Year: 2025

The abstract submitted by the COMPseniors project, titled “Computational Thinking for Low Qualified Adults Education: Challenges and Implementation Process”, has been accepted for presentation at the 15th edition of the Future of Education International Conference, organised by Pixel. The 15th edition of the Future of Education International Conference will take place online on June 25, 2025, and onsite on June 26–27, 2025 at the Grand Hotel Mediterraneo Congress Center in Florence, Italy. It will provide a space to share COMPseniors’ work on computational thinking in adult education for low-qualified learners with an international audience. The abstract is available on the official conference website: https://conference.pixel-online.net/FOE/acceptedabstracts.php

The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering of the University of Thessaly (DECE), and specifically the Creative Technologies Learning Lab research team (http://ctll.e-ce.uth.gr), is coordinating a new research action that harnesses the power of biomimicry — the practice of learning from nature to solve human challenges — to promote innovation in vocational education and training. Drawing inspiration from tried and tested in time models, processes, and strategies of the natural world, project Let’s Mimic: Biomimicry Design for Sustainability in VET, funded by the Erasmus+ program through the Greek National Agency IKY, aims to equip vocational training trainees with the creative and practical skills needed for the green transition. Biomimicry encourages students to explore how nature designs for efficiency, resilience, and sustainability, helping them develop innovative solutions that are both progressive…

The consortium held the monthly meeting to continue advancing the development of the Open Educational Resources (OERs) under WP2. Next step is to test these resources with adult trainers across Europe.

During the online meeting, the consortium talked about the website and leaflet translations, about the possible new date for the face to face meeting in Volos and about the courses that Anadolou University has started to author.

The Final Conference of project DigitCreche on innovation in the creative industries in the Western Balkans took place at International University Europa Prima in Skopje, North Macedonia, on April 3, 2025. The project is implemented at the University of Thessaly by the Creative Technologies Learning Lab research team of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (http://ctll.e-ce.uth.gr). The conference highlighted the project's activities to promote innovation in the creative industries, such as film, digital games, drawing and painting, animation, typography, etc. Project outcomes include targeting educational content, a digital learning platform, mobility of students and teachers to participate in international high-intensity training in universities in the Western Balkans and the European Union, webinars, podcasts, and dissemination actions. In addition to the University of Thessaly, universities and educational organisations from Bosnia…

Today we had the pleasure to work with students from the High School of Dimini, a school in rural Magnesia. Fifteen students and their teacher Ms. Apostolia Kotzagiotou visited the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering of the University of Thessaly. By applying innovative design methods, the students collaborated in teams to introduce innovative solutions for the United Nations Sustainability Goals (UN SDGs). Innovation methods explored by students include design thinking, a profoundly anthropocentric design method to introduce solutions to complex challenges through exploration, ideation, evaluation, and prototyping; biomimicry, a process of designing solutions inspired by nature's forms and processes, such as organisms and ecosystems, to solve human challenges in sustainable ways; and multi-species design, an emerging approach that considers the needs, prospects, and well-being of both human and non-human…

On March 14th-15th, the 1st Transnational Project Meeting for the EAIEN took place in Eskisehir, Turkey and was hosted by Özel Çağdas Schools. During the meeting, partners reflected on the progress made so far, assessed completed tasks, and consolidated key project deliverables. The discussion revolved around the milestones achieved, challenges encountered, and lessons learned, ensuring that all participants had a clear understanding of the project’s current standing.

Let’s mimic aims to integrate biomimicry into Vocational Education and Training (VET) programs to enhance sustainability, innovation, and practical skills among students. Biomimicry, the practice of emulating nature’s time-tested strategies and patterns to solve human challenges, offers a unique and effective approach to vocational training. By incorporating biomimicry into VET curricula, Let’s mimic fosters a new generation of skilled professionals adept at creating sustainable solutions and innovative designs inspired by nature. The project ensures that VET programs are sustainable and relevant, supporting young people to develop green and environmental skills linked to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The project analyses the skills and competences need for adopting biomimicry practices in VET. Students engage in biomimicry design through problem-based learning approaches supported by a digital learning platform designed on biomimicry…

During the online meeting, the consortium discussed about developing the Open Educational Resources from WP2.

On 27th February 2025, DFA (Provincial Council of Álava) and Media Creativa held their 1st National Pilot Committee (NPC) of the COMPutationalSeniors project in Vitoria-Gasteiz (Spain). The National Pilot Committees play an essential role in the external evaluation of the project, which is why we hold them every six months in all the countries that make up the partnership. In these committees, we presented the initial version of the Open Educational Resources (OER) to the group of experts and trainers, who have highlighted the quality and relevance of the content for adult trainers. This meeting is essential to ensure that the work developed is aligned with the needs and expectations of trainers of low-skilled adults in computational thinking. Thus, we continue to adjust and improve different aspects to ensure that…