E-DESIGN: Arduino Day and digital skills for everyone

Apr 15, 2021News

The acquisition of ICT skills is often neglected, and the event “Arduino Day 2021 with CSC Danilo Dolci” wanted to demonstrate how simple and accessible it is to approach digital education in a participatory way.

The Arduino Day 2021 event with CSC Danilo Dolci took place on Saturday 27th March 2021 to celebrate the Arduino platform and to make it known to the general public. The event took place online on the Zoom platform due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but this certainly did not make it less interactive, practical or with a lower level of participation.

The event took place in the framework of Arduino Day, a worldwide event organized by the community (https://www.arduino.cc/) which brings together experts, geeks and other interested people who want to share their experiences. The 2021 edition was entitled “Undistancing: Open Makes Us Close“, to represent the possibility that the platform offers despite the social distancing: to explore new technologies, to experiment and create together. For this edition, around 380 international events were organized, including 20 in Italy, and Arduino Day 2021 with CSC Danilo Dolci was the only event held in the Sicilian region.

Arduino Day 2021 with CSC Danilo Dolci was open to everyone, and attended by young people, professionals in the field of education, and experts in the field of technologies. The variety of the audience showed how crucial digital skills are for everyone and in the most diverse fields. Often, we do not notice it, but we are surrounded by technology: refrigerators, light bulbs, thermostats, are just some of the items that thanks to the IoT (Internet of Things) have been transformed into devices that are increasingly connected to us and to every day’s life.

The first part of the event was dedicated to the presentation of the Arduino platform, highlighting the importance of ICT and of the acquisition of digital skills in terms of social inclusion. Projects developed by the participants the E-DESIGN courses were showcased as well.  The E-DESIGN project aims to increase social inclusion and to tackle social inequalities through the strengthening of digital skills: all the developed projects have proved how with a simple kit and a few other components, it is possible for those who have no digital skills to build their own circuit, giving life to objects that meet the needs of everyday life.  A burglar alarm system with the use of an ultrasonic sensor and a hydroponic vessel circuit for the supply of water and air are just some examples, but the possibilities are endless!

In the second part of the event, participants were guided step by step in two practical workshops. Despite the distance, by using Tinkercad, an online modelling program, it was possible for everyone to build two simple Arduino circuits, a traffic light and an alarm system with sensors included. During the workshops, participants were challenged to understand and modify the code on their own, while also learning the variables of the code.

Although the event was of limited duration, the main objective was to spread the message that all digital tools have infinite potential and that are accessible to all. In addition, the workshops have provided to participants information and skills to be able to experiment with circuits independently. Everyone can overcome daily challenges and problems, and making mistakes is a fundamental part of the learning process, which not only allow to develop creative thinking and problem-solving skills but also promote personal growth of anyone who approaches an unknown discipline.

If you want to find out what Arduino is and learn more about the E-DESIGN project, visit e-designproject.eu and follow the Facebook page to stay updated on the activities and upcoming courses.

 

E-DESIGN: EUROPEAN DIGITAL EDUCATION FOR SOCIAL INCLUSION AND GLOBAL NEIGHBOURHOOD is a three-year project co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme, Key Action 3 – Social Inclusion and Common Value. The purpose of the project is to contribute to promoting social inclusion and combating social inequalities among disadvantaged groups, especially migrants and refugees, through strengthening their digital competences in order to enhance their labour market opportunities and social participation according to the objectives of the European Pillar of Social Rights and ET 2020.

 

Partners

The 6 European institutions involved in the E-DESIGN are as follow:

 

To stay up to date with the developments or to participate in the project, please write to Vidjaya Thelen: vidjaya.thelen@danilodolci.org.