Activities

From February to September 2022, the consortium conducted the task T1.1 “Literature review on the current trends in ER” to explore the Robotics technologies available in the market and the methodologies for integrating Robotics in the educational practice to cultivate computational thinking, as proposed in educational technology research.

The task concluded in delivering the report: Literature review on the current trends in ER  (M1.1) 

This report includes:

• A comprehensive review of contemporary robotics technologies, i.e., robotic technologies used in primary/secondary/higher education, programming languages used to program robots and robotics simulators currently available. 
• Examples of using educational robotics to create artful projects.
• A critical analysis of how educational robotics can potentially promote computational thinking skills. 
• An overview of robotics and arts subjects in current educational legislation across the different consortium members’ countries. 
• Conclusions of the review and elaboration on possible implications to the FERTILE methodology.

From February to September 2022, in parallel with reviewing the literature, the consortium conducted the task T1.2 “Educator Profiling” to collect as much information as possible from educators who teach Educational Robotics (ER) or Arts to build a comprehensive understanding of the issues they face and what type of support they need to evolve their teaching practice. In our case, “needs assessment” refers to the difference between educators’ current and intended practices according to the FERTILE methodology. The intended practices involve applying contemporary pedagogies when embracing cross-disciplinary learning through integrating ER with Arts in artful ER projects cultivating Computational Thinking (CT) in a blended learning context.

This task concluded in delivering the report  Profiling of educators involved with ER (M1.2)

This report includes:

• the definition of the objectives and the main research question that has driven our research. 
• The rationale for identifying target audiences. 
• The methodology applied. Elaboration on the three phases followed in the research design and procedure. 
• The data collection and analysis methods. A description of how (i) we collected data based on Focus Groups/Interviews, (ii) we conducted the data analysis, and (iii) the FERTILE coding scheme was shaped. 
• The findings and their interpretation. 
• Conclusions of the profiling by elaborating on the findings and reflecting on how these findings may inform the FERTILE design methodology.

From September 2022 to March 2024, the consortium develops the “FERTILE” Design methodology for designing blended learning contexts that integrate ER with Arts holistically aiming at the cultivation of CT. The openness of the methodology in various ER technologies, forms of Arts, and CT skills will allow educators to build on their current practice and experience, and extend it in an interdisciplinary context.

The consortium follows a development process adopting a Design-Based Research (DBR) approach structured in four phases: (1) Problem identification and Needs analysis for the methodology, (2)  Conceptualising the methodology’s design principles, (3) Iterative cycles of tentative versions formulating the methodology, and (4) evaluation and refinement towards the final methodology’s form. The first phase included the tasks T1.1 and T1.2 described previously, while the fourth DBR phase will be implemented in the forthcoming task “T1.4: Evaluation of FERTILE design methodology”. Therefore, the task “T1.3: Development of the FERTILE methodology”, focused on the second and third DBR phases. 

To actualise the second DBR phase, the consortium considered the theoretical underpinnings implied by the three core dimensions set by the FERTILE project: (i) blended learning, (ii) interdisciplinarity in Art and Educational Robotics (ER), and (iii) computational thinking (CT) cultivation. Also, the consortium interpreted the literature review and the feedback provided by educators during the first DBR phase towards aligning these findings with the methodology’s objectives. 

To actualise the third DBR phase, the partners organised three iterative cycles. Each iterative cycle incorporated (i) synthesising a methodology’s tentative version, (ii) evaluating the methodology by designing and implementing artful ER projects based on it, and (iii) reflecting to refine the methodology. The three DBR phases have successfully delivered an initial design methodology (M1.3). This initial methodology’s evaluation  allows the consortium to move forward to synthesising the final methodology. Subsequently, it will be evaluated and refined in the fourth DBR phase through the project’s planned task T1.4. 

The associated milestone M1.3 “An initial version of the FERTILE Design Methodology” that has been completed, is a report including:

• Presentation of the methodology’s development process and elaboration on the Design-Based Research (DBR) methodology applied.
• Presentation of the methodology’s theoretical underpinnings, and the interpretation of the literature review and the educators’ profiling towards synthesising the methodology’s design principles.
• Presentation of the Initial version of the FERTILE Design Methodology” by elaborating on the steps suggested and the activities incorporated in those steps. 
• Presentation of pilot Artful ER project developed based on the initial methodology.
• Findings regarding the design and implementation process of the pilot Artful ER projects.

