About the project
There is increasing European concern over worsening student performance, in particular concern over PISA study outcomes, and the supply of engineering and scientific competence to fuel industrial competitiveness. The countries involved in this application have also been concerned over the supply of digital and engineering competence for some time. To address the situation several proposals have been made, including DigCompEdu 2.0, establishing digital targets for Europe 2030 (https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/priorities-2019-2024/europe-fit-digital-age/europes-digital-decade-digital-targets-2030_en) and establishing guidelines for education in future https://education.ec.europa.eu/focus-topics/digital/education-action-plan).
Making careers requiring mathematical and computing profiles in compulsory schooling more accessible and attractive to young people is a key element to enhancing access to STEM careers. Teachers, however, report low levels of preparedness, and need for additional support to implement these ambitious
programmes. See the report “Digital Competence, Teacher Self-Efficacy and Training Needs” (Mannila et al., 2018, DOI:10.1145/3230977.3230993), for a discussion of the status and needs of the teaching profession. Leveraging digital transformative technologies CT&MathABLE project provides teachers with new approaches to developing
Algebraic Thinking (AT) and Computational Thinking (CT) competencies in a way that is individually tailored to the learner. CT&MathABLE is going to achieve this through a novel architecture which supports individualized development paths and seamless
integration with competency and assessment frameworks. This approach builds on the previous joint work of partners VU, KTH, and UTU in the current consortium.
CT&MathABLE is about creating learning approaches more appropriate to those who are traditionally disadvantaged and helping them to benefit from CT and AT and thus STEM careers, contributing to a stronger and more egalitarian society. In addition the outcome strengthens the partners national capacity in terms of highly qualified STEM citizens who will contribute to technical development and sustainability as well as broadened participation and inclusion.
The project delivers new tools to teachers, teacher educators, education providers and individual schools, and contributes to the goal of achieving sustainable quality in education. CT&MathABLE combines a unique learning resources and learning analytics with expertise from leading research groups developing curricula and resources to support teaching CT and AT in all age groups. Drawing on our prior track record in
competency frameworks for the computing curriculum and innovative pedagogy we are uniquely positioned to develop a learning and assessment architecture which combines learning analytics and competency frameworks to support individualised learning trajectories for a CT and Maths Able society.
Objectives of the project
CT&MathABLE makes specific contributions to empowering citizen agency in STEM, with the objective of strengthening sustainable competitiveness, ensuring social fairness, facilitating access to education. While doing so, the partnership we have forged also addresses other overarching EU actions, such as the European Digital
Strategy, the Industrial and Small and Medium Enterprise Strategy, the Recovery Plan for Europe, and increased support for youth employment. In particular with a focus on technical and engineering pathways and competitiveness. These elements should be addressed in particular through the intensified activities to develop problem solving, algebraic and computational thinking skills and competencies, to develop collaborative educational programmes across the project partner countries, and engage with local educational systems and education providers.
CT&MathABLE main objective is to support digital transformation of students in multiple dimensions:
1) Improve school students digital skills and self-awareness based on learning-analytics;
2) Enhance computational thinking (CT) and algebraic thinking (AT) through the interactive tasks;
3) Integrate the STEM approach for task-based learning;
4) Create instruments for CT Assessment with learning-analytics, and
5) Provide the interactive tasks and assessment instruments in a format that can be integrated with various learning management systems.
The project aims to provide a learning-analytics based framework to support individualized learning trajectories for students in ages 9-14 across Europe. In this way, all children in ages 9-14 will be able to strengthen their Computational and Algebraic Thinking skills, which are among the key competencies of the 21st century, with Computer Science and problem solving tasks.
The project also has specific objectives in terms of teachers, instructional designers and school curricula. One of them is through the implementation of the CT&MathABLE system, teachers will experience the integration of technology into classroom settings as well as observe the effect of personalized instruction accompanied with the formal curricula. This implementation process is expected to work in a blended learning approach which again will make teachers to think and adopt appropriate pedagogical strategies for the use of interactive tasks through collaborative learning.
Innovative aspects of the project
CT&MathABLE develops innovative educational approaches to classroom education and supports transdisciplinary and holistic learning. The partners promote a pragmatic approach to Computational Thinking integrated with Algebraic Thinking (Mathematics) as to a set of tools, techniques and approaches which enable a seamless transition from the early-aged learners unplugged activities to digital-based learning paths.
CT&MathABLE develops an innovative personalized digital learning trajectories. The resulting personalized learning architecture integrates digital transformation of learning process and assessment frameworks. Through CT&MathABLE school students in Europe will have access to new teaching and learning support enhancing learning outcomes in CT integrated with AT for learners of ages 9 to 14 and directly influencing key performance indicators such as national test results and PISA rankings.
The key innovations are:
- integration CT with AT;
- individual learning paths and assessment framework for interactive problem-based educational architecture, which increases student motivation via any gamified learning environment;
- linking competence frameworks with automated assessment so that learning analytics data will be interpreted using relevant learning theories;
- new approaches to empowering less motivated learners to succeed in the 21st century key skills by strengthening student self-awareness through the usage of learning analytics.
Problem solving skills development are based on evidence-based guidance system. Using student-cantered approach in an online environment, that aims students to overcome the weaknesses and misunderstandings leading to improve student key
competencies by solving interactive tasks based on CT with integration of AT, is another innovation of this project.
CT&MathABLE project is unique in terms of the creation of learning trajectories on CT integrated with AT which would lead to achieving personal outcomes of each learner.
