Doktorantuur

At the moment reading:

Problem Solving in Web-Based Learning Enviroment; Pedaste, 2006

---

Robotics & Constructivism in Education: the TERECoP project

TERECoP project is a work done from October 2009 to September 2009 in 8 different institutions from 6 countries. Main goal is to develop methodology for teachers to use LEGO MINDSTORMS Robotics platform in secondary school science classes. Another purpose is to develop methodology for students. As robotics was not so spreaded that it would be nationally involved in curriculum, TERECoP started beacuse:
the constructivist theories of Jean Piaget arguing that human learning is not the result of a transmission of knowledge, but an active process of knowledge construction based on experiences gained from the real world and linked to personal, unique pre-knowledge (Piaget 1972).
ƒ the constructionist educational philosophy of S. Papert adding that the construction of new knowledge is more effective when the learners are engaged in constructing products that are personally meaningful to them. Constructionism (Papert, 1992) is a natural extension of constructivism and emphasizes the hands-on aspect. The learners in a constructionist environment build something on their own, preferably a tangible object that they can both touch and find meaningful. The goal of constructionism is giving children good things to do so that they can learn by doing much better than they could before (Papert, 1980).

Project brief: During the 1st year a methodology for designing robotic technology-enhanced constructivist learning will be developed and teacher education courses will be designed. During the 2nd year a pilot and a final teacher education course will be implemented including testing of trainees’ teaching activities in school classes. Finally during the 3rd year the evaluation of the courses and the development of dissemination activities will take place.

---

TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION THROUGH OPEN ENDED TEACHING STRATEGIES ASSOCIATED WITH PRACTICAL LEARNING TOOLS

Birger Brevik, Svein Sjøberg, Anne-Lise Høstmark Tarrou

Pilot study showed what changes are needed to be made in methodology when main study started in autumn 2008. More focus on work life and curriculum. Another focus on students documentation of the project. How students document their own learning. Working with robotics, teacher changed their teaching strategies and students their learning strategies.

---

Alimisis, D., Karatrantou, A., Tachos, N. (2005) Technical school students design and develop robotic gear-based constructions for the transmission of motion, Eurologo 2005, Digital Tools for Lifelong Learning, Proceedings, Warsaw, Poland, pp. 76-86

---

Dimitriou A., Xatzikraniotis E (2003) Educational robotics as a tool for skills development, In Proceedings of the 2nd national teachers’ conference on “ICT in Education”, Syros, May 2003, pp. 146-157 (in Greek).

---

Kagkani K., Dagdilelis V., Satratzemi M., Evangelidis G., (2005) A case study of teaching programming in secondary education with Lego Mindstorms. In on- line Proceedings of the 3d National Conference “Teaching Computer Science”, University of Peloponnese, Korinthos, 7-9 October 2005, http://www.etpe.gr/uploads1/paper_s53.pdf (in Greek).

---

Karatrantou A, Panagiotakopoulos X., Pierri E. (2006) Robotic constructions of Lego Mindstorms and science understanding in primary education: a case study. In Proceedings of the 5th

National   D. Alimisis, M. Moro, J. Arlegui, A. Pina, S. Frangou, K. Papanikolaou 

Conference on ICT in Education, University of Thessaloniki, 5-8 October 2006, pp. 310-317 (in Greek).

---

Karatrantou A, Tachos N., Alimisis D., (2005), Introduction in basic principles and programming structures using the robotic constructions LEGO Mindstorms. In on- line Proceedings of the 3d National Conference “Teaching Computer Science”, University of Peloponnese, Korinthos, 7-9 October 2005 http://www.etpe.gr/uploads1/paper_s81 (in Greek).

---

Kynigos C. and Frangou S. (2000), Aspects of pedagogical use of control technology in school class, In Proceedings of the 2nd

national conference on “ICT in education”, University of Patras, 

pp. 83-91 (in Greek).

---

Niederer, H., Sander, F., Goldberg, F., Otero, V., Jorde, D., Slotta, J., Stromme, A., Fischer, H., Lorenz, H., Tibergkien, A., Vince, J. (2003). Research about the use of information Technology in science education. In Dimitris Psillos et al. (Eds.) Science education research in the knowledge- based society, Kluwer, pp. 309-321.