O Futuro do Ensino da Informática Está em Construção!
Esta semana, Ljubliana foi palco da reunião dos parceiros do projeto DIGITAL FIRST, que deu mais um passo importante para melhorar o ensino da informática na Europa. O encontro, no qual o CFAE-PVVC participou, permitiu partilhar ideias, alinhar estratégias e planear os próximos passos do projeto.
Digital First PodCast – Episódio 1
Durante o projeto, os parceiros lançarão seis episódios de podcast com o objetivo de promover conversas inspiradoras com professores, entidades educativas, pais, decisores políticos e ONGs. O foco será o estado atual da educação em informática e a partilha de abordagens inovadoras para a tornar mais atrativa e relevante para a sociedade atual.
DIGITAL FIRST: Série de Vídeos Educativos Já Disponível o Primeiro Episódio!
O projeto Erasmus+ DIGITAL FIRST, desenvolvido no âmbito dos Looking Forward Projects, apresenta o primeiro vídeo de uma série dedicada à educação em informática.
Teaching informatics in Physics Classes: The Case of Slovenia
Informatics education: Where We Are
Teaching informatics and developing digital competencies (Vuorikari 2022) is crucial for the long-term competitiveness and security of the European Union. In order to expand production capacities for modern technologies, resources and increasingly, knowledge and personnel,the EU needs to focus on educating future generations beyond basic technology use, enabling them to become innovative creators and leaders in the digital era.
Working Together for Transforming Informatics Education: First Insights from our Dialogue Clubs – Croatia
The DIGITAL FIRST project proposes a new approach to teaching computer science, in which the function of computer skills is in the foreground and serves as the ultimate goal of the educational process. By emphasising functional understanding and problem-solving skills, the project aims to empower students to become active creators rather than passive consumers of the digital world. Innovative pedagogical approaches view digital technology as the first language of digital natives and improve traditional approaches to teaching computer science by applying Halliday’s seven functions of a child’s language: personal, informative, interactional, instrumental, imaginative, heuristic and regulatory.
Functional Language of Informatics: Raising Future Leaders of the Digital World
As the digital world evolves, education must prepare students not just to adapt to change but to drive it. By replacing the structural, syntax-heavy teaching of informatics with a focus on functional language and computational thinking, the DIGITAL FIRST project empowers learners to interact with technology more intuitively and creatively. This paradigm shift positions students to thrive in a future where digital fluency is as fundamental as literacy.
DIGITAL FIRST: Celebrating One Year of Transforming Informatics Education!
The month of December marks the first anniversary of our project and we would like to take this opportunity to celebrate our achievements with you! Aiming to transform informatics education at primary and secondary schools, the DIGITAL FIRST project calls to move away from the traditional structuralist approach of teaching students how computers function, the rules governing IT applications, and how to assemble coding commands.
Opportunities and challenges of computer science education in Slovenian schools
In today’s society, computer science education is often mistakenly equated with basic digital literacy, reflecting a widespread misunderstanding of the subject’s true scope and value. Scientific literature consistently demonstrates that computer science education, through the development of computational thinking, cultivates essential transversal skills that extend far beyond digital literacy. These skills are crucial for active participation in our digital society, as they enable students to decompose complex problems, recognize patterns, and design algorithmic solutions. Through engagement with fundamental concepts like algorithms, data structures, and programming principles, students develop systematic and creative thinking capabilities that mere digital tool usage cannot provide.
New Insights into Informatics Education with Learning Analytics: Experiences from Finland
Imagine a classroom where every student’s unique learning journey is understood — where their strengths, areas for growth, and the process of skill-building are fully visible. Learning analytics makes this vision a reality, offering a deeper view beyond traditional grades and test scores. With these insights, teaching transforms from simply delivering content into a personalized experience that meets each student exactly where they are.
DIGITAL FIRST and AIM@VET: Transforming the Teaching of Computer Science and Robotics Under a Functionalist Approach
In an educational environment that must continuously adapt to the accelerated digital transformation, the teaching of computer science faces the challenge of equipping students with practical skills that they can apply in real-world situations. The two Erasmus+ funded projects participated by the University of A Coruña (UDC), AIM@VET and DIGITAL FIRST are at the forefront of this change, promoting a functionalist approach () that prioritizes the effective use of digital technology to solve problems actively.
