DRONES@STEAM: FOSTERING DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IN VET SCHOOLS AND CREATING NEW JOB PROSPECTS IN THE LABOUR MARKET

STEM education connects learning (theoretical knowledge) with practical applications, in order to bring students closer to the needs of modern society and Industry 4.0. It is becoming increasingly...

DRONES@STEAM aims to support teachers and students of Vocational Education and Training (VET), in an effort to introduce drone technologies into teaching and learning. In addition to acquiring and developing essential digital skills, it also fosters other key soft skills such as problem-solving, teamwork, creativity and initiative. These skills are vital in the 21st century working landscape, helping students adapt to the constantly emerging career opportunities while also enhancing the profiles of VET trainers and educators. The main objectives of the project were to promote: - STEM subjects not fully covered by current VET school curricula - targeted digital skills and use of technologies leading to Industry 4.0 - innovation and modernization, aimed at increasing the attractiveness and appeal of VET - new learning opportunities and career orientations across different sectors of the modern labour market.

The activities carried out throughout the project's duration were diverse and numerous. Initially, a survey took place in all partner countries regarding the use of drone technology and STEAM in VET in an attempt to identify the needs, the gaps, and the current scene. Two different methods were used: online questionnaires and focus groups. The total number of Questionnaire participants was 102 (64 VET teachers and 38 VET students) and the total number of Focus Group participants was 51 (25 VET teachers and 26 VET students). After a transnational peer review process, two overall Comparative Reports were prepared that summarized key results and findings from all partner countries. The consortium collected a set of 34 good practices, programs, initiatives, etc., from all partner countries, related to drone technology and STEAM skills, that were later inserted and displayed on a map through the developed Mapping Tool. The consortium also compiled a report (EU Guidebook) that includes a brief introduction to drone technology and application domains, topics on the importance and challenges of scientific & digital literacy, insights into STEM education and its role in scientific & digital literacy, enhancing and advancing STEM Education through drone technology and related STEM skills, EU Regulations on drones, EASA guidelines, National legislation on drone usage, drone pilot certification and registration procedures, a list of safety rules for VET schools, and other related health & privacy issues. The Competence Framework (syllabus) was defined, serving as the foundation for developing the dual educational pack for VET teachers and VET students. The educational material was modular (divided into levels and chapters) focusing on the essential skills required to assemble, code, and pilot a DIY quadcopter drone. Cross-curricular, job-specific scenarios were also prepared, which can serve as small project assignments and be implemented by student groups. The interactive e-Learning platform (DRONES@STEAM Academy Portal) was designed, developed, and set up, to host all the educational material as open online courses. The designed Open Badges eco-system was also fully integrated with the Academy Portal, linking it with the assessment, monitoring, and validation of acquired skills. Apart from the local (national) training meetings with VET teachers, the consortium organized an International Online “Train-the-Trainers” intensive course (EU-level InfoDay with 68 participants) to introduce the methodologies, educational material, and tools to the trainers, and to ensure they are well-prepared to implement the DRONES@STEAM curriculum effectively in their respective institutions and schools. The programme's implementation phase, specifically the pilot training of the developed educational material, took place in each partner country, involving a total of 43 VET teachers and 151 VET students from 9 different VET schools. To evaluate the pilot training, 3 different questionnaires were created (for students, for teachers, and for the implementation of the pilot training at the school), which were answered online anonymously by the participants after completing the pilot implementation. The LTTA Blended Mobility of VET Learners was hosted in Cyprus. 12 VET students and 5 VET teachers attended this training workshop. The Hackathon competition was organized in conjunction with the LTTA, consisting of two main categories: A) a presentation challenge and B) hands-on drone flying challenges. 6 teams (30 students) from 3 different countries participated in Category A of the competition and 4 teams (12 students) in Category B, which required physical presence. The DRONES@STEAM partners created dissemination material (leaflet, poster, 4 newsletters, video) and carried out various dissemination activities to raise awareness and increase the visibility of the project (a total of 192 actions that reached over 166000 people). The project concluded with the organization of 7 local Multiplier Events, where all the project results were presented to approx. 240 people.

The most important concrete results of the project were: 1 Mapping Tool with 34 good practices/initiatives on drone technologies and STEM skills 4 National Reports summarizing our survey findings for Greece, Cyprus, France, and Spain presenting the needs, the gaps, and the current scene regarding the use of drone technology and STEAM in VET schools. 2 Comparative Reports that summarized the key survey results from the National Reports, one Focus Groups Comparative Report and one Questionnaires Comparative Report (translated in English, Greek, French and Spanish). 22 Infographics in total (all languages) were created to visually represent the current landscape and the national survey findings for VET teachers and students. 1 report (EU Guidebook) on drone usage in VET schools, available in all partner languages. 1 Competence Framework (Syllabus) divided into 3 distinct levels (Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced) and 4 Units including 12 chapters with 18 worksheets. 1 Dual Educational Pack (student version and teacher version) structured in the form of activity worksheets (containing a lesson plan, introductory material, practical programming exercises for the classroom, and instructions on how to assemble the DIY drone kit) with a total duration of 56 teaching hours. The material also includes 10 quizzes. It is openly available (CC BY-NC 4.0) and translated in 4 different languages (English, Greek, French, Spanish). 22 instructional videos that complement the educational material (worksheets). 4 cross-curricular, job-specific scenarios, related to real applications or jobs in the labor market, available in all partner languages. 1 Open Badges Eco-System with a total of 15 badges (one for each of the 12 chapters of the educational material and 3 overall badges - one for each level). 1 e-Learning platform (DRONES@STEAM Academy Portal) that hosts all the educational material in the form of open online courses, provided in all partner languages i.e. EN, GR, ES, FR. 1 Mobile App version of the e-learning platform Supporting material: FAQs, 4 short video tutorials on how to use the e-learning platform, 70 additional learning resources collected by the partners 1 Upskilling course for VET Teachers (“Train-the-Trainer” Info Day) 4 National Reports regarding the pilot implementation and evaluation at VET schools 1 Hackathon student competition (featuring two competition categories) 1 Dissemination video (overview of all project activities)