Be a Maker at School: Biotechnology and Robotics Erasmus Project

Project Title

Be a Maker at School: Biotechnology and Robotics

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for Schools Only

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Quality Improvement Institutions and/or methods (incl. school development); Research and innovation; Entrepreneurial learning – entrepreneurship education

Project Summary

The participating schools aim to educate their students to become active citizens with the skills required to seize the opportunities the future may bring in two high profile areas among the STEM, robotics and biotechnology subjects.
For the above reasons the project raises the following objectives:
1. To educate in science and technology as one of the basis to access employment and social inclusion.
2. To involve students in their own learning and promote a non-formal, personalised and cooperative learning taking the advantage of the accessibility to open educational resources generated in the website.
3. To improve the students’ competences, mainly in communication and science-technology.
4. To promote equity, social cohesion and active citizenship.
5. To encourage the cooperation among European countries to improve the cultural dialogue, increase the employability and extend the range of job opportunities.
6. To increase creativity and innovation, including entrepreneurship, at all levels of education and training.
7. To provide the students with innovative learning approaches which involve them directly, thus favouring an active participation in the common problem-solving process.
We have worked with national and international teams of students from Italy, Netherland, Lithuania and Spain, to solve challenges related to robotics and design instrumental for biotech laboratory.
To reach these goals, we have carried out training activities and visits to research centers in different countries. We have also invited specialists in each subject to receive specific training.
The tangible results of the project are included in four of the main topics of “BeMaker @ School”:
1. Robobo. Robot programing through challenge-based learning.
2. Design. Learning in 3D design following the Design Method.
3. Biomaker. Design, manufacture and assembly of instruments for a biotechnology laboratory.
4. Practices. Performing laboratory practices (microalgae culture and electrophoresis), following the inquiry based learning method with the material developed.
The intangible results would be included in the other two big topics of the project:
5. Erasmus Experiences. All those competences provided by the Erasmus project.
6. Unexpected experiences. Those experiences not proposed in the project, which have exceeded our expectations and have let to reach new intangible results.
These results have an impact on students, teachers and participating schools thanks to training in innovative practices with teaching methodologies adapted to the acquisition of new skills required for the citizen of the future. The impact at local, national and international level is reflected in the participation of students in congresses and science fairs and teachers teaching in teacher-training activities, conferences, courses, workshops and publication in specialized magazines and web pages.
The benefits for each other are known. Schools have been able to include new methodologies and practices in their subjects. In addition, two of our schools have been invited to participate in a KA201 project of the University of A Coruña on robotics and Artificial Intelligence and three of our schools will participate in a KA229 project for the development of high level instrumental for biotechnology. To summarize. An international network of university teachers, secondary school teachers, researchers and fablab technicians has been created and this net allows schools to be an important player in the future maker movement.
You can follow this project on:
-Webpage. http://bemakeratschool.com/
-e-Twinning. https://live.etwinning.net/projects/project/165118
– ViSHub. http://vishub.org/users/erasmus-david-bujan

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 107365 Eur

Project Coordinator

IES David Bujan & Country: ES

Project Partners

• ISTITUTO DI ISTRUZIONE SUPERIORE GALILEO GALILEI
• Viesoji istaiga Panevezio profesinio rengimo centras
• Stichting Voortgezet Onderwijs Regio Schijndel