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Pocket Labs as a STEM Learning Tool and for Engineering Motivation

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Learning in the Age of Digital and Green Transition (ICL 2022)

Abstract

Teaching and learning are processes that must accompany the digital transition, which is one of the biggest challenges we currently face, along with the green transition. The digital transition in education is a process with several challenges that must count on the involvement and collaboration of all stakeholders, contributing to the schools of the future. For this, technology plays a decisive role, and must be integrated into classes as a relevant tool to develop and implement different types of experiments, motivating the students towards STEM areas. In this context, a project financed by IFAC made it possible to use pocket laboratories in different high schools, encouraging teachers to prepare activities supported by this equipment, stimulating students to be interested in engineering topics. This article presents the approach followed in one high school and discusses the results obtained, highlighting the usefulness and opportunity of using pocket labs, and low-cost equipment in general, in school activities, which can promote the STEM areas and, in particular, the engineering courses.

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Acknowledgments

This work is funded by the FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology, I.P./MCTES through national funds (PIDDAC), within the scope of CISUC R&D Unit - UIDB/00326/2020 or project code UIDP/00326/2020.

The project mentioned in this article was organized under the auspices of APCA and funded by IFAC Activity Funds.

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Correspondence to Alberto Cardoso .

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Cardoso, A., Oliveira, P.M., Sá, J. (2023). Pocket Labs as a STEM Learning Tool and for Engineering Motivation. In: Auer, M.E., Pachatz, W., Rüütmann, T. (eds) Learning in the Age of Digital and Green Transition. ICL 2022. Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems, vol 633. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-26876-2_39

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