The MPDV-Junior-Academy

An Out-of-School Learning Place of Learning for STEM Promotion

Abstract

At the MPDV Junior Academy, students have the opportunity to deal with information technology topics. Three different two-day courses are offered: Courses on robotics with Lego Mindstorms are held for students from grade 6 upwards. Pupils from grade 8 and upwards deal with Raspberry Pi microcontrollers, while those from grade 9 focus on the automation of manufacturing systems. A peculiarity of the courses is that they are conducted by students of Computer Science or Technology from the Heidelberg University of Education who have already attended seminars on robotics or working with microcontrollers at the university. The courses at the MPDV Junior Academy are structured in such a way that on the first day the participants use a script to familiarize themselves with the basics of programming as independently as possible. The aim is to work on small tasks in the practical examination of the subject matter. The tasks are differentiated and offer a variety of opportunities for self-determined work. On the second day there is a project phase in which the young people, usually in pairs, design and carry out an individual project and finally present it to the entire group. Accompanying research on the development of interests and motivation is carried out. This article presents the concept of the MPDV Junior Academy and the specific course offerings as well as the results of the accompanying research.