Future Teachers Education: Computational Thinking and STEAM Erasmus Project

Project Title

Future Teachers Education: Computational Thinking and STEAM

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 higher education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2019

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Pedagogy and didactics; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; ICT – new technologies – digital competences

Project Summary

The project develops innovative educational approaches to practical STEAM education that are based on Computational Thinking (CT) as related to trans-disciplinary and holistic STEAM perspectives. We develop a pragmatic approach to CT as to a set of tools, techniques and approaches which enable a seamless transition from the young child’s unplugged type of activities to the comprehensive modelling and computer simulation activities of K-12 and early university students. Our research and implementation emphasises educational programs and curriculum enhancement for education of prospective teachers focusing on CT and STEAM content. The main aspects of our approach are: (1) CT is considered in conjunction with STE(A)M. STEAM is understood as a “developed” discipline encapsulating STEM and an holistic view of school (and pre-school) subjects as providing knowledge and skills for context-specific project and problem-based education; (2) Curriculum provides a systematic and holistic view of CT and STEAM; (3) We develop a multidimensional model for curriculum evolution: the longitudinal dimension (personal child development), the skills dimension (scientific thinking skills, CT skills, and contextual thinking skills), the contextual dimension (community, society, communication, management, entrepreneurship, culture, diversity, ethics); (4) CT is positioned as an integrative skill set that links scientific and content-specific knowledge with contextual thinking skills, adding context-specific modelling skills (developing of models and simulations, including modelling of cyber-social systems); (5) The philosophy is based on (A) a post-scientific tendency to merge scientific and technical knowledge with social and humanitarian knowledge with contextual knowledge as the most valued; (B) Pragmatist approach to education in terms of sharing community values and solving actual present-day problems; (6) The adapted TPACK framework for CT and STEAM is promoted to develop specific curriculum modules by project partners.

Objectives: (1) to improve pedagogical skills and competencies of prospective teachers, that are related to the teaching and training of various aspects of CT; (2) improve CT skills of prospective teachers. The motivation is based on the ongoing European reform of approaches to STE(A)M education and, therefore, the needs and importance of the educational aspects related to CT and STEAM.

The project partners – are a cluster of leading European institutions in computer science education, CT and STEM education. Eight universities and two research centres are involved. Project leader – Vilnius University in collaboration with all project members will develop the initial output focusing on the module design template, theoretical background, including state of the arts and best practice, and a project web page. Radbound University will develop (a) a basic module providing core, disciplinary independent specific competences of CT; and (b) a module focusing on CT for STEM prospective teachers. Ankara University will develop (a) a module covering CT thinking aspects for pre-school education; (b) a module for teaching of CT for languages, arts and humanities prospective teachers. Paderborn University develops a module for CT for primary education prospective teachers. Vienna University of Technology will develop a module for CT for informatics (computing) prospective teachers. University of Turku will develop a module Educational environments for CT and STEM. KTH Royal Institute of Technology will develop a module for didactics and constructivists approaches to the teaching of CT skills. Tallinn University will develop a module on technological, pedagogical and instructional aspects of CT teaching. Other partners – CESIE and CARDET organisations are responsible for collaboration in developing and piloting of modules.

The project results will be based on pragmatic methodological approaches which include theoretical study, modules practical design cycles including piloting and dissemination stages.

As a result, a number of curriculum modules should be developed for training prospective teachers on various aspects of CT as related to STEAM project-based education for preschool and school levels. The developed modules are (1) self-sufficient, which allows them to be included in the existing university curriculum; (2) form part of the coherent CT curriculum for STEAM and related subjects. Impact will include an opportunity to improve current educational programs for prospective teachers, and in the longer term, to improve European STEM education by moving to interdisciplinary and pragmatic STE(A)M, to involve and increase motivation of currently less represented groups and to generate interest in professional careers in the field of science and engineering.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 449590 Eur

Project Coordinator

VILNIAUS UNIVERSITETAS & Country: LT

Project Partners

• TURUN YLIOPISTO
• ANKARA UNIVERSITESI
• CESIE
• TALLINN UNIVERSITY
• Stichting Radboud Universiteit
• UNIVERSITAET PADERBORN
• TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET WIEN