Robots are us Erasmus Project

Project Title

Robots are us

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 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Inclusion – equity; ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Integration of refugees

Project Summary

“Robots ‘R Us” is a project that four PARTICIPATING schools, a German vocational college with a
focus on mechanical engineering and mechatronics as the coordinator, a Spanish Secondary School
with a focus on languages, ICT and tourism, a Norwegian Secondary School with a focus on science,
technology and robotics, and a Finnish vocational college with an electro technology and robotics
department carried out together.

The HORIZONTAL OBJECTIVE of the project was to teach students of all levels of education and
backgrounds ICT competence, especially with respect to automated systems in order to prepare
them well for “Industry 4.0” work places and the challenges of automation. This was done by building robots in international student groups and programming them to pick up trash on a playground simulating a beach and carry it back to a starting point.

A SECTORIAL PRIORITY we achieved was the integration of students who need more support (refugees, weaker students and truants) in order to be fully integrated into the whole community of students. Moreover, female learners who needed more motivation for dealing with technological subjects were motivated to deal with ICT technology through this project-based approach. For this, four special support schemes have been developed, applied and assessed.

CONTEXT/BACKGROUND
Digital skills have been developed by all groups of students and they learnt about necessary further skills and competences in the modern production and distribution industry. In online discussions the viewpoint of representatives of companies have been considered and discussed.

In order to achieve these ICT skills and competences, 5 robots have been built by students of the 4
schools in international teams which they at the end presented in a competition online. There the robots were assessed according to the set task, including energy efficiency and sustainability. The robots have been practically built and programmed. Constant exchange of experience
at international ACTIVITIES about ICT solutions and with the help of ICT technology
(email, internet, video conferences), practical programming, digital processing and publishing the
results, reached the prior objective mentioned above. International meetings have enhanced ICT
knowledge in automation as all schools complemented each other with their equipment (Newton lab, know-how in micro-controlling, sensor technology, IT and electro-technology labs) and exchanged know-how. The student company could not be integrated because of Corona.

In the project quantitative and qualitative evaluation METHODS have been applied for the evaluation of the project: the status quo at the start, the process, the end of the project and its impact. Modern
teaching methods like Cooperative Learning approach by Norm Green, modern problem-solving
techniques like Ischikawa and presentation and learning methods (e.g. meta plan, group puzzle structures, expert interviews, lectures held by students, forum discussions) have been applied. Expert groups were not built as all students wanted to work on same level.

RESULTS
Robots as learning objects, a Good Practice Guide how to teach ICT competences and the
integration and motivation of students to deal with ICT technology and other learning contents have been produced. Schemes have been developed accordingly so that a sound digital teachers’ Guide has been published as an open-source guideline. A bouquet of tested and recommended ICT project methods all documented in print, film and photo has been provided and will be shared further to organize similar projects.

IMPACT/LONGER BENEFITS
New structures derived from these processes, the Good Practice Guide and
teaching materials have already been implemented in the participating schools in curricula and
modules/workshops, introduced to regional schools and authorities. They have been given (not published yet) in some teacher seminars as multiplier activities already and are being presented internationally in a new and grand network of all participating schools including their partnerschools (see annex) for wider use. They are now presented and discussed on online platforms (e.g. eTwinning, Erasmus+ regional and national websites, YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook, Twitter).

See project film: https://youtu.be/hq6D1fdY1s8

Project Website

https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=robots%20%27r%20us

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 115569,98 Eur

Project Coordinator

Leopold-Hoesch-Berufskolleg der Stadt Dortmund & Country: DE

Project Partners

• Aust-Lofoten videregående skole
• IES Puerto del Rosario
• Kotkan-Haminan seudun koulutuskuntayhtymä