Teaching Strategies and Methods in Informatics Classrooms: DIGITAL FIRST Presentation at the BEBRAS 20-th Anniversary Symposium in Vilnius
The Informatics and Computational Thinking Challenge Bebras is well-known around the world, with 4 million pupils in more than 80 countries completing the contest last year. The main goal of Bebras is to develop computational thinking and modern problem-solving skills, to introduce the most important concepts of computer science: algorithm building, program design, decomposition – breaking down complex tasks into their parts, recognising patterns – regularities in data and processes, abstracting, summarising, and evaluating the problems being solved.
Digital First Network Project Meeting Recap: Engaging Two Days at Vilnius University
This September, the Digital First project partner held a project meeting at Vilnius University, bringing together educators, researchers, and digital education experts from across Europe. Over two days, participants worked both in person and online to advance their mission of improving how digital skills are taught in schools.
Improving Teaching And Learning Through Digital Technologies: Insights From Bulgaria
Looking for alternative ways to improve their students’ learning process in their classrooms during the last years, the Secondary School “St.st. Cyril and Methodius” is delighted to be a part of the DIGITAL FIRST project’s mission to transform informatics education across Europe. The teachers from the school find the project very inspiring and enlightening as it directly addresses their daily teaching and learning experiences in their school.
Beyond Coding: Transforming Education to Shape Tomorrow’s Digital Innovators
In today’s fast-paced digital world, the education of our youngest citizens must evolve to meet the demands of a future dominated by technology. As children grow up surrounded by digital devices, they arrive at school with a basic level of digital fluency. However, there’s a pressing need to move beyond this familiarity with technology and equip students with the deeper understanding required to navigate and shape the digital landscape effectively.
Sparking Creativity in young minds: Innovative Approaches to teaching Informatics
The importance of coding and informatics cannot be overstated in today’s digital world. Yet, introducing these concepts to young children can be challenging. Some of the challenges that a teacher may face:
Exploring How Informatics is Taught and Learned in Greek Schools: Focus Group Insights
As part of the “DIGITAL FIRST – Digital tech as the first language” project, recent focus group research conducted in Greece offers valuable insights into the current state of informatics education. Our project aims to transform how students across Europe engage with digital technology, preparing them for a future where computational thinking and informatics skills are as essential as reading and writing.
Exploring How Informatics is Taught and Learned in Croatian Schools: Focus Group Insights
We’re excited to share early findings from our focus group research on how informatics is taught and learned in Croatian schools, a key part of our ten-country study. This report provides a deep dive into the experiences of those directly involved in teaching and learning informatics, highlighting the strengths and challenges in this vital subject area. The complete findings across all participating countries will be published by the end of the year.
From Structuralism to Functionalism: A New Era in Informatics Education
For decades, foreign language instruction was heavily influenced by structuralism, a method focused on teaching grammar through the study of sentence forms and the mechanics of language. Students learned how to conjugate verbs and construct sentences but often found themselves unable to engage in meaningful conversations. By the 1980s, the limitations of this approach became evident, leading to a gradual shift toward functionalism—a teaching method that prioritizes the practical use of language and the meaning behind sentences. Research shows that this shift has resulted in students who are not only more proficient in foreign languages but also more engaged and satisfied with their language studies.
Exciting News: Our Experts Lead the Charge in Digital Education Innovation!
We are proud to announce that Arjana Blažić from Suradnici u učenju and All Digital, both integral parts of our project consortium, have been selected as members of the newly established Commission Expert Group for Digital Education Content. This expert group is tasked with developing guidelines and quality requirements for accessible, well-designed, high-quality digital education content.
Flash news from DIGITAL FIRST partners: Lidija Kralj’s Expertise Recognized in High-Quality Informatics Initiative
We are delighted to announce that our esteemed project partner, Lidija Kralj from Suradnici u učenju, has been selected as a member of the prestigious European Commission Expert Group on High-Quality Informatics. This group, comprised of 25 experts from 14 different countries, is dedicated to addressing and overcoming the critical challenges facing informatics education today.
DIGITAL FIRST: Check out our new leaflet to get the project highlights!
The DIGITAL FIRST project proudly completed its first six months with a focus on the research and analysis of the current landscape of informatics education across Europe. Right after the summer break, our partners are looking forward to sharing the first set of research results and launching dialogue clubs in project countries to involve all stakeholders in shaping the future of informatics education.
DIGITAL FIRST: Slovenian Partners Combine Efforts for Transforming Computer Science Education
In today’s rapidly evolving technological landscape, primary and secondary schools across Europe must constantly keep themselves updated to prepare students for a digital future. Recognising this need, Slovenia has embarked on a transformative journey through the DIGITAL FIRST project, uniting the two primary schools, a university, and the Ministry of Education in a collaborative effort to integrate computer science and digital competencies into the educational system.
