CONTEXT Countries all over the world are beginning to introduce computer science, programming, and computational thinking into their curricula, even for very young children. This curriculum change is driven in part by the need for a highly digitally competent workforce to remain economically competitive, but also by an understanding that thinking computationally will enhance students cognitive abilities, their understanding of the world and their ability to create using digital technologies. The partners in #co-think- 5 5 local school authorities/educational centers and 5 pilot schools from Sweden, the Netherlands, the UK, Finland and Denmark - believe that computational thinking is an area of learning not only crucial to our students adaptation to their digital surroundings, but also to their ability to problem solve, develop new knowledge, and above all to harness the full potential of their creativity. The introduction of computer science concepts, including computational thinking, into the education systems in many European countries, has been challenging, especially as many teachers have not received pre-service or in-service training to teach these areas. These new aims go beyond the demands of previous teaching and learning and requires teachers to learn new skills and knowledge. OBJECTIVES In line with the Erasmus+ objectives and the latest report from the OECD’s Innovation Strategy, the ultimate objective of the project #co-think is to: SHARE AND EVALUATE MODELS AND APPROACHES FOR THE INCLUSIVE TEACHING AND LEARNING OF COMPUTATIONAL THINKING AND OVERALL DEVELOPMENT OF DIGITAL COMPETENCIES. The aim is to learn from approaches, pedagogies and expertise across the 5 countries to support primary teachers’ knowledge, skills and understanding of how to teach computational thinking by creating a community of practice to extend this expertise into schools across each locality. PARTICIPANTS AND ACTIVITIES More than 30 ICT educators, 100 teachers, 1000 students will participate in activities that will be disseminated and of benefit to more than 10000 primary school teachers and ICT educators, 60000 primary school students and 1800 policymakers across the partner countries. The project’s activities will involve 4 transnational meetings, 3 computational thinking learning and training activities and 3 student challenges or ‘teachathons’, taking place across the partner countries and involving both students and teachers. The project will culminate in a final training and dissemination event to ensure that learning from the project is integrated into local practice and outcomes from the project are embedded into each region's professional development programme for local schools. The project will also create an international network through which teachers can work together on resources and documentation to support ongoing progression in their learning and collaboration around computational thinking. METHODOLOGY The transnational nature of the project will enable each partner to apply methods developed in other countries’ contexts and to learn from best practice outside of their immediate environments. Tasks have been divided into 5 work packages ( PROJECT MANAGEMENT, COMMUNICATION AND DISSEMINATION, LEARNING AND TEACHING ACTIVITIES, CURRICULUM IMPLEMENTATION and EVALUATION) and distributed democratically among the country coordinators on the basis of their expertise. The 5 pilot schools will serve as local "role models" for all other schools within the reach of each educational center. RESULTS The project will result in establishing clear evaluated and documented knowledge, approaches and pedagogies for the teaching and learning of computational thinking on both a partnership and individual level. Results will include: -- the improved digital competence of teachers, students and policy makers taking part in the project. -evaluated and documented approaches and pedagogies for the teaching and learning of computational thinking that can be disseminated at a local, regional, national and international level. -- a shared website where all results and resources, materials and lessons plans will be accessible. - a norm critical framework that can be used to teach computational thinking in an inclusive way - an increased awareness of ICT implementation in schools all around Europe. IMPACT A generation of European citizens growing up with with these valuable computational thinking skills and high levels of digital competency will secure a successful economic and community engagement on a global level. The project will not only target the educational goals of the Erasmus+ programme but will make a big contribution to the EU-2020 strategy by making lifelong learning and mobility a reality, improving the quality of education through the professional development of teachers, fostering employability and promoting active citizenship amongst young people.
The #co-think project has emerged from the need to respond to curriculum changes in Europe, where computer science, programming, and computational thinking has been or is about to be introduced even for very young students. The partners in #co-think- 5 local school authorities/educational centers and 5 pilot schools from Sweden, the Netherlands, the UK, Finland and Denmark have tried to meet the challenges of introducing computer science to teachers by carrying out a number of collaborative training activities in line with the overall project objectives: SHARE AND EVALUATE MODELS AND APPROACHES FOR THE INCLUSIVE TEACHING AND LEARNING OF COMPUTATIONAL THINKING AND OVERALL DEVELOPMENT OF DIGITAL COMPETENCIES. More than 30 ICT educators, 100 teachers and 1000 students aged 7-12 have been involved in the activities and dissemination has reached approximately more than 10000 primary school teachers and ICT educators and 1800 policymakers across the partner countries. During the course of 3 years 4 transnational meetings, 4 computational thinking learning and training activities, 3 student challenges or ‘learnathons’ and approximately 30 dissemination events were carried out. The final training activity in London March 2020 included a whole day digital making event at TATE Modern involving all target groups of the project: students, teachers, educators, principals, directors and policy makers. The project has involved associated partners from companies, universities and other institutions who contributed with their know-how and expertise related to the theme of the project. The local authorities in the partnership have shared the workload of hosting the different events and disseminating the project at a local, regional and national level. In addition each partner has been lead of one of the different work packages:project management, communication and dissemination, learning and teaching activities, curriculum implementation and evaluation. Each local authority has also been in direct contact with their local "pilot" school which have served as role model for other schools within the reach of each local authority. The project has above all resulted in an increased knowledge among all target groups of the teaching and learning concepts of computational thinking for younger students, inclusive thinking and gender stereotypes and an overall improved digital competence in using a wide variety of tools and methods to enhance the computational thinking of students. Schools and local authorities have used and shared different material and approaches and pedagogies for the teaching and learning of computational thinking and all material that has been collated at the project website https://www.co-think.eu/. Foremost, the project has created an international network of local authorities, schools and teachers where discussion and exchanges have continued in other collaborative forms, such as new projects and future exchanges, and involved other aspect of teaching and learning.The increased awareness of ICT implementation in schools all around Europe has impacted partners' sense of European belonging and increased all partners' willingness to pursue and develop transnational collaboration to support school development. This sense of belonging has been in particular emphasized during the corona pandemic as partners shared challenges and solutions for distance learning. Above all the project has, in line with the Erasmus+ horizontal priorities, contributed to innovation and disseminated innovative practices in a digital era, by promoting gender equality and inclusion in the use of technology and by promoting innovative methods and tools for teaching, training, learning and assessment as drivers of improvements in lifelong learning.