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From December 2023 to May 2024, the consortium conducted pilot studies, which were realised in the context of the 4th result (FERTILE Training).

These studies involved more than 70 participants (academic tutors and pre- and in-service teachers) who provided feedback on training outcomes, structure, and content.

Within the contents was their acquaintance with the “FERTILE” Design Methodology through training material. The studies went beyond presenting the design methodology to participants as they used it to design Artful ER projects in the community platform. The associated milestone M1.4 “Evaluation of the FERTILE” Design Methodology“, is a report including educators’ feedback regarding its usefulness and effectiveness.  They also pointed out educators’ needs regarding the methodology’s application and have driven the partners to refine the methodology before the final training events.

The “FERTILE” Community Platform is the online meeting point for teachers interested in finding collaborators and (co-)designing, sharing, and reusing Artful Educational Robotics (ER) projects. The platform is also expected to help students during the enactment of Artful ER learning scenarios by providing instructions and learning resources and facilitating interaction with teachers.

From July 2022 to January 2023, the consortium worked on task T2.1, “Design requirements”, aiming to elicit and agree on a set of functional requirements that the platform is expected to comply with. To do so, the consortium combined (i) the partner’s knowledge from the field of Learning Design in setting up the conditions to foster learning, (ii) the partner’s expertise to set up ER learning experiences, and (iii) the evolution of the “FERTILE” Design Methodology.

The associated milestone,  M2.1 “Report on  the FERTILE Community Platform Design Requirements” includes the consortium’s work on this task. Specifically: 

• Presentation of the state-of-the-art in community support for learning design.
• Elaboration on the three information sources considered for proposing the platform’s design requirements: (i) partner’s discussions,  (ii) feedback questionnaire, and (iii) the tentative version of the FERTILE Design methodology.
• Description of the information sources’ analysis.  
• Presentation of the first set of functional requirements for the FERTILE Community platform and some open issues that will need further discussion and elaboration during task T2.2 “Platform Development” 
• Illustration of all the proposed functional requirements as sample “scenarios” and detailed description as “use cases”. 
• Conclusions to serve as the input for the subsequent task T2.2 “Platform Development”.

The UVa research team developed the “FERTILE” community platform from January 2023 until January 2025, when the project ended. The rest of the partners contributed to testing and debugging it.

The development process included the milestone (M2.2): An initial version of the Community Platform. Notably, the testing and debugging process was ongoing, following an internal reporting system that informed the developers of corrections and/or requirements. 

Following the objectives set, the platform went beyond a repository which provides access to artefacts designed using the “FERTILE”  methodology. The “FERTILE” community platform is developed as an e-place where educators can meet remotely to design ER activities, personally or collaboratively. They can also share designs and discuss practices. 

The final version of the platform is available at https://fertile.gsic.uva.es. The partners are committed to maintaining its use for at least five years after the project ends, i.e., until January 2030. 

From December 2023 to May 2024, the consortium conducted pilot studies, which were realised in the context of the 4th result (FERTILE Training).

These studies involved more than 70 participants (academic tutors and pre- and in-service teachers) who provided feedback on training outcomes, structure, and content.

Within the contents, the “FERTILE” community platform was used to design Artful ER projects based on the “FERTILE” design methodology. The associated milestone M2.2, “Evaluation of the “FERTILE” Community Platform“, is a report including educators’ feedback regarding its usability, usefulness and effectiveness.  This feedback has driven the partners to improve the platform before the final training events.

To communicate the “FERTILE” design methodology, we deliver training material as open educational resources for pre & in-service teachers and academic educators. The training material development starts in January 2023 by designing a modular training scheme to be implemented in a blended learning context. Then, we develop content including activities f2f and online, and exemplar Artful ER projects. Finally, this training material is evaluated in pilot studies to form its final version in January 2024. 

As the final project activity, from July 2024 to January 2025, we organize multiplier events for about 200 educators. These events adopt an experiential approach to promote the role of “teachers as designers” and allow participants to operationalize the “FERTILE” design methodology in their everyday practice. To this end, the delivery mode of these events is blended, involving f2f, synchronous and asynchronous sessions.

The operationalization of the “FERTILE” methodology and the acquaintance with the “FERTILE” community platform stimulate the creation and sustainability of an educator community around the “FERTILE” platform. Participants of these events are the first members of this community to cultivate a design thinking mindset around artful ER projects.