Contributo do CFAE-PVVC para o projeto Erasmus+ Digital First
Este artigo constituiu uma contribuição do CFAE-PVVC para o projeto Erasmus+ Digital First, que visa definir um catálogo de competências para professores de informática. O objetivo é estabelecer diretrizes claras para preparar os educadores a fornecer uma educação de alta qualidade, baseando-se em iniciativas como o Desenvolvimento de Competências Digitais dos Professores (DCDP) em Portugal.
DIGITAL FIRST To Develop Competences Catalogue for Informatics Teachers: The Case of Digital Competence Development of Teachers (DCDT) Initiative in Portugal
One of the main objectives of the DIGITAL FIRST project is to define a competences catalogue for informatics teachers. By establishing clear guidelines and standards, educators will be better prepared to deliver high-quality informatics education to their students. Our project will build its work upon the already existing knowledge and experiences in the consortium, and one of the examples of this know-how is the Portuguese initiative of Digital Competence Development of Teachers.
Perspetivas do Projeto “DIGITAL FIRST” em Portugal
No dia 2 de julho de 2024, o Centro de Formação e Associação de Escolas (CFAE) da Póvoa de Varzim e Vila do Conde (Portugal) promoveu um focus group com a participação de diversos intervenientes da comunidade educativa, no âmbito do projeto europeu “Tecnologia Digital como Primeira Língua: Informática para Nativos Digitais – DIGITAL FIRST.” Este evento reuniu professores de informática, pais, professores responsáveis por projetos de tecnologia digital e docentes de outras áreas curriculares.
DIGITAL FIRST Focus Groups on Computer Science Education: Insights from Portugal
On July 2, 2024, the Training Center and School Association of Póvoa de Varzim and Vila do Conde (CFAE-PVVC) in Portugal organized a focus group with the participation of various stakeholders from the educational community within the DIGITAL FIRST project. This event brought together computer science teachers, parents, teachers responsible for digital technology projects, and teachers from other curricular areas.
Projects in the Field of Computer Science and Informatics in Slovenia
Slovenia’s education ecosystem is shaped by EU directives, national strategies, and specific initiatives aimed at developing digital competencies among stakeholders, including students. Digital education in Slovenia began in 1994 with the Computer Literacy programme (1994–2000, extended to 2006). In 1998, the role of ‘ICT/digital coordinator’ was established in primary education. Since 1995, progress and achievements have been promoted nationally and internationally.
DIGITAL FIRST explores informatics education in Indonesia
On 24-30 June, Professor Valentina Dagienė from Vilnius University, one of the DIGITAL FIRST project partners, visited Del University of Technology in Sumatra island, Indonesia, met students and professors, and gave lectures. One of the important topics discussed during the meeting was Computational thinking (CT), one of the main themes of the DIGITAL FIRST project that aims to transform informatics education in primary and secondary schools across Europe through innovative approaches.
PISA Wake-Up Call: Slovenian Youth Need Skills in Creativity and Computational Thinking
In this week’s web article, DIGITAL FIRST partner University of Ljubljana Faculty of Education showcases the recent findings of the PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) in Slovenia to highlight the importance of informatics education in primary and secondary schools to empower students with creative and computational thinking skills which are vital for addressing real-world problems in their future professional lives.
DIGITAL FIRST: Conducting a scientific research in 10 EU countries
During the DIGITAL FIRST project’s first phase focusing on the analysis of existing context in informatics education at schools, project partners Vilnius University (VU, Lithuania) and the University of Coruña (UDC, Spain) are working together for a comparative study on teaching and learning of informatics in 10 EU countries. This study aims to understand: What and how do we learn/teach informatics, and are we satisfied with it? In addition, the research will allow us to understand how we can create innovative practices meeting the demands of “digital children” born in the “digital world”.
DIGITAL FIRST partners with Vilnius University and the University of Turku to Cooperate with Taiwan on Informatics Education Using Gamification
The DIGITAL FIRST consortium partners have a wide range of ongoing activities, as well as mutual collaborations, going in parallel with the project in developing innovative approaches to informatics education. Our two partners Vilnius University and the University of Turku recently collaborated with Taiwan within the scope of an interesting gamification project for informatics education.
Transforming Informatics Education across Europe: The case of Finland
Digitalization of work life and daily living creates pressure for educational changes globally. Many countries have responded to this pressure by integrating informatics into curricula with varying topics. Some have created a new separate subject of informatics, and some have included topics in other subjects such as mathematics.
