botSTEM is an ERASMUS+ project aiming to raise the utilisation of inquiry-based collaborative learning and robot-enhanced education. The project outputs are specifically aimed to provide in- and pre-service teachers in Childhood and Primary Education, and children aged between 4 and 8, with research-based materials and practices that use integrated Science Technology Engineering Mathematics (STEM) and robot-based approaches, including code-learning, for enhancing scientific literacy in young children. This presentation presents initial results in terms of a collection of tested educational practices summarized in a freely downloadable Toolkit, and results from a qualitative analysis of implemented activities in Swedish preschools. The preliminary analysis of the implementations indicates that robots function as motivation factors in young children’s inquiry of science and engineering design technology, in both teacher and children initiated learning situations.. Also, when compared, digital programming with a use of robots promotes discussions among teachers and children that involve more versatile robotic words then un-plugged programming does. 

botSTEM is an ERASMUS+ project aiming to raise the utilisation of inquiry-based collaborative learning and robots-enhanced education. The project outputs are specifically aimed to provide in- and pre-service teachers in Childhood and Primary Education and children four-eight years old, with research-based materials and practices that use integrated Science Technology Engineering Mathematics (STEM) and robot-based approaches, including code-learning, for enhancing scientific literacy in young children. This article presents the outputs from the botSTEM project; the didactical framework underpinning the teaching material, addressing pedagogy and content. It is a gender inclusive pedagogy that makes use of inquiry, engineering design methodology, collaborative work and robotics. The article starts with a presentation of the botSTEM toolkit with assorted teaching practices and finishes with examples of preliminary results from a qualitative analysis of implemented activities during science teaching in preschools. It turns out that despite perceived obstacles that teachers initially expressed, the analysis of the implementations indicates that the proposed STEM integrated framework, including inquiry teaching and engineering design methodologies, can be used with children as young as four years old.

botSTEM is an ERASMUS+ project aiming to raise the utilisation of inquiry-based collaborative learning and robots-enhanced education. The project outputs are specifically aimed to provide in- and pre-service teachers in Childhood and Primary Education and children aged between 4 and 8, with research-based materials and best practices that use integrated Science Technology Engineering Mathematics (STEM) and robot-based approaches, including code-learning, for enhancing scientific literacy in young children. Initial results from the project in terms of a collection of good educational practices summarized in a freely downloadable Toolkit and results from a qualitative analysis of implemented activities during science teaching in Swedish preschools are presented here. The preliminary analysis of the implementations indicate that robots function as motivation factors in young children’s inquiry of science and engineering design technology, in both teacher and children initiated learning situations.

botSTEM is an ERASMUS+ project aiming to raise the utilisation of inquiry-based collaborative learning and robots-enhanced education. The project outputs are specifically aimed to provide in- and pre-service teachers in Childhood and Primary Education and children aged between 4 and 8, with research-based materials and best practices that use integrated Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) and robot-based approaches, including code-learning, for enhancing scientific literacy in young children. Initial results from the project from a qualitative analysis of implemented activities during science teaching in preschools in Spain are presented here. Despite the possible obstacles that preschool teachers initially expressed, the preliminary analysis of the implementations indicates that the proposed STEM integrated framework, including inquiry teaching and engineering design methodologies, can be used with kids as young as 4 y.o. In the case of a project about magnets, the children seem to have improved/used? some scientific ideas, applied these ideas to design a magnetic toy and learnt about spatial orientation through use of robots. Also, the development of the project seems have allowed a fruitful intersubjective communication between teachers and students.

BotSTEM is an ERASMUS+ project aiming to raise the utilisation of inquiry-based collaborative learning and robots-enhanced education. The project outputs are specifically aimed to provide in- and pre-service teachers in Childhood and Primary Education and children aged between 4 and 8, with research-based materials and best practices that use integrated Science Technology Engineering Mathematics (STEM) and robot-based approaches, including  code-learning, for enhancing scientific literacy in young children. Initial results from the project will be presented at the conference. 

This paper explores the attitudes, conceptions and use of social media in net-based higher education. By using statistical and content analysis of data generated by two surveys directed to students (n = 109) and teachers (n = 77) involved in net-based higher education, we explore how social media influence the design of learning context in net-based higher education courses. By applying the affordance theory, we describe actual as well as preferred use of social media from an educational, social, and technical perspectives. The results showed that the potential use of social media have not yet been fully found in the context of net-based higher education. However, the perceived benefit of using social media differs in relation to educational topics. The potential use of social media in net-based higher education courses is discussed.

There are numerous examples of the use of visualization of events and processes within the field of Information Systems. Rich pictures are used in soft systems methodology (SSM), images of event-driven chain models are used in process modeling, etc. This paper focuses on the use of generic visualization methods in action case research. In action case research, the researcher balances between interpretation of qualitative data and intervention to solve the problem of the research partner. Two kinds of results are expected: conceptual results, as in describing expected events or expected functionality, and concrete results, as in taking action in some problem-solving context. The questions raised in this paper are: 1. What are the benefits of using visualization as a tool for building shared interpretations and mutual understandings between researchers and practice in action case research settings? 2. How can visualization activities in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) contribute to bridging the gap between conceptual and concrete levels of results? In this paper we present empirical findings from an action case research project. Flower Systems Ltd. is a software company that has developed a document handling system (ISOX) especially designed to meet the needs of social services in local governments. The concrete result of the collaboration is a more user-friendly, redesigned version of ISOX based on the use of different visualization techniques. The conceptual result is a proposed model for using visualization when balancing between interpretation and intervention.