RBZ Kiel & Gemeinschaftsschulen “Girls´ day with robotics”
The module was conducted 5th Feb. 2024, as a specific event in the framework of an “open house” activity at vocational highschool RBZ Wirtschaft Kiel, study line ´business informatics´. Duration: 4 hours, from 5 pm to 21 pm, plus preparation.
18 students , grade 11 from RBZ Kiel were enrolled (5 females, 13 males) for the preparation, while one girl and two boys were actively involved in the event. Approx. 70 pupils (predominantly girls) from several lower secondary schools in the local area attended the Girls´ Day. Lecturers: Patrick Wenzel, Informatics, and Merianne Alkio, Physics
The module corresponds with the teaching module ”With robotics on mission to Mars” by using some of its results for the specific purpose of introducing young girls to emerging technologies with a hands-on approach.
Teaching Design
The learning objectives for the students from RBZ Kiel related first and foremost to communication and presentation of robotics, programming, mathematics, physics and other nature science topics. Additionally, the students had to be able to relate to the younger pupils´ educational choices.
The learning objectives for the younger pupils were related to their career learning regarding educational pathways with emerging technologies.
The RBZ students could co-influence the module by deciding on the aspects (what is that? – MER/PAT) to demonstrate and how to apply them.
Content, activities, location
A classroom was chosen as the physical framework for the module, which the students tried to transform into a “world of experience”.
Preparation was undertaken in the full class beforehand. 3 students were recruited as volunteers and armed for their contributions during the Girls´ day.
The ´Mars Rover project´* was used as a showcase with its physical objects for the 3 students´ presentations of their studies, their learning processes, and their achieved STEM skills.
The visitors could experience the students´ self-made robots in action and thus, gain insight into the world of robotics and emerging technologies.
Pedagogical methods
Student-pupil presentations, guidance, and dialogues were essential methods in the module, alongside with the hands-on approach to the technologies.
Evaluations
The teachers observed that the module clearly appealed to the targetgroup and led to qualified informative dialogues between the young people across educational levels.
Finally, a positive impact on the young girls´ career choices for the relatively new technology-oriented study line at RBZ Wirtschaft could be stated. As a result of the Girls´ Day, applications from girls filed in for the ´business informatics´ class and exceeded the normally low one-digit numbers.
The RBZ students involved achieved new presentation skills and trained their own STEM skills furtherly by explaining the technical features in simple manners to a different targetgroup.
(a few pictures of the girls´ day – MER/PAT)
The initiative, which aims to get young schoolgirls interested in STEM subjects, was held for the first time this year and was a great success. With the Girls´ Day we aimed to specifically attract girls to apply for the study line ´business informatics´ at our school.
Digital production
In the given context, the module did not contain digital production for the students and pupils enrolled. However, the module referred concretely to the hands-on oriented learning processes with digital production at RBZ Kiel.
Thus, the RBZ students presented selected technologies, mainly within robotics. The students could outline their learning processes as the impact of the methods chosen by the teachers. These methods span typically over experiments, instructions, iterative design, and stepwise improvement.
Illustration: Radiant (2024)
Digital literacy
In their positions as older and more experienced students, the 3 RBZ students had to guide the younger pupils honestly and trustworthy. This included information about basic skills needed for learning to program or to build a robot. These skills are relevant for computational thinking, and include aspects such as analytical thinking and applying mathematics.
It can be imagined that a further development of the module could include additional discussions of the pros and cons of the technologies presented, such as by offering typical dilemmas. This would illustrate that the studies at RBZ Wirtschaft Kiel operate with a nuanced view on the technolgical development in general, leading to the promotion of students´ critical thinking.
I must be underlined that skills within mathematics are essential for programming and the work with new technologies. However, many girls can much more than they think.
Environment
The teachers emphasized the importance of awakening interest for scientific and technical careers among young girls, needed as foundations for the skilled workers and technological experts of tomorrow. The module was designed to support young pupils´ career learning, with focus on their choice making in the transsition between lower and upper secondary education.
The integration of this first-time Girls´ Day in an “open house activity” meant a vital activity in the education chain, and an article about the event could be published. Further development of the event for girls can even be considered, such as with own brief practical learning activities for the visiting girls.
The inspiration for this module emerged from the cross-national collaboration in MYRE DK-DE. A close and concrete cooperation across educational levels appears as a continued task for all parties; on the one hand to prepare young pupils for their next educational step, on the other hand to prepare educational institutions and their teachers for the students to come.
