This project is an initiative of 7 partners from Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey. The partnership includes 2 universities, 1 private company, and 4 directorates of education (one local and 3 regional). TARGET GROUPS The project addresses the needs of the following target groups: -secondary school teachers (especially in STEM fields) -secondary school students -regional and local educational authorities -school managers and administrators CONTEXT STEM knowledge and skills are regarded as key to Europe’s competiveness and its ability to address societal challenges. Currently, there are not enough STEM graduates to meet the demand for STEM professionals. It is therefore necessary to increase the proportion of students interested in, and well prepared for, STEM studies and career. STEM needs to respond to the latest changes in technology and industry demands. At the same time, it needs to become more inclusive, engaging and attractive to students. 3D technology, especially when combined with Programming, can greatly enrich current STEM initiatives. It develops students’ creativity, innovation and problem-solving skills. It sensitizes students to the link between STEM and the production process. It also fares very well in terms of student engagement. 3D leads to results that students can literally touch and see, which is satisfying and can make STEM activities more agreeable to otherwise reluctant learners. Finally, it is one of the best technologies for seamlessly integrating STEM into Arts & Design. OBJECTIVES The project’s overall objective is to enable the application of 3D design and printing in STEM education in secondary schools. The specific objectives are to: -Provide teachers and students with learning/teaching resources on 3D design and printing -Provide teachers and students with learning/teaching resources on the application of the Python programming language in 3D design and creative explorations of 3D models -Equip teachers with methodological and didactic guidance for the design and delivery of STEM education in the 3D technology area. MAIN ACTIVITIES AND RESULTS The partnership will produce the following intellectual outputs: 1. Extracurricular Training Program “Introduction to 3D design and 3D printing” 2. Extracurricular Training Program “Python for 3D printing and creative explorations of 3D models” 3. Classroom Guide for Applying 3D Design, Printing and Programming in Learning Activities The following events will be organized during the project: -A Stakeholder Buy-In Workshop -Creativity workshops -Dissemination Conferences -A joint staff training -Trainings of Maker School Trainers -Demonstrations of the process of 3D design and printing to students -other dissemination events. EXPECTED IMPACTS Like many other new technologies, 3D technology is becoming cheaper, adapted to a greater variety of uses and users, and thus increasingly affordable. With this project, we seek to provide schools and their teachers with the tools, confidence and support to do the best with this technology in both curricular and extracurricular activities once it arrives in their school. At local level, the project will target local schools, teachers, students, local authorities and local educational directorates. It will aim at raising awareness that 3D technology creates many opportunities for improving the quality of curricular teaching and for delivering engaging and effective extracurricular STEM and STEAM (STEM and Arts) activities that are suitable also to reluctant STEM learners. It will also raise awareness among teachers and students that 3D technology can be integrated in learning in the areas of Informatics and Computer Science to build competitive skills and knowledge. In the long run, the project will seek to contribute to improved extracurricular STEM and STEAM education in schools, stronger involvement of students in such education, and new professional development opportunities for teachers in STEM and all other disciplines. At regional level the project will target public bodies responsible for education and in the long run will aim to contribute to better strategies for enhancing student results in the area of STEM learning at secondary school level. At national and international levels, the project expects to contribute to raising awareness of the full potential of 3D technology to improve STEM and STEAM learning, to advance students results in computer science and programming, to build design thinking skills and to prepare learners for Industry 4.0.
Like many other new technologies, 3D technology is becoming cheaper, adapted to a greater variety of uses and users, and thus increasingly affordable. With this project, we seek to provide schools and their teachers with the tools, confidence and support to do the best with this technology in both curricular and extracurricular activities once it arrives in their school. The project’s overall objective is to enable the application of 3D design and printing in STEM education in secondary schools. The specific objectives are to: - Provide teachers and students with learning/teaching resources on 3D design and printing - Provide teachers and students with learning/teaching resources on the application of the Python programming language in 3D design and creative explorations of 3D models - Equip teachers with methodological and didactic guidance for the design and delivery of STEM education in the area of 3D technology.
STEM knowledge and skills are key to Europe’s competitiveness and its ability to address societal challenges. In the EU, demand for STEM professionals remains high. While the number of STEM graduates is steadily growing, there remains the need to further increase the proportion of European students interested in and well prepared for STEM studies and career. However, STEM subjects are often regarded as difficult or unappealing, and the percentage of under-achievers among the 15-year olds is still high, necessitating further efforts to improve teaching and student engagement. In addition, it is becoming more and more important to ensure the quality of STEM training by increasing its relevance to the needs of the economy and society. In the context of Industry 4.0, skills and knowledge in the area of 3D technology are becoming especially relevant. In sum, in the project countries, STEM education and training needs to respond to the latest changes in technology and industry demands and, at the same time, it needs to become more engaging and attractive to students.