CURIKIDS: Integrated STEM Education with an Interactive Digital Library for Curious

Abstract

Funding

Researchers

Abstract of the Project

To build resilience to the crisis of COVID-19, a transformative challenge: adaptation to the digital era came up. Just as the STEM approach has risen in recent years, so has digital literacy. OECD, Harvard, and so many other institutions have gathered to provide a collection of resources with students to support the continuity of education, none of which incorporate STEM and literacy. With the Delphi analysis, we found out that creating a freely available digital library with 50% informational (STEM-based) and 50% literacy-based resources for the primary level will assist students, teachers, and parents during/after the pandemic.

As UNESCO states ‘Students need a deep understanding of literacy, digital skills, a good understanding of how humans construct knowledge in social contexts and how reading learning is related to the process of knowledge construction’. Therefore, developing reading, analytical thinking, and creative skills are not only essential requirements for school but are also important for participating in social life and democratic society. Insufficient language and thinking abilities may cause unexpected results such as early school leaving, failure at school, which impacts employment, poverty, unequal opportunities, or social inclusion in the long term.

During this period, questions like ‘Is the education system preparing students for a world that is driven by disruptive technological and scientific advances? Are the students reinforced enough to think critically about science, technology, engineering and math on economic, environmental or societal issues?’ arose. In order to overcome these challenges and address these questions, this project aims to integrate reading and creative thinking skills in primary education on a digital multilingual distance-learning platform using transfer effects between these competencies besides cultural effects and elements. It was also aimed to achieve a more sustainable learning outcome by promoting reading and creative skills through STEM-based activities.

Project Goals

  • The project goals will enable us to gain a long-term vision in digital education policy to ensure continued funding and support.
  • The digital library web platform is a sustainable investment for partner organizations to develop digital skills for further activities

Project Results

– LITERACY AND STEM INTEGRATED CREATIVE WRITING TRAINING (Participants from all the partner institutions will acquire the knowledge of how to integrate STEM with Literacy in stories as well as how to design follow-up activities. The training will assist to the story writers and broaden their ideas.)

– DIGITAL STORY WRITING TRAINING (With this training, participant story writers will acquire the knowledge and build confidence in writing a good digital story)

– STEM & LITERACY INTEGRATED STORIES (All the scripts of the digital storybooks (60-100) will be written (with activities) and ready for digitalisation)

– The Practitioners’ Book: How do STEM and Literacy blend? (will create an alternative resource pack for collecting the real stories of beneficiaries in a novel book.)

– CURIKIDS Digital Interactive Library (This E-library platform will provide innovative and interactive storybooks and also provide a tab for the project’s web page for dissemination and introduction of activities.)

Funding

Program Erasmus + (European Union)

Project Reference

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Period

31/12/2022 to 29/06/2025

Duration

30 months

Researchers

  • Lucimar Dantas
  • Carla Galego
  • Ana Cunha

Partners

  • AKDENIZ UNIVERSITY (Turkey)
  • ASOCIACION DE INVESTIGACION DE LA INDUSTRIA DEL JUGUETE CONEXAS Y AFINES (Spain)
  • Universidade Lusófona (Portugal)
  • UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI BARI ALDO MORO (Italy)
  • EURO-NET (Italy)