The SCRAPY project aims to enhance educators' skills in STEM distance learning by providing a comprehensive solution with tailored hardware and software to teach physical computing, programming, and DIY electronics to young students. Specific objectives include offering a hands-on and engaging approach, developing a versatile educational package for both in-person and remote classes, strengthening educators' abilities to deliver engaging lessons with digital tools, integrating gamification and experiential learning, creating a community of practice through a virtual academy, formulating evidence-based recommendations for the integration of educational games into school curricula, and bolstering educational institutions to provide quality and inclusive digital education.
The increasing dominance of online activities among young people, coupled with a declining interest in offline learning, has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to a decline in crucial skills such as problem-solving and critical thinking. The shift to remote learning has deprived STEM education of its hands-on aspect, reducing student engagement and threatening the uniqueness of project-based learning. The completed SCRAPY project aimed to address these issues by directly targeting teachers and students (8-14 years old) to promote digital and stimulating STEM educational methods. The indirect effects have impacted parents, the educational community, and policymakers, suggesting the use of project materials and results in an informal educational context. The project sought to influence future educational policies by highlighting the importance of such initiatives in the changing post-pandemic education landscape.