Robotikos mokykla, together with international partners, is starting to implement an Erasmus KA2 Strategic Partnerships for vocational education and training project No. 2020-1-LT01-KA202-078015 Introducing Artificial Intelligence to Vocational Schools in Europe. The duration of the project – almost two years from 2020-10-01 to 2022-07-31. The project received a grant of 197712 EUR.
The project was initiated due to an obvious lack of Artificial Intelligence (AI) specialists in the European labour market and the concentration of AI-related education in higher education sector. The project’s activities will focus on the development of skills of ICT teachers and students at vocational schools by offering lesson materials for an introductory course to programming AI.
The objectives of the project are to:
- Develop lesson materials for an innovative study unit “Introduction to Artificial Intelligence” – a comprehensive course for pupils who have basic programming skills, in order to equip them with knowledge of machine learning processes.
- Integrate the study unit into each partner country’s formal education system, thus enabling the sustainability of the project’s results and ensuring the incorporation of AI qualifications into national and European VET systems.
- Provide competence development for ICT teachers, as key actors in the acquisition and transference of new digital skills.
- Disseminate the project’s intellectual output across VET and other educational sectors.
Activities & methodology:
- Development of lesson materials in collaboration with partner schools, in order to create the most relevant product corresponding to the profile of VET learners.
- Piloting lesson materials with target group pupils, analysing skill development, and updating the product based on the survey results and the feedback received.
- Teacher training to empower them to pilot the product with their pupils and act as trainers for other teachers.
- Evaluation of pupils’ knowledge and further skill development at Scrum-based transnational learning activity. Preparation of the study unit description according to the accreditation requirements in partner organizations/countries, and processing the accreditation.
- Multiplier events in each partner country and a range of other disseminational activities, including training sessions and workshops.
The activities will lead to the following results:
- A formally acknowledged study unit „Introduction to Artificial Intelligence”.
- Comprehensive lesson materials on different AI technologies developed for 60 contact (classroom) hours for the above-mentioned study unit.
- A survey performed before and after the testing of the lesson materials, demonstrating skill development of the target learner group.
- At least 10 teachers obtain necessary skills required for implementing “Introduction to Artificial Intelligence” unit at their school and transferring knowledge to other ICT teachers.
- At least 100 pupils develop skills in machine learning processes in the context of game design, autonomous driving, and computer vision.
- At least 120 learners, educators, policy makers, IT sector representatives and other stakeholders from outside of the partner organizations become well familiar with the product during multiplier events.
Robotikos mokykla will coordinate the activities within the partnership and lead the development of the intellectual output, develop lesson materials for the topic Machine Learning Agents in Game Design, disseminate the progress and the results of the project.
Project partners represent formal and non-formal education sectors:
- VšĮ Robotikos mokykla (School of Robotics), Lithuania – project coordinator, innovator in technological education;
- Kauno informacinių technologijų mokykla (Kaunas Information Technology School), Lithuania – VET institution;
- IT4Kids, Germany – educational start-up with a focus on AI initiatives;
- MCAST (The Malta College of Arts, Science & Technology), Malta – VET and higher education institution;
- TAI (Turku Vocational Institute) represented by Turku Municipality Education Division, Finland,
- Sedu VET center represented by Seinajöki Municipality Education Division, Finland.