Program – ecoMEDIAeurope – Summer Academy 2019

Program: Use the link below to download the final program for Summer Academy 2019!

Invited speakers:

Herbert Eile (AT) – Ecomedia Chairman, Project Co-ordinator, Education-Association for International Cooperation, Lavanttal
Erwin Bratengeyer (AT) – Danube University Krems, E-Learning Center, Scientific Ecomedia Project Coordinator
Álfhildur Leifsdóttir (ICE)

Description of the programme subjects:

Teaching and Learning in 3D Virtual Worlds
This course will introduce the use of Virtual Reality as a powerful tool in Education that could immerse and engage students in the same way that today’s best video games grab and keep players’ attention. Our goal is to stimulate students’ interests, motivation and creativity and help them overcome the difficulties in study.
We will present EdMondo virtual world for schools that is a novel teaching and learning platform, an online 3D digital environment where, through avatars, you can explore, help build, participate in activities and communicate with other users. In this way, teachers (from various disciplines as mathematics, history, language, computer science, etc.) will have the possibility to manage their own virtual space with their students may form their own intentional learning environment.
Access to EdMondo is reserved for teachers and students. The platform can enrich the existing curriculum and can be used as a supplement to the traditional classroom environments. It may also be applied to distance learning courses. EdMondo is an initiative of INDIRE – the Italian Institute of Documentation for Innovation and Educational Research – and is part of the Immersive Didactics project.

Implemented a technology-supported FLIPPED CLASSROOM in School
The purpose of this presentation/workshop is to investigate the application of the model of the “flipped classroom” as a complementary method to school distance education in primary and secondary education schools. The “flipped classroom” model attempts a different way of organizing the educational process according to which the traditional methods of learning at school and studying at home are interchanged, the learners’ active involvement is supported, their autonomy is reinforced, ICT is utilized and learning occurs partially by distance (blended learning). Instead of attending class and being given homework, students attend class at home and complete their work in the classroom. The use of an online educational platform is necessary in order to implement the approach and this is the main contribution of technology. The teacher’s role is shifted from traditional lecture to guidance, support and individualization. During our action research, it became evident that time management in the classroom was improved. The implementation of digital activities accomplished by distance led to taking action and initiative and finally to active learning.

What is ChoiCo ?
Choices with Consequences (http://etl.ppp.uoa.gr/choico) is a web-based authoring application for playing, designing and modifying digital games. ChoiCo games are choice-driven simulation games that deal with socio-scientific issues that have no profound solution. ChoiCo aims to combine computational thinking and coding, with complex real-life problems through game design. The participants of the workshop will have the opportunity to learn about the ChoiCo environment and design their own game with it.
In the “Play” mode of ChoiCo, the player revolves around different map-based settings and makes selections (these can be items, buildings, actions etc) that have specific consequences to a number of game attributes (i.e. Money, Health, Fun etc). The aim is to keep these attributes between specific limits.In the “Design” mode, ChoiCo integrates three computational affordances that allow the creation of new games: a) A map editor for the game scene b) a simplified database for the consequences and c) block-based programming for the game rules. The affordances are didactically combined to make game design accessible and meaningful for both teachers and students.

The Jigsaw Classroom
The Jigsaw Classroom is a cooperative learning technique that reduces conflict among school children, promotes better learning, improves student motivation and increases enjoyment of the learning experience. The jigsaw classroom is a research-based cooperative learning technique invented and developed in the early 1970s by Elliot Aronson and his students at the University of Texas and the University of California. Just as in a jigsaw puzzle, each piece — each student’s part — is essential for the completion and full understanding of the final product. If each student’s part is essential, then each student is essential and that is precisely what makes this strategy so effective. The jigsaw classroom has a four-decade track record of successfully reducing racial conflict and increasing positive educational outcomes such as improved test performance, reduced absenteeism and greater liking for school. The Jigsaw Classroom is a teaching strategy of organizing student group work that helps students collaborate and rely on one another.

Simulation Environments
A Simulation Environment is a valuable teaching resource. It can be used to introduce students to a new concept in a controlled way, using existing infrastructure like a school’s computer lab. Autodesk TinkerCad is a software platform that runs inside a web browser. From the browser we can create circuits on a virtual breadboard and control them using a virtual arduino that can be programmed on the spot! We can see leds blinking and motors running. That way the students are encouraged to try things without danger of destroying the fragile electronic components and as they build their knowledge and confidence they can switch to a real breadboard, components and microcontrollers. TinkerCad also provides a 3D sketchpad for creating 3D printable parts that can be integrated with our electronic circuits, all within a simple and intuitive interface.

