UFPel presents in the US the Design of a Project for Programming and Robotics clubs
The design of the project was presented in the University of California, Irvine
Last October 6 2016, UFPel’s research group Comunicação, Culturas e Tecnologias (Communication, Cultures and Technologies – CoCTec) presented, in the USA, the design of a project for the programming clubs operationing at public schools in the city of Pelotas, RS. The project was presented by the CoCTec collaborating researcher Carolina Rodeghiero during the Digital Media & Learning conference, which is organized and promoted by a group taking the same name, the DML Research Hub, bringing together renowned researchers from different parts of the world that work with learning issues and digital media to promote equality.
From October 5-7 at the University of California, Irvine, the UFPel group had the opportunity to talk to researchers who have already implemented similar projects in their communities, getting to know the progress and difficulties they experienced. In addition, CoCTec has teamed up with members of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) that are part of the Scratch Team, responsible for creating and maintaining the block programming tool translated into 40 languages, bringing together an online community comprising over 12 million people.
The project for the programming clubs aims to develop computational thinking mainly in students from the public school network of Pelotas through programming scripts and robotics. According to the coordinator of CoCTec, professor Rosária Sperotto, the main objective of the group, which currently promotes free training for teachers and interested professionals, is to carry out activities that promote the development of computational thinking and its benefits to students, engaging them in a community Through programming clubs that will operate in the schools themselves, under the leadership of teachers, professionals and volunteers committed to the Program.
The design presented in the US is based on the understanding of what computational thinking is, as well as its benefits to all areas of knowledge. The program developed by UFPel contributes to its development through programming classes, robotics and free educational computing classes, always taking into account the possibilities of academic research that arise from the implementation of the clubs.
Christiano Ávila, a UFPel professor from the Center for Engineering Undergraduate Programs and a doctoral student in Computer Science, explains that the CoCTec works in partnership with another UFPel group called “Exploring Computational Thinking for the Qualification of Elementary Education” (EXPPC)”, coordinated by professor Simone Cavalheiro. Professor Cavalheiro promotes meetings with elementary school students, supervised by scholars and volunteers from different UFPel programs, seeking to develop computational thinking skills either by not even using any electronic devices or using computers and kits of robotics. Still in October 2016, the CoCTEc group was to start new activities through a pilot program club for public children aged 7-11.
