.E1 Conference
The first event was a conference titled “Living with Technology: Innovation in Education” that took place on March 25th 2022 in Porto, Portugal.
The conference aimed to discuss the importance of computational thinking and computer science for all students, teachers, and people in general, and how to integrate them into the curriculum and the society.
With a strong panel of experts in the fields of computer science and education, the conference was focused in three pillars.
The first pillar addressed the perspective of the computer science scientific community. The second pillar addressed what should be best curriculum design. And the third pillar, the social and economic perspective, allowed the participants to have a broad perspective about the framework being built, involving different experts and interactions within universities, industry, government, public and environment, as well as understand how policies and practices could be transformed effectively to support the next generation of teachers and educators focused and oriented to transform the next generation of youngsters in EU.
Opening
sessioN
The conference featured an opening address by Simon Peyton Jones, a renowned computer scientist and educator, who talked about the power of computational thinking and its applications in various domains.
part i
Scientific Community Perspectives
This panel explored the scientific foundations and the educational benefits of teaching computer science to all students, regardless of their background or interests. The panelists were José Nuno Oliveira, Simon Humphreys, Ademar Aguiar, and Tim Bell.
part ii
Overall
Curriculum Design
This panel discussed the challenges and the opportunities of designing a comprehensive and inclusive curriculum that incorporates computer science as a core subject. The panelists were Pedro Guedes de Oliveira, João Araújo, Bibi Groot, Mónica Vieira, and Hélder Pais.
part iv
Social and
Economic Perspectives
This panel examined the impact and the implications of computer science education on the social and economic development of the country and the world. The panelists were Cláudia Azevedo, João Günther Amaral, and Ricardo Valente.
AGENDA
Opening Session
- Falcão e Cunha. Dean | Director at FEUP.
- Rogério Carapuça. President at APDC, Fórum Portugal Digital.
Opening Address: The Power of Computational Thinking
- Simon Peyton Jones. Chair of Computing at School, Chair of National Centre for Computing Education, Engineering Fellow at Epic Games.
PART I: Computer Science for All: Scientific Community Perspectives
- José Nuno Oliveira. Co-founder of ENSICO, Professor of Computer Science at the Informatics Dept. of University of Minho, Researcher at INESC TEC and INL.
- Simon Humphreys. Co-founder and Vice-Chair of Computing at School.
- Ademar Aguiar. Associate Professor at Department of Informatics Engineering (FEUP), Senior Researcher at INESC TEC, Vice-President at ENSICO.
- Tim Bell. Co-founder of CS Unplugged, Professor at University of Canterbury.
ERASMUS PLUS and CS4All
- Clara Gonçalves. Vice President at ENSICO
PART II: Computer Science for All: Overall Curriculum Design
- Pedro Guedes de Oliveira. Co-founder of ENSICO, Professor Emeritus at University of Porto.
- João Araújo. President at Portuguese Mathematical Society.
- Bibi Groot. Honorary Research Fellow at UCL Institute of Education.
- Mónica Vieira. General Coordinator at Teresa and Alexandre Soares dos Santos Iniciativa Educação.
- Hélder Pais. Head of Curriculum Development Department at the Directorate-General for Education.
PART III: Computer Science for All: Social and Economic Perspectives
- Cláudia Azevedo | João Günther Amaral. CEO | Chief Development Officer at SONAE.
- Ricardo Valente. City Councillor for Finance, Economic Activities and Monitoring and City Councillor for Economy, Employment and Entrepreneurship
- Pedro Cunha. Director of the Gulbenkian Program for Knowledge at Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation.
- Luísa Ribeiro. Chair at .PT, General Coordinator at INCoDe.2030.
- Manuel Carvalho. Editor at Jornal Público.
Closing: Why Now and Ever?
- Luís Neves. Co-founder and President at ENSICO
.E2 Conference
The second event was a conference titled “Living with Technology: Innovation in Education” that took place on May 30th 2023 in Milton Keynes, UK.
