drastically changing the way we live and work together, especially when it comes to defining the jobs of tomorrow. Education systems are oftentimes struggling to catch up with nowadays rapid speed of technological development. The now finished project eCraft2Learn was dealing with the challenges in this context – and has found new ways to enhance digital skills and technology-making.

Teachers and education authorities are doing their best to instil digital skills in their students. Internet safety, programming excursions, and circuit building are finding their way into some curricula. However, the approach is far from uniform and does not go far enough, and all too often it is only the well-funded schools that have the resources to prepare their students for what is to come.

As early as 2013, the European Commission stated that the challenge is not a lack of technology in schools, but the wide disparities in the meaningful use of technology in the classroom (European Commission, 2013, Survey of schools: ICT in education). In addition, most of the technologies used in education and training today do not support the learning skills of the 21st century. In many cases, the new technologies simply reinforce the old ways of teaching and learning in the current school environment, and very often they are introduced after a narrow notion that they are only suitable for gifted children.

Challenging the status quo in STEAM education

The EU-funded eCraft2Learn project sought to challenge the status quo and promote the recognition that the ability to craft and program technological devices fosters knowledge and skills that are valuable to every citizen. The project aimed to increase personalized learning and teaching in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) education and to financially support the development of 21st century skills that will enhance the inclusion and employability of young people in the EU.

In order to get a clearer idea of what is needed, the consortium developed ‘personae’, target persons, whose needs and contexts were analysed. They looked at primary and secondary school students, school leaders and teachers of different ages and subjects. Based on this initial research, the team designed, tested and validated an ecosystem based on digital fabrication and manufacturing technologies to create computer-supported artefacts.

Further development of existing platforms

The team also used and contributed to the further development of existing technical platforms such as Arduino and Raspberry Pi electronics, cloud-based 3D printer simulators and content generated by the maker community. To help educators adopt this new approach, the team also developed a space for teachers.

Students can collaborate via the digital platform. Signing up is easy: all the teacher needs to do is create a new session ID. The package of activities and lesson plans is available to teachers from all over the world, not just in the pilot countries Finland and Greece. There is also an online community support platform where anyone can register and join the community to share ideas and experiences.

eCraft2Learn also addresses the needs of businesses. They have established sustainable, cooperative networks with local industry to turn the students into project-solving, ambitious entrepreneurs. This should help to raise awareness of the need for digital manufacturing technologies in education.

Links

eCraft2Learn project website

https://project.ecraft2learn.eu/

Keywords

Maker-movement, digital fabrication, computer-aided artifcats, personalized learning & teaching, STEAM