Teaching technology is one of the best ways to learn it. Educational activities have been part of our Student Branch since its early years, carried out in collaboration with the Regional Directorate of Education of Western Macedonia and its coordinators, Dr. Elena Zygouri (Primary Education) and Dimitris Tzimas (Informatics), for schools across Greece. These activities were among the reasons for our Exemplary Student Branch Award in 2019.
The Educational Activities Team (2022)
In 2022 a team of Mathematics students — Anthi Tsiftsian, Eleftheria Pierratou and Elpiniki Veneti — guided by Kleopatra Gkola, PhD candidate in Informatics, worked on:
- STEAM scenarios based on IEEE’s TryEngineering platform,
- electronic teaching tools, digitisers and smart boards for the classroom,
- educational robotics with Arduino and Lego Spike.
The team also won 3rd place in the “Kozani 2030” competition with Citizension of Smart Kozani and presented part of its work at the 3rd Scientix Panhellenic Conference on STEM Education (September 2022).
Highlights
- “Learning at Home – Computer Education” (May 2020): during the first lockdown, our members presented tools for distance teaching — WebEx, e-class, Scratch and Python with repl.it — at an online conference for teachers, co-organised with the Regional Directorate of Education.
- “Getting to know STEAM Education” (27 May 2022): a four-hour workshop co-organised with the MSc in Advanced Information Technologies and Services and the Regional Directorate of Education, attended by more than 100 people in person and online.
- Educational Robotics project (2024–2025): members work hands-on with Lego Spike kits; the team was presented at the Recruitment Day 2025.
- Teacher In-Service Program (TISP), 2017–2019: hands-on IEEE TISP activities with teachers and pupils in schools in Kastoria, Neapoli, Tsotyli and Samos — from Rubber Band Racers to Smart Buildings and the Internet of Things.
- “Robotics with LEGO Spike Prime” (October 2024): a workshop by two members of the Educational Robotics team at the 2nd International Conference on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals in Education, held in Kastoria and coordinated by Kleopatra Gkola, who also coordinates the team.
- 1st Panhellenic Competition of Educational Robotics & Physical Computing (2018): we hosted the information event in Kastoria.