Introducing the 5 Big Ideas in Artificial Intelligence using Internet of Things in STEM education

Our project, AI4STEM, addresses the educational needs exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, promoting the transition to hybrid teaching. Given the lack of comprehensive AI integration in primary and secondary education, our motivation is based on three pillars. First, we develop digital resources for teachers, facilitating the practical introduction of AI into their lessons. Second, we seek to broaden students' understanding of AI through simple IoT projects. Finally, we offer tools adapted to informal education, aiming to make learning both instructive and entertaining. Our project is part of a proactive approach, providing concrete solutions for integrating AI into teaching, aligned with UNESCO recommendations and AI initiatives.

The results of the AI4STEM project demonstrate the success of its primary objective: to introduce artificial intelligence (AI) to students aged 8 to 16 in a practical way. Drawing on the Five Big Ideas in AI and concrete IoT projects, the project offered teachers innovative teaching approaches aimed at sparking students' interest and strengthening their understanding of the positive impact of AI in their daily lives. A comprehensive set of educational resources was developed to integrate AI into STEM disciplines, taking into account both in-person and remote teaching environments. Furthermore, the establishment of a community of practice, hosted within a virtual academy, fostered exchanges and collaboration between educators, as well as the sustainability of the project's achievements. The initial objectives were thus fully achieved, contributing to a holistic, interactive, and accessible approach to artificial intelligence in primary and secondary education.

As part of the AI4STEM project, WP4 was initiated by a transnational meeting held in Athens, Greece, in M15. This meeting brought together up to three participants per partner and allowed for the testing of the initial results from WP2 and WP3. WP2 had previously laid the foundations for the project by defining the AI ​​Curriculum Framework based on the Five Big Ideas, while WP3 had resulted in the creation of an IoT Curriculum Kit, incorporating practical AI-related activities. These two work packages provided the essential foundation for the development of WP4 resources. Following these tests, the development of the Educator's Handbook (T4.2) was launched. This handbook provides clear and concrete instructions on how to use the Curriculum Framework and the IoT Toolkit together to teach AI in an integrated manner across STEM subjects. Partner P4 led the development of the AI4STEM Academy, initially producing a TEST version in English, which was subjected to internal evaluation by the partners. After several iterations and improvements, a multilingual PILOT version was launched and tested in various educational settings. Finally, the final meeting, held in Matosinhos,

The AI4STEM project resulted in several key achievements for teaching artificial intelligence in STEM disciplines. Initially, a Curriculum Framework based on the Five Big Ideas in AI was designed, along with six learning modules and five practical IoT projects. These resources were integrated into an Educational IoT Kit facilitating experimentation and active learning. Based on this, an Educator's Handbook (D4.5) was developed to guide the effective use of these tools in the classroom. At the same time, a Competency Framework, based on Open Badges (D4.7), was implemented to recognize and promote student and teacher achievement. The development of the AI4STEM Academy followed, with the release of a TEST version in English (D4.10), which underwent rigorous internal testing. After adjustments, a multilingual PILOT version (D4.14) was deployed and validated through experiments conducted by partners. The final deliverables, including design documents, test reports, translations, validation reports, and a final evaluation report (D4.8 to D4.22), confirm the project's success.