Background and context: The analysis documents for the European educational policies have at their center the preoccupations of educational systems to develop STEM skills in students and organize learning activities in schools which are practical, interdisciplinary and innovative to exercise them. A development of active and innovative, interdisciplinary and collaborative methodology is a must, to promote the development of Maths, Sciences and technologies. Developing devices based on microcontrollers and future technologies promotes practical study experiences, interdisciplinary professional development and development of digital VET skills. EU Commission is constantly recommending the increase in the level of educational digitalization and integrating the new technologies in the educational process. Raising student motivation through usage of modern teaching methods that encourage the application of new technologies in practical work environments is required. It is through the joined effort of engineers- IT specialists - STEM teachers that we will create the basis for the developmnet of basic skills and transversal skills reuired on the European Labor market for future jobs. The objectives of the project: 1. Identifying means to project, program and use embedded systems for educational purposes 2. Elaborating curricular resources centered on the use of STEM skills to accomplish devices based on microcontrollers 3. Implementing learning activities in STEM school subjects with the view of familiarizing students with the new technologies based on microcontrollers 4. Creating a study platform for the free access to curricular resources created on the theme of developing applications with microcontrollers. 5. Developing new EU partnerships, with transfer of good practices and innovative curricular resources between the institutions that target the development of STEM skills. The target group is formed of VET trainers and students and professionals from the profile companies. - members of the project teams of all partner organizations; - STEM teachers from partner schools - 200 students who will pilot the platform in the 3 schools - 150 users enrolled on the platform - 60 STEM teachers in project countries, who will join the platform during the dissemination stage - At least 500 people will receive through MailChimp the 4 newsletters - 120 participants at the Multiplication Events The project will reach a greater target group through the implementation of the OER uploaded on the platform. Activities: - 5 transnational meetings (Romania, Portugal, Croatia, Poland, Greece) - 1 Short Term joint staff training event - Documentation and creation, testing and piloting of IOs - Dissemination and valorization of results activities - 3 Multiplier Events in partner school countries - Project Management activities - Monitoring, Evaluation activities typical for a Quality Management Results of the project: - members of the project teams of all partner organizations with competences developed in European project management and implementation of applications with microcontrollers; - STEM teachers from the two partner schools with developed competences of implementing practical activities with students on microcontrollers - 200 pupils who will pilot the platform from the 3 schools with developed STEM skills - 150 users enrolled on the platform, except for students with knowledge of microcontroller applications - 5 intellectual outputs (curriculum modules, collection of educational models, guide, e-learning platform) - 4 Newsletters that will present information about the evolution of the project - one Multiplier Event performed in each partner country (09.2021) - the website and the Facebook page of the project in all partner languages in the first 2 months of the project, accessed and appreciated by at least 100 users. Impact and durability: Integrating microcontrollers in the modern class and boosting interest in the STEM subjects allows for a more practical viewpoint onto the teaching- learning process in training institutes. It also encompasses and is applicable to the modern day technology of flipped classroom which allows students to start the learning process from the result/ the output and go backwards in search of its process. Such a methodology of learning combined with the potential of outsourcing it will create employees with a greater degree of employability in the most competitive fields of activity nowadays. In the long term the project will have a great impact and durability due to the creation of Open Digital (OER) resources that will be made public and promoted by uploading them to specialized databases to distribute resources for teachers/trainers.
Microprocessors and microcontrollers have quickly become indispensable in numerous engineering fields. For the "internet of things," "smart cities," "sensor networks," etc. to function, nearly all modern intelligent electronic devices require one or more microprocessor or microcontroller chips. Partner institute needs assessments highlight the critical importance of preparing VET students and teachers with the skills necessary to thrive in the Information Age of Technology. Based on the findings of the assessments it was clear that there was a demand for realistic classroom situations that take into account two key aspects of the labor market: the development of integrated STEM abilities in students and the need to train and educate future educators. In order to help students develop skills useful in the workplace, educators must have access to open educational resources (OER) and appropriate professional development opportunities. Trainers and educators are interested in collaborating with professionals from various educational systems and the business world to share best practices. Students' demands on trainers stem from their own desires to practice STEM skills on real-world gadgets utilized in the industries of the future (including the ones in which they will find employment after graduation). Future employees need to have their STEM skills honed in a realistic, market-responsive way, and this responsibility falls on both businesses and educational institutions. Companies working on the project have developed a series of questions for use in VET institutions and schools to conduct a needs assessment. Trainers in vocational and educational training (VET) convened focus groups of students and teachers to discuss and prioritize training needs. The necessity of designing, constructing, operating, and programming devices with embedded systems has led to an increase in mechanization, as is obvious to everybody. All of our affiliated organizations provide services related to guidance and mentoring. This project's goal is to pool existing knowledge and experience to develop implementable instruments (IOs) that can be used by other VET providers across Europe to meet this demand. National curriculums emphasize theory and encourage the growth of modular solutions in contrast to the business world, which presents an engineering-based, project-oriented view of employment requirements, the scientific worldview of schools emphasizes the development of skills. Schools provide the theoretical/methodological framework necessary for integrating these abilities, while businesses provide the empirical/technical framework. Training for the jobs of the twenty-first century requires a broad range of abilities, from engineering and computer science to creative problem solving, teamwork, and entrepreneurship. To meet the problems of this century, the next generation will need a deeper understanding of mathematical and scientific concepts, as well as the skills to integrate and apply them. Project objectives: 1. Identifying means to project, program and use embedded systems for educational purposes 2. Elaborating curricular resources centered on the use of STEM skills to accomplish devices based on microcontrollers 3. Implementing learning activities in STEM school subjects with the view of familiarizing students with the new technologies based on microcontrollers 4. Creating a study curricula for the free access to resources created on the theme of developing applications with microcontrollers. 5. Developing new EU partnerships, with transfer of good practices and innovative curricular resources between the institutions that target the development of STEM skills.
EU priorities of educational systems are to train students in STEM fields and to arrange for hands-on, multidisciplinary, and creative learning opportunities in the classroom. It is imperative that new, dynamic, interdisciplinary, and collaborative methods be developed in order to incentivize progress in the hard sciences, logical disciplines, and cutting-edge equipment. Inventions are built on Future Technologies, and Microcontrollers encouraging real-world, multidisciplinary learning enhancement of one's career and the growth of one's digital VET abilities. The European Union's Commission is always pushing for more widespread use of digital tools in classrooms, applying cutting-edge tools to classroom instruction. The importance of increasing student motivation through incorporation of cutting-edge strategies for educational instruction that inspire the use of emerging technology in place of employment is necessary. Together, engineers, IT experts, and educators in the STEM fields aimed to develop the foundation for building the fundamental and transferable skills necessary to succeed in today's European labor market jobs in the future. The incorporation of microcontrollers into the modern classroom and the subsequent increase in student interest in STEM subjects provides a realistic perspective on the classroom experience in educational institutions. Also, it entails and makes use of the cutting-edge pedagogical tool of the "flipped classroom," in which educators should encourage their pupils to reverse the traditional learning process by having them begin with the desired outcome. When you combine the opportunity for outsourcing with this type of learning process, you get people who are more marketable in today's most competitive industries of work.