International Collaboration and Progress in Education: EDUSIMSTEAM Project Meeting Recap
October 2, 2023
In a global effort to reshape the landscape of education, the EDUSIMSTEAM project is making significant strides in enhancing STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) learning scenarios. The most recent transnational project meeting, held on March 4, 2021, brought together a diverse group of experts and educators from various organizations to discuss progress and plan the way forward.
Key Participants
The meeting, expertly facilitated by Sümeyye Hatice ERAL from the Ministry of National Education (MoNE), witnessed the participation of attendees from a multitude of organizations:
- Social Piet KOMMERS – Both Social
- Miguel GONÇALVES – CTEM Academy
- Luz ARES – Education Department of Galicia
- Michael HALLISSY and Maria FOJK – H2 Learning
- Ligita ZAILSKAITE – Kaunas University of Technology
- Erdinc ÇAKIROĞLU and Volkan ŞAHİN – METU
- Sümeyye Hatice ERAL, İpek SARALAR-ARAS, Tunç Erdal AKDUR, Ceyda ÖZDEMIR, Büşra SÖYLEMEZ, M. Firdevs TÜRK, Numan ÇELEBİ, and Emre TURAN – MoNE, DGIET
- Can KOYUNCU – ROBOTSAN
- Anita JUŠKEVIČIENĖ and Asta MEŠKAUSKIENE – Vilnius University
- Paul TWOMEY – Blackrock Education Centre
Meeting Highlights
The meeting kicked off with an introduction from Sümeyye Hatice ERAL, the project coordinator, who outlined the agenda. The discussions revolved around several key topics, including Project Management and Administrative Issues, Updates on WP-2, STEAM Training Topics and Learning Scenarios, Planning WP-3, and a Q&A session for clarifications.
Project Management and Progress
Sümeyye Hatice ERAL provided an overview of the progress made in WP-2 and WP-3, highlighting the importance of aligning activities with robotic learning principles. Ligita ZAILSKAITE emphasized the application of STEAM learning principles in the context of robotics and noted that the training framework was nearing finalization by the end of March.
Additionally, Emre TURAN and İpek SARALAR-ARAS from MoNE have been actively developing a structured, detailed topic, and content list to support teacher training in the Learning Management System (LMS). In the upcoming meeting, they plan to present the connections between the platform, framework, and learning scenarios.
Innovations in Learning Scenarios
A noteworthy discussion arose when Professor Piet KOMMERS inquired about the “header” part in scenarios. Ligita ZAILSKAITE clarified that the header simply refers to the name of the block within the scenarios.
Furthermore, KOMMERS suggested using the term “challenge-based learning” in addition to the existing problem and project-based learning approaches. This addition is anticipated to engage students more effectively by framing learning as an exciting challenge to overcome.
Looking Ahead
The EDUSIMSTEAM project continues to make remarkable progress, with the collaboration of experts and organizations dedicated to enhancing STEAM education worldwide. As they refine learning scenarios and develop innovative teaching methods, the project promises to play a pivotal role in the future of education.
Here are the meeting notes. Stay tuned for more updates on the EDUSIMSTEAM project and its efforts to revolutionize the way we approach STEAM education!
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this meeting recap do not necessarily represent those of the organizations involved.