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Maria Knobelsdorf, University of Dortmund, Germany - Didaktik der ...

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Technocamps: Bringing Computer Science to the far west<br />

ABSTRACT<br />

Roger D. Boyle<br />

Computer Science<br />

Aberystwyth <strong>University</strong><br />

Penglais<br />

Aberystwyth SY23 3DB<br />

Wales<br />

rob21@aber.ac.uk<br />

Technocamps is a 3-year EU funded project to bring an<br />

awareness <strong>of</strong> technical Informatics to the 11-19 age group in<br />

the ‘Convergence zone’ <strong>of</strong> Wales. The project is coordinated<br />

through four universities, with materials and activities being<br />

developed in each <strong>of</strong> the academic hubs. Projects <strong>of</strong> this<br />

scale are rare, both in terms <strong>of</strong> geographic area and financial<br />

backing, creating a new set <strong>of</strong> challenges and opportunities.<br />

We review the background to the project and its need,<br />

outline its activities during its first year and the challenges<br />

they have presented, and make observations about portability<br />

and <strong>der</strong>ived good practice that might inform similar<br />

projects elsewhere. Longer term evaluation and longitudinal<br />

study will develop during the next two years <strong>of</strong> the work.<br />

1. BACKGROUND<br />

Wales is a small country at the west <strong>of</strong> the UK mainland<br />

with a clear and illustrious culture, including a vibrant language.<br />

It is predominantly rural, although the south <strong>of</strong> the<br />

country became pre-eminent in [now defunct] coal mining<br />

and associated heavy industry. It is a victim <strong>of</strong> rural poverty,<br />

seasonal (un)employment and the collapse <strong>of</strong> industry with<br />

no compensatory re-investment.<br />

Informatics in UK schools is in a difficult state <strong>of</strong> transition<br />

[3]. 2012 saw very consequential announcements by<br />

government [5] and the Royal Society [6]. In particular the<br />

latter proposes the teaching <strong>of</strong> Informatics be partitioned<br />

three ways:<br />

Hannah M. Dee<br />

Computer Science<br />

Aberystwyth <strong>University</strong><br />

Penglais<br />

Aberystwyth SY23 3DB<br />

Wales<br />

hmd1@aber.ac.uk<br />

• Computer Science [CS]: The rigorous academic discipline,<br />

encompassing programming languages, data structures,<br />

algorithms, etc.<br />

• Information Technology [IT]: The use <strong>of</strong> computers,<br />

in industry, commerce, the arts and elsewhere, including<br />

aspects <strong>of</strong> IT systems architecture, human factors,<br />

project management, etc.<br />

• Digital Literacy: The general ability to use computers.<br />

Permission to make digital or hard copies <strong>of</strong> all or part <strong>of</strong> this work for<br />

personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are<br />

not made or distributed for pr<strong>of</strong>it or commercial advantage and that copies<br />

bear this notice and the full citation on the first page. To copy otherwise, to<br />

republish, to post on servers or to redistribute to lists, requires prior specific<br />

permission and/or a fee.<br />

WiPSCE 2012, Hamburg, <strong>Germany</strong><br />

Copyright 20XX ACM X-XXXXX-XX-X/XX/XX ...$15.00.<br />

153<br />

Frédéric Labrosse<br />

Computer Science<br />

Aberystwyth <strong>University</strong><br />

Penglais<br />

Aberystwyth SY23 3DB<br />

Wales<br />

ffl@aber.ac.uk<br />

In brief, it is widely agreed that Digital Literacy should<br />

be achieved by all but is a skill akin to the ability to read,<br />

unsuited to formal curriculum time or assessment in high<br />

schools. IT is a respectable and necessary academic activity<br />

but is distinct from CS. It is the very weak condition <strong>of</strong> CS<br />

that has provoked concern in influential quarters.<br />

2. IMPLEMENTATION<br />

2.1 Organisation<br />

Technocamps [7] is an EU Convergence European Social<br />

Fund project, specifically designed to address the CS gap<br />

within the 11-19 age group within the Welsh Convergence<br />

Zone. Its aims are: to encourage interest in Science and<br />

Technology; to provide opportunities for students to gain<br />

insight into the practical application <strong>of</strong> cognate STEM subjects<br />

in a work environment; to increase the number <strong>of</strong> girls<br />

taking up science and technology; to increase the number <strong>of</strong><br />

students who progress to computer science, technology and<br />

engineering at higher levels. The 3-year project attracted<br />

funding <strong>of</strong> £6M and involves 4 universities across the zone.<br />

By design, activities are where possible portable between<br />

sites. Significant transport problems and sparse population<br />

mean that in most cases schools are served by their closest<br />

HEI. After decades <strong>of</strong> decline, the Welsh language is enjoying<br />

a slow but steady recovery, which is strongest in many <strong>of</strong><br />

the more isolated areas the project serves [8]. Accordingly,<br />

materials and activities are being made bilingually.<br />

The project targets 11-19 year-olds, and especially females<br />

and those who are not in education, employment, or training.<br />

‘Engagement’ is defined not to be a passing contact,<br />

and should be a minimum <strong>of</strong> 6 hours <strong>of</strong> exposure. It is acknowledged<br />

that 6 consecutive hours would be unlikely, and<br />

the precise target is to meet an individual at least twice for<br />

at least 3.5 hours each time.<br />

2.2 Activities<br />

One day engagements: Most contact is via one-day contact;<br />

material is specifically designed to be distinct from<br />

the school curriculum. Sessions last about 4 hours, with<br />

topics ranging from general (Scratch programming) to the<br />

more rarefied (such as cryptography, robotics, or Arduino<br />

[1] based work).<br />

Bootcamps: ‘Bootcamps’ are 3-day engagements: robot<br />

navigation, and Arduino projects (sailing robots and (digitally<br />

ornamented clothing) have been topics. Clearly, three<br />

full days provide a depth <strong>of</strong> opportunity in excess <strong>of</strong> 3.5<br />

hours: this is an opportunity <strong>of</strong> great use to research-oriented

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