EPICS: Exploring PhysIcal

Computing in Schools

Information Webinar

Sue Sentance and Jessie Durk

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Raspberry Pi Computing Education Research Centre

Department of Computer Science and Technology

University of Cambridge

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1. General information about the EPICS project
2. Two ways to get involved
• become a partner school (long-term commitment)
• help us by contributing to our data collection (three data points)
3. Q&A

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This webinar is being recorded and will be shared by email with those who have signed either of our expression of interest forms, and on http://computingeducationresearch.org

Outline of the webinar

Exploring Physical Computing in School (EPICS)

What is physical computing?

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• Educational activities involving interactive physical systems that sense and respond to the real world
• Combining hardware + software in development of computing skills
• Use of programmable devices

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The BBC micro:bit

• Range of physical computing devices of which the BBC micro:bit has proved popular in schools
• Through the BBC micro:bit - the next gen campaign, over 500,000 BBC micro:bits have been distributed to UK schools.

This article gives a general introduction to physical computing and the range of devices available

What exactly are we researching?

3.

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Are there gender differences in how students engage with physical computing?

2.

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What role do parents and teachers have? Do they influence students’ digital capital?

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What role does the transition to secondary school play?

1. ​

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How does engagement with physical computing support the long-term development of young people’s creativity, technological self-efficacy and socio-technological agency?

Why are we carrying out this research?

Previous research shows young people find the BBC micro:bit

• easy to use
• tangible and ‘real’

and it may benefit their

• creativity
• programming skills

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But do these early experiences translate into long-term impacts on confidence and creativity?

Outline of the research project

5 - year mixed methods study

In-depth qualitative data collection

Quantitative data collection

Pupils

Teachers

Teachers

Parents

Pupils

Time

Longitudinal study

Follow individual students, parents and teachers to investigate their experiences over time

Time

Longitudinal study

Follow individual students, parents and teachers to investigate their experiences over time

Time

Longitudinal study

Follow individual students, parents and teachers to investigate their experiences over time

Time

Longitudinal study

Follow individual students, parents and teachers to investigate their experiences over time

Time

Investigate a larger number of schools at different time periods

How to get involved

EPICS partner schools

Outline of the research project

5 - year mixed methods study

In-depth qualitative data collection

Quantitative data collection

Pupils

Teachers

Teachers

Parents

Pupils

Qualitative data collection

Five-year study: 2024-2028

When?

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Year 1: June/July 2024

Year 2: April - July 2025

Year 3: April - July 2026

Year 4: April - July 2027

Year 5: April - July 2028

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Who?

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Year 1: Pupils and teachers

Year 2: Pupils, parents and teachers

Year 3: Pupils, parents and teachers

Year 4: [optional engagement]

Year 5: Pupils, parents and teachers

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Year groupings across the UK

Data collection activity for EPICS Partner Schools

• After Easter: You deliver 6-week unit to Year 4 (or P5 in Scotland and Northern Ireland)
• Preferred unit is ‘First lessons’ from microbit.org
• We visit your school in June/July
• Data collection:
• 2 pupil focus groups in year (size 4/5)
• 1+ teacher interview (Y4 teacher)
• (optional) lesson observation
• Take part in all-class online activity in July

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You don’t need to have completed the entire unit by the time we arrive.

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Project year 1

https://microbit.org/teach/featured/?selected=first-lessons-with-makecode-and-the-microbit

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Data collection activity for EPICS Partner Schools

• From January: You deliver 6-week unit to Year 5/ Year 6 (P6/P7) using micro:bits (to be decided)
• We visit your school between April and July
• Data collection:
• preferably 2 teacher interviews
• 4-6 pupil / parent interviews
• (optional) lesson observation
• some activities can be optionally online
• Take part in all-class online activity in summer of year 6 only

Project years 2 & 3 (2025 & 2026)

Potential Year 5 unit for 2025

Data collection activity for EPICS Partner Schools

2027 : optional activity tbd (pupils in year 7/S1/Y8)

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2028

• Visit schools between April and July
• Data collection: 2+ teacher interviews

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Project years 4 & 5 (2027 & 2028)

During 2028 we will also engage with pupils and parents that we’ve been following - pupils will by then be in Year 8/S2/Y9

Schools engaging with us

Year 1: £500

Year 2: £500

Year 3: £500

Year 4: £250 (optional)

Year 5: £250

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Incentives for engagement with project

Each of years 1-3 and Year 5:

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Voucher for interview (£ tbd)

Parents engaging with us

Selection process for EPICS project partners

• Now: if you are still interested please complete this follow up form: bit.ly/epics-sign-up by Tue 26th March
• Next: we will create a longlist using criteria given
• During April: Jessie will arrange a call with you after 15th April if we are considering your school
• End April: we will let all schools know and proceed to next stage.

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If not selected, please participate in our online all-class activities

Necessary for selection

• Able to deliver programme as described
• School leadership in agreement

Criteria if oversubscribed

• Geography
• Urban/rural balance
• Diversity of schools
• Diversity of teacher experience

The EPICS wider network

Outline of the research project

5 - year mixed methods study

In-depth qualitative data collection

Quantitative data collection

Pupils

Teachers

Teachers

Parents

Pupils

Five-year study: 2024-2028

Quantitative data collection

When?

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Year 1: June/July 2024

Year 2:

Year 3: April - July 2026

Year 4:

Year 5: April - July 2028

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Who?

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Year 1: Y4/P5 Pupils and teachers

Year 2:

Year 3: Y6/P7 Pupils and teachers

Year 4:

Year 5: Y8/S2/Y9 Pupils and teachers

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What?

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All-class activity with follow-up questionnaire / online activity to complete

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Still interested in being an EPICS partner? Fill in this follow-up form: bit.ly/epics-sign-up

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Want to stay updated / take part in wider data collection? Nothing else to do right now, and we will contact you with more information.

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For anything else: contact us at rpcerc-enquiries@cst.cam.ac.uk

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For other research projects and news: sign up to the RPCERC newsletter: https://computingeducationresearch.org/stayintouch/

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Thanks to our funders:

Microbit Educational Foundation

BBC

Nominet

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Recap

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Thank you for listening

Contact us: rpcerc-enquiries@cst.cam.ac.uk

Sue Sentance and Jessie Durk

University of Cambridge

Q&A

Please type your questions into the Q&A