Finland is one of the countries where informatics topics have been integrated into other subjects. The Finnish national core curriculum is a general description of topics that are taught. Schools create their local curriculum and teachers have a lot of autonomy in designing their lessons. Therefore, this article offers a general description of informatics teaching in Finland.
What and How Do We Learn and Teach Informatics in Spain?
As part of the DIGITAL FIRST project’s research activities on the theory and practice of teaching informatics in primary and secondary schools across Europe, the University of Coruña (UDC) team has undertaken the first part of the investigation addressing three fundamental questions for Spain: What do we learn/teach, how do we learn/teach, and are we satisfied with it?
Transforming the informatics education in Europe – Where do we stand?
Educating students in informatics at school is essential to equip every citizen with the necessary knowledge to participate, influence, and contribute to developing the digital world. By learning informatics, students can safely and critically navigate the internet and contribute to an expanding infosphere that consists of more and more algorithms that may be biased or information that may be flawed or incomplete.
Professional Conference for Teachers of Informatics and Computer Science
On May 15, 2024, Algebra University hosted a successful Inter-County Professional Conference for Teachers of Informatics and Computer Science, focusing on “Artificial Intelligence and Education.” This event was organized in collaboration with the Croatian Agency for Education and Training and brought together primary and secondary school teachers to delve into the ever-evolving landscape of digital technology and its profound impact on education and the workforce.
Enhancing Computer Science Education in the Digital Age
In today’s rapidly evolving educational landscape, computer science education faces a critical challenge: how to remain relevant and effective amidst the relentless march of technological progress? As every aspect of our lives is touched by innovation in this digital era, traditional teaching methods in computer science must adapt to prepare students for the demands of tomorrow’s workforce and innovation landscape.
DIGITAL FIRST Partners at Work
DIGITAL FIRST Partners at Work: Stepping Up Research on the Current State of Informatics Education in European Schools. The DIGITAL FIRST partner met for their regular monthly online meeting on the 25th of April to review the project’s progress. The highlights of the meeting were the administrative overview, research activities, and dissemination tasks. Maja Šarić from Algebra University reviewed the progress of the project tasks and deliverables across different work packages, alongside administrative and financial management updates as the project coordinator.
Participe no Inquérito DIGITAL FIRST
No âmbito do Projeto Erasmus+ DIGITAL FIRST do qual o CFAE da Póvoa de Varzim e Vila do Conde faz parte, juntamente com mais 15 parceiros de 10 países, estendemos um convite aberto a todos os professores de informática de todos os níveis de ensino, todos aqueles que ensinam informática como disciplina interdisciplinar ou extracurricular ou, ainda, utilizam as tecnologias digitais nas suas práticas letivas para participar na nossa pesquisa.
Participate in the DIGITAL FIRST Survey
The DIGITAL FIRST project aims to transform informatics education in primary and secondary schools across Europe. Our goal is to develop innovative pedagogical approaches and educational materials that can be universally applied throughout European countries, shifting away from traditional methods focused solely on programming languages and technical knowledge.
DIGITAL FIRST | Reunião de início do projeto em Zagreb
O projeto DIGITAL FIRST “Tecnologias digitais como primeira língua: Informática para nativos digitais”, uma iniciativa inovadora destinada a moldar o futuro do ensino da informática nas escolas básicas e secundárias em toda a Europa, iniciou as suas atividades na reunião de coordenação realizada pela Universidade Algebra em Zagreb, Croácia, nos dias 22 e 23 de janeiro de 2024.
DIGITAL FIRST kick-off meeting in Zagreb
The DIGITAL FIRST project “Digital tech as the first language: Informatics for digital natives”, a groundbreaking initiative aimed at shaping the future of informatics education in primary and secondary schools across Europe, launched its activities at the kick-off meeting hosted by Algebra University in Zagreb, Croatia on 22-23 January 2024.
The project consortium consists of 15 organisations including universities, teacher training centers, primary and secondary schools, NGOs, and a public body from 11 European countries. DIGITAL FIRST partners are committed to working towards a transformation in informatics education to match the needs of today’s children, the digital natives, born in a digital world and arriving at school education already with a certain level of digital skills.
Project Digital First: Transforming Informatics Education for the Digital Age
In today’s digital age, equipping students with essential informatics skills is crucial to their ability to navigate, influence, and contribute to the evolving digital world. Recognizing this imperative, the Digital First project emerges as an endeavor aimed at transforming informatics education in primary and secondary schools across Europe.
Algebra University is a proud project coordinator of the project DIGITAL FRST – Digital tech as the first language: informatics for digital natives. Developed under the Erasmus+ Programme and managed by the European Commission and the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA)
CFAE-PVVC 