Workshops

The workshop sessions will take place on teachers’ day/edu-i-day, Monday afternoon, October 23 (rest of the program here). Here is the detailed program for the workshops. For authors and abstract, see below in the same page.

Workshop attendance will require registration on a shared spreadsheet indicated on Monday morning to ensure workshop rooms are not overloaded. Please bring your laptop to all workshops!

Here is the list of accepted workshops together with the authors:

• From Modelling To Your Own 3D Printed Object
  Katharina Brugger, Daniel Dobernig, and Melanie Bostjancic
  Interdisciplinary teaching is becoming more and more critical in the educational institutions of Austria. The computer science-related topic of modelling and the application in 3D printing is an affordable way of implementing software and hands-on teaching methods in subjects in and outside of computer science. In this workshop, we present the creation of 3D objects in an easily adaptive way to teach children from the age of ten. We also provide possible teaching scenarios for the interdisciplinary use of 3D modelling and printing. Most part of this workshop is used for hands-on experiences and active modelling with easy-to-use software. 3D printers will be presented, and the printing process will be shown. The workshop aims to illustrate the way from the model to the physical 3D-printed object. This workshop is based on our experience in 3D printing workshops for children of all ages at the Informatics Lab at the University of Klagenfurt as well as experiences in the school context.
• Teach AI to K12 by Manipulating a Learning Robot and Visualizing Deep Learning
  Marie Martin, Morgane Chevalier, and Thomas Deneux
  The issue of Artificial Intelligence education for K12 or even primary school students has been raised for some years. However, AI algorithms remain too abstract to teach at such young ages. To make them more tangible, we have developed a robot that can be both trained by you or that can ”learn in front of you”, along with a graphical interface exposing algorithm details such as the real-time activity of a deep learning network. During the workshop, we will present this hardware and software resource and allow attendees to manipulate it. More specifically, we will reproduce an activity that can be conducted with pupils from age 8, where increasing levels of autonomy of the robot will be studied, including supervised learning and reinforcement learning.
• Computer Science Competitions in Switzerland: Introduction and How to Make Use of Them in Schools
  Susanne Datzko-Thut and Charlotte Knierim
  Introduction of the Swiss Olympiad in Informatics and the Swiss Bebras Challenge. You learn about the contents and tasks of the competitions and can try them out for themselves. You will gain an overview of the organizational effort required for your students to participate in the competitions and receive suggestions for embedding the competitions in the classroom.
• Reverse Engineering for Beginners in Programming Using micro:bit and Sphero Bolt
  Corinna Mößlacher, Kevin Wiltschnig, and Marcell Andexlinger
  A typical way to introduce students to programming is to show them a block-based programming language and let them experiment with the programming environment, resulting in a small sample project. But in order to experiment, they need to understand the instructions (in a block-based environment) and basic control structures. They also have to understand control flow (even if not explicitly mentioned). Unplugged activities can help to understand the concepts but are often not supporting the possibility to discover and explore control structures and other basic concepts of programming. We want to present a different approach to programming by discovering the behaviour of a black box (in our examples: micro:bit or Sphero Bolt with running programs) to explore the structure of a program without already knowing the instructions of the programming language but as a model (in our examples: activity diagrams). This model can be used to reproduce the code by learning/finding the instructions corresponding to the elements of the model.
• Interactive Workshop on Teaching Materials for AI literacy
  Megumi Iwata, Jari Laru, and Kati Mäkitalo
  In this interactive workshop, the participants are introduced to the web-based image classifier and the teaching materials for artificial intelligence (AI) education. The tool and the materials are the outcomes from the long-term Generation AI project about AI and children, and they are tested in comprehensive schools in Finland. The aim of the workshop is to develop teachers’ and educators’ competence in teaching AI to their students. In the workshop, the participants work in pairs to explore how to use the image classifier tool and design a simple application.
• Experience and Express Contextual Games for Computational Thinking and Multiple Perceptions
  Ju-Ling Shih, Valentina Dagienė, and George Ghinea
  This workshop, “Experience and Express Contextual Games,” advocates for constructivist approaches to learning. It champions active knowledge construction through immersive game experiences and encourages participants to articulate diverse viewpoints within interactive scenarios. The primary objective is to deliver an authentic and engrossing learning encounter facilitated by a range of technology-enhanced board games crafted by expert teams. Attendees will collaboratively and competitively partake in these games, refining their problem-solving and computational thinking abilities, while also engaging in discussions from multiple perspectives. Geared towards educators and scholars invested in game-based learning, this workshop provides a comprehensive initiation into the realm of technology-enhanced games. By means of hands-on gameplay and thought-provoking conversations around potential research avenues, participants will delve into the educational capacities of board games across various contexts. The workshop aspires to cultivate a dynamic learning environment that seamlessly merges enjoyment, skill cultivation, and valuable insights.
• Explore Computer Magic Using the Oxocards
  Thomas Garaio
  With this workshop, we break through the conventional, build-up computer science education by taking a direct route via ready-made example programs that can be adjusted and observed immediately by sliders. Nothing has to be programmed for this. Only then are small coding tasks implemented in step-by-step instructions. The results seem a little magical at the beginning, but with each task more secrets are revealed.
  The author and his team developed the educational learning computer Oxocard, as well as the programming language NanoPy, which is based on Python. The revolutionary learning concept is based on the well-known “Use-Modify-Create” approach, but takes this even further. After an introductory speech, participants will each receive a free copy of an Oxocard, which can then be used to carry out various experiments.
• Teaching Science with BBC micro:bit
  Martin Cápay and Magdaléna Bellayová
  Microcontroller programming is a suitable form of popularizing different types of sciences. The fact that the device is programmable clearly indicates that it can be used in computer science classes. However, with well-chosen tasks and a well-thought-out didactic approach, we can also popularise various concepts in physics, mathematics or even biology through hardware programming. The BBC micro:bit, with its compactness, the integration of basic sensors directly into the motherboard and the support of different programming languages, is very suitable for a wide range of pupils, from primary to secondary school. By connecting additional devices, LED strips, crocodile clips cables, etc., it is possible to extend the capabilities of the device and give projects an extra dimension. In addition, projects can be given their own form and the artistic dimension of the pupil can be involved by using, for example, aluminium foil, cardboard, wood or paint. Micro:bit is also often used as a means of developing computational thinking. In our workshop we will show some of the activities that can be used in cross-curricular connections.
• Discover Diverse Pedagogical Activities, With or Without Robots
  Sophia Reyes Mury and Seraina Betschart
  During this one-hour workshop, participants will have access to numerous small practical examples of teaching with educational robots. We’ll have the opportunity to discover micro:bits, interact with Thymio and explore so-called unplugged activities. All the ideas and lesson plans presented will then be available for direct download from the Roteco website.
  Roteco is a community created by and for teachers, focusing on robotics and programming in education. In addition to teaching resources, we offer practical articles and information on training courses and events currently available in this field.