Local Trainers’ Cvs (under update)

Spyros Papadakis Organizational Coordinator, Regional Centre for Educational Planning in Western Greece Educational Coordinator, Computer Science, Western Greece Adjunct Faculty, Hellenic Open University (HOU). He holds a Ph.D in Computer Science and Information Systems from the School of Science and Technology of the Hellenic Open University (HOU), a Master’s Degree (M.Ed) in Adult Education (HOU), a Postgraduate Certificate (PGCE) in Open and Distance Education (HOU) and a Bachelor’s Degree (B.Sc.) in Mathematics from the University of Patras, Greece. Spyros is a member of the editorial board of one international journal and he serves as a reviewer for journals and conferences. His research involves human-centred design of advanced technologies for learning, learning design, distance and blended education and training. It involves gaining a deep understanding of how people interact, collaborate, work, and learn as a foundation for the design of novel e-learning, mobile learning and blended learning systems.

Makrodimos Nikolaos Teacher with a Master Degree in Education and 23 years of teaching experience in public schools of Greece.
Flipped Learning Certified, International Ambassador, In the top 100 Flipped Learning Educators, from the Flipped Global Learning Initiative.
Author of the article “Implementation of Flipped Classroom model in Mathematics of 5th grade in a Greek Primary school”, published in Open Education, the Journal for Open and Distance Education and Educational Technology, vol.13, no.1, 2017.
Presentations in 4 conferences in Greece, about the Flipped Classroom model and its technology, from 2016 since 2019.
Teachers’ trainer in a 40 hours seminar about the Flipped Classroom, organised by the Regional Training Center of Patras, in 2018.
4 years experience in implementation of Flipped Classroom in subjects like Mathematics, Geography and History in different grades of Greek Primary School.

Grigoris Tsonis is an ICT Teacher at the Ministry of Education, Research and Religious Affairs having lectured ICT in primary and secondary schools, public institutes of professional training and the University of Patras. He holds a National Diploma in Computer Engineering and Informatics (B.Eng.) from the School of Engineering of the University of Patras, Greece and he is currently a M.Sc. student of the same Department.

Tasos Kleisas studied electrical engineering in Democritus University of Thrace. He worked for 3 greek IT companies before joining the Greek Ministry of Education in 2005. From then on, he taught in primary and secondary education and he provided technical support for the schools in the prefecture of Messinia. In his spare time he tries to program computers in any form or shape and he likes making videos and music with computers.

Athanasios Kanavos is an ICT teacher and Technical Supervisor in the Computing Department
of the Directorate of Secondary Education in Messinia. Holds a BSc in Electronic and
Electrical Engineering, and an MSc in Communication Systems Engineering from University
of Portsmouth UK. Areas of interest include Wireless and Optical Communication Systems,
Computer Networks, Digital Communications and Wireless Sensor Networks.

Ioanna Ravani is an ICT teacher in Secondary Education and has worked as a data analyst in private sector. She holds a MSc in Computer Graphics and Artificial Intelligence from the University of Nantes in France. Currently she is deputy head of Environmental Education Center in Kalamata practicing Education for Sustainable Development in groups of primary and secondary pupils as well as in adults. She has experience as coordinator in projects incorporating Cultural Heritage in Education via 3D Virtual Environments.

Grizioti Marianthi is a researcher and a PhD candidate at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, and a member of the Educational Technology Lab at Department of Pedagogy, School of Philosophy (http://etl.ppp.uoa.gr). Her research is on Computational Thinking, coding and digital games. She holds a bachelor degree in Computer Science and an M.Sc in Digital Technologies in Education. She was involved as a programmer in the development of two web-based educational authoring tools, MaLT2 and ChoiCo.

Aggeliki Apergi

Konstantinos Mathiopoulos is a Computer Science teacher in primary and secondary schools and adult education. He holds a Diploma in Informatics and Telecommunications from the department of Informatics and Telecommunications of National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. He holds a Master’s Degree (M.Sc.) in e-Learning from department of Digital Systems of University of Piraeus. He is a co-writer of a book about teaching programming to High School students and he is interested in robotics. He is a certified adult trainer by the National Organisation for the Certification of Qualifications & Vocational Guidance (EOPPEP).

Keramida Olga is a kindergarten teacher in the 1st kindergarten in Pylos. She is working in education field for 24 years. Area of interest includes STEM education in kindergarten class. In her spare time she is searcing and studing new educational methods to make learning more interesting and attractive for students

Eleni Lianou is an Informatics teacher and a Vice Principal at the Second Chance School of Kalamata for adults. She is a computer systems engineer and an ICT teacher trainer and instructor in secondary, higher and adult education. She holds a Master’s Degree in Graphic Arts & Multimedia specialized in Adult Education Systems through Adaptive Hypermedia.

John Michalopoulos is a Teacher of Informatics in the county of Messinia. He teaches over 20 years in primary and secondary schools. He holds a Diploma in Physics from Science School, Department of Physics from National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. He also has a MSc degree from Physics and Informatics and Telecommunications Departments of the same University, with specialization in Control and Computing.