From game to STEM Erasmus Project

Project Title

From game to STEM

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 : School Exchange Partnerships

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Natural sciences; ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Pedagogy and didactics

Project Summary

It is predicted that in the future there will be a lack of qualified STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) professionals, while at the same time students talented in STEM pursue careers in different areas. The reason for this is often seen in insufficient development of the student’s key competences due to the outdated educational approach («classes are boring»), prejudice and traditions («science is difficult», «engineering is not for girls» and similar) and often limited support and inert response of the educational ministries in addressing this problem, where It is up to each individual school or a teacher to find a new way and reach out to the students.
With this project we aim to address this challenge through an international partnership of teachers and students and create a sustainable approach in promoting STEM subjects, developing student key competences and strengthening of the teacher competences. The main objective of the project is a development of STEM game (didactic video game) and Arduino gadgets (processor board with sensors to be used as part of experiments)
The development of the game and its implementation is expected to lead to the achievement of the following goals:

INTRODUCTION OF INNOVATIONS IN TEACHING STEM SUBJECTS THROUGH USE OF ICT (ARDUINO and video games)
IMPROVEMENT OF KEY COMPETENCES OF STUDENTS THROUGH STEM SUBJECTS
STRENGTHENING THE STEM TEACHERS COMPETENCE THROUGH NEW METHODS

We believe that by including more ICT in STEM and focusing on key competence for students and teachers STEM subjects would become more attractive to students, and more practical. Students would become active participants with a role to decide, solve problems and create their own classes. STEM will be considering as fun and real life connected.

By relaying on each other experience and specific knowledge 5 schools from Bulgaria, Poland, Serbia, Spain, and Turkey with the strong background and achievements in STEM, are determined to create STEM game and Arduino gadgets, train the dedicate teams of students and teachers to use it and further train their local peers. For this, 5 mobility events are planned, along with the several video conferences to discuss progress and plans.
The partnership is formed between the following 5 secondary schools:

Gimnazija Zajecar, Zajecar, Serbia has a strong background in physics and mathematics, has experience in coordination of international projects and is in the process of gaining eTwinning label.
Vasil Levski, Troian, Bulgaria has excellent work in IT department and has eTwinning label.
Şule-Muzaffer Büyük, Manavgat, Turkey has the most experience in Erasmus+ projects and is familiar to use of ARDUINO platform;
IES Santísima Trinidad, Baeza, Spain has a great program of working with students interested in chemistry using everyday objects.
III LO, Suwalki, Poland has impressive results in field of biology and ecology.

To create a STEM game and apply Arduino in STEM classes problems, instructions and explanations have to be created in first three LTTs:
Serbia: real life application of physics and mathematics.
Spain: real life application of chemistry and correlation between math and physics with chemistry.
Poland: biology, ecology and water issues,

Last two LTT will be used to finish the products:

Bulgaria: learning of coding needed for game creation and starting the works on finalization of a game.
Turkey: creating ARDUINO projects for STEM classes.

At same time students who participate in this project will create peer workshops with STEM activities to present it to the fellow students and train them in their usage. Scenarios for this workshops will be collected and published in form of e book, as a great example of activities created for the students by the students. Teachers from different school will work on creating e book with plans for Project based learning, and Lesson plans for STEM game with different STEM subjects.

All partners will be able to use activities created during this project as they will become integrated in school’s curriculum. Scenarios for peer workshops will be used as a part of helping new students to adapt to school. Experiments from physics, biology and chemistry will become a regular part of teaching activities. School will get e books with ideas on Project based learning that will become a starting point to new activities. Students and teachers will create new experiments using ARDUINO, that will become a part of teaching tools schools use.

Results:
Output: ARDUINO gadgets and STEM game, lessons plans, instructions eBooks,
Outcome: Existence of a modern and engaging educational approach; knowledge and cultural exchange between the partners; Empowered and confident teachers
Impact: Improved students key competences that would enable a higher percentage of them to make a career choice in STEM related subjects and close the STEM gap.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 137053 Eur

Project Coordinator

Gimnazija u Zajecaru & Country: RS

Project Partners

• Zespol Szkol nr 1 w Suwalkach III Liceum Ogolnoksztalcace z Oddzialami Dwujezycznymi im. Alfreda Litynskiego w Suwalkach
• Vasil Levski Comprehensive School
• Sule Muzaffer Buyuk Mesleki ve Teknik Anadolu Lisesi
• IES Santísima Trinidad