The conference focused on the topic of Python-oriented training course and how it can be used to teach computer science skills to students of different ages and backgrounds. The conference also explored the impact of Python on the world of distance learning and the global curriculum development.
The conference had an agenda that consisted of a series of presentations and a discussion session. The presentations were given by experts from Cisco, OpenEDG, ENSICO, the Open University, and De Sallis Studio College. The presentations covered topics such as:
- Python in the world of distance learning – the OU MicroCredential
- Developing Python Curriculum – the global impact
- Translating for Python into Portuguese – the challenges and the opportunity
- Teaching Python in the classroom – experiences from De Sallis Studio College in West London
- Python, how growth and impact is supporting UK education
The conference also had a discussion session where the participants shared their views and questions on how Python will support the present and the future of education. The discussion was moderated by the conference organizers.
Agenda
Part I: Introductions
- Python in the world of distance learning: the OU MicroCredential.
- Developing Python Curriculum: the global impact.
- Translating for Python into Portuguese: the challenges and the opportunity.
Part II: Teaching Python in the classroom
- Suzalee Blair-Gordon. Experiences from De Sallis Studio College in West London.
- Elizabeth Barr. Python, how growth and impact is supporting UK education.
- Discussion: How will Python support the present and the future of education?
.E3 Conference
The third event was a conference titled “Living with Technology: Innovation in Education” that took place on July 10th 2023 in Barcelona, Spain.
The conference featured presentations from experts, practitioners, and policymakers, as well as interactive sessions and networking opportunities.
The conference was a success, with more than 200 participants from different backgrounds and sectors, who expressed their interest and satisfaction with the event.
The conference also generated a lot of media attention and social media engagement, as well as positive feedback from the speakers and the partners.
Agenda
Part I
- Welcome: The conference opened with a welcome speech from the organizers and the local authorities.
- CS4ALL presentation: The CS4ALL project coordinator presented the main objectives, activities, and outcomes of the project, as well as the concept of the “New Trivium” in teaching computational competences, which consists of three pillars: coding, data literacy, and computational thinking.
- “Living with technology: innovation in education”: A panel discussion with representatives from the CS4ALL project partners, who shared their experiences, challenges, and results in implementing and evaluating computer science education interventions in different countries and contexts.
- Q&A: The audience had the opportunity to ask questions and interact with the speakers.
- Coffee break & networking: A coffee break was offered, during which participants could network and exchange ideas with each other and with the speakers.
Part II
- Experiences from NGOs: A series of presentations from non-governmental organizations that are involved in promoting and delivering non-formal learning and afterschool activities related to computer science education. The speakers were:
- Equitat digital – Fundació Bofill: A project that aims to reduce the digital divide and foster social inclusion through digital literacy and coding workshops for children and young people in vulnerable situations.
- Code Club – Raspberry Pi Foundation: A global network of volunteer-led clubs that offer free coding sessions for children aged 9 to 13, using online projects and resources.
- Technovation Challenge Catalonia – Associació Espiral: A regional chapter of the Technovation Challenge, a global program that empowers girls to become tech entrepreneurs and leaders, by creating mobile apps that solve real-world problems.
- MonTech – Universitat de Girona: A project that introduces children to robotics and engineering, by designing and building their own robots using Lego Mindstorms kits and Scratch programming language.
- Experiences from the public sector: A roundtable with representatives from the public sector, who discussed the current state and future prospects of computer science education in the formal education system. The speakers were:
- Ministry of Education: The national authority responsible for defining and implementing the curriculum and the educational policies in Spain.
- Ministry of Business and Labor: The national authority responsible for promoting and supporting the digital transformation and the innovation of the economy and the labor market in Spain.
- Public School from Raval district in Barcelona: A local example of a school that has integrated computer science education in its curriculum and pedagogy, using innovative methodologies and tools.
