In the context of the science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics disciplines in education, subjects tend to use contextualized activities or projects. Educational robotics and computational thinking both have the potential to become subjects in their own right, though not all educational programs yet offer these. Despite the use of technology and programming platforms being widespread, it is not common practice to integrate computational thinking and educational robotics into the official curriculum in secondary education. That is why this paper continues an initial project of integrating computational thinking and educational robotics into a secondary school in Barcelona, Spain. This study presents a project-based learning approach where the main focus is the development of skills related to science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics and the acquisition of computational thinking knowledge in the second year of pupils’ studies using a block-based programming environment. The study develops several sessions in the context of project-based learning, with students using the block-programming platform Scratch^TM. During these sessions and in small-group workshops, students will expand their knowledge of computational thinking and develop 21st-century skills. We demonstrate the superior improvement of these concepts and skills compared to other educational methodologies.

Robotics is one of the key learnings in a world where learners will interact with multiple robotic technologies and operating systems throughout their lives. However, school teachers, especially in the elementary and primary education stages, often have difficulties incorporating these tools in the classroom. Four elementary teachers in three schools in Catalonia were trained to introduce robotics in the classroom to seventy-five students. The main actions consisted in classroom accompaniment by a university-trained support teacher, curricular materials’ development, and assessment of the students’ and teachers’ learning. The designed contents and evaluation criteria took into account the potential of educational robotics to improve soft skills and to promote Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) interdisciplinary learning. Teachers perceived the training to be supportive and useful and ended the school year feeling confident with the used robotic platform (KIBO). The assessment of the students’ learning showed an average mark of 7.1–7.7 over 10 in the final evaluation criteria. Moreover, students’ learning was higher in the classes where the teachers had higher initial interest in the training. We present and analyse the actions carried out, with a critical and constructive look at extending the experience to other educational centers.

The fast-paced evolution of technology has compelled the digitalization of education, requiring educators to interact with computers and develop digital competencies relevant to the teaching–learning process. This need has prompted various organizations to define frameworks for assessing digital competency emphasizing teachers’ interaction with computer technologies in education. Different authors have presented assessment methods for teachers’ digital competence based on the video analysis of recorded classes using sensors such as cameras, microphones, or electroencephalograms. The main limitation of these solutions is the large number of resources they require, making it difficult to assess large numbers of teachers in resource-constrained environments. This article proposes the automation of teachers’ digital competence evaluation process based on monitoring metrics obtained from teachers’ interaction with a Learning Management System (LMS). Based on the Digital Competence Framework for Educators (DigCompEdu), indicators were defined and extracted that allow automatic measurement of a teacher’s competency level. A tool was designed and implemented to conduct a successful proof of concept capable of automating the evaluation process of all university faculty, including 987 lecturers from different fields of knowledge. Results obtained allow for drawing conclusions on technological adoption according to the teacher’s profile and planning educational actions to improve these competencies.

En este estudio se presenta el acompañamiento formativo a cuatro profesores de Infantil en tres escuelas de Cataluña durante el año escolar 2017/2018 con el objetivo de introducir robótica en sus clases. Las acciones principales consistieron en el acompañamiento en el aula por parte de un profesor universitario de apoyo y en el desarrollo de materiales curriculares. El aprendizaje de profesores y alumnos durante el acompañamiento se evaluó utilizando una combinación de métodos cualitativos y cuantitativos. Los maestros percibieron el acompañamiento cercano, útil y terminaron el año escolar sintiéndose confiados con la plataforma robótica usada (KIBO). Los estudiantes tuvieron una calificación promedio de 7.1 - 7.7 sobre 10 en los criterios de evaluación final, y un aumento con respecto a los resultados iniciales de 0.1 a 0.3 puntos. Este aumento no fue uniforme para todos los estudiantes: los estudiantes más brillantes mejoraron más en colaboración, comunicación y creatividad, mientras que aquellos con menores calificaciones, mejoraron más en conducta y creatividad. Además, hubo diferencias entre profesores: el aprendizaje de los alumnos fue mayor en las clases donde los maestros tenían mayor interés inicial en el acompañamiento. Jurado, Elena; Fonseca, David; Canaleta, Xavi