The month of December marks the first anniversary of our project and we would like to take this opportunity to celebrate our achievements with you!

Aiming to transform informatics education at primary and secondary schools, the DIGITAL FIRST project calls to move away from the traditional structuralist approach of teaching students how computers function, the rules governing IT applications, and how to assemble coding commands.

Instead, our project emphasizes the functional application of IT skills and knowledge, highlights the importance of equipping students with computational, critical and creative thinking skills and treats informatics as a horizontal competency essential for all aspects of modern life, from work to leisure.

Our project consortium comprises 15 organisations including universities, teacher training centers, primary and secondary schools, NGOs, and a public body from 11 countries: Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Finland, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Portugal, Slovenia, and Spain.

Our project coordinated by the Algebra University, has a 3-year ambitious plan to make this transformation happen in informatics education built upon the following pillars:

• Research and analysis of the current landscape of informatics education
• Involving stakeholders through dialogue clubs
• Development and piloting of innovative teaching methods
• Defining the competencies for informatics teachers
• Modelling learning analytics for informatics

We are proud to share with you our first-year achievements.

A Snapshot of the Current Landscape of Informatics Education

The first year of our project was dedicated to extensive research and analysis to gain insights into the current landscape of informatics education in European schools. This involves examining existing practices and methodologies to identify areas for improvement and innovation.

Our partners collected a vast amount of data from an online survey, which was completed by over 1,000 teachers, and from 28 focus group discussions attended by students, teachers, parents, and other stakeholders in 10 countries. The survey and focus groups helped us identify satisfaction levels and experiences related to teaching and learning informatics practices.

Our partner Vilnius University leading this research has almost completed the analysis of the results: we are impatient to share them with you by January 2025!

As a sneak peek, the study revealed the following clues on the teaching and learning strategies used by teachers:

• The teacher-centred teaching and learning strategies are the most common in informatics education (e.g. instructional-based teaching, demonstration, imitation). Quite a few teachers use problem-based strategies in their classes. From the multi-modal, interaction-based set of strategies, the collaborative or communication-based strategies were the most used in informatics education.
• The most common teaching and learning methods used in informatics education are those that focus on passive students’ activities (e.g. repetition, explanation, demonstration, direct instruction). From the set of experiential, interaction-based methods, teachers mainly use team or group-based methods. From the set of digital multimodal methods, interactive exercises were often used (rarely used methods: AI, modelling, online forums, computer simulation). Tests, and assignments from the book are also often used teaching and learning methods in informatics education, focusing only on the level of knowledge and understanding (with the purpose to replicate, describe, recognise, etc.).

Dialogue Clubs: Co-creation of Innovative Approaches

The DIGITAL FIRST project will involve all stakeholders in shaping the future of informatics education through the project’s Dialogue Clubs to be organised in 10 countries. The main role of Dialogue Clubs is to create a motivating environment for the exchange of opinions and ideas and the co-creation of new approaches in teaching informatics.

A series of 7 Dialogue Clubs will be organised in each country focusing on specific functions of digital technology to informatics education:

• Personal function – digital technology used to express personal opinions, attitudes and feelings, including one’s identity.
• Representational/informative function – digital technology that is used to relay or request information.
• Interactional function – digital technology that is used to develop relationships and ease interaction.
• Instrumental function – digital technology that is used to fulfil a need, such as to obtain something, be it material or immaterial.
• Imaginative function – digital technology that is used to tell stories and create imaginary constructs (often accompanies play or leisure activities).
• Heuristic function – digital technology that is used to explore, learn and discover.
• Regulatory function – digital technology tech that is used to influence the behaviour of others (including persuading, commanding or requesting).

By focusing on these diverse aspects of informatics education, our project expects to collect a rich set of insights to develop and validate innovative pedagogical approaches.

With the coordination of our partner Partners in Learning leading this task, the end of 2024 saw the composition of Dialogue Clubs in each country with teachers and other stakeholders who are interested in joining a series of meetings to be organised during 2025-2026.

Audiovisual Production: Explore the World of Informatics Education

As DIGITAL FIRST is developing innovative approaches to informatics education, our project also works to raise awareness of the importance of having informatics education tailored to the needs of today’s children and sharing inspiring examples.

Throughout our project, with the coordination of ALL DIGITAL leading our project’s communication and dissemination activities, our project partners will offer you plenty of audiovisual resources on informatics education:

• 6 Educational Videos: Showcasing informatics education and innovative approaches to tailor it to today’s children, the digital natives
• 6 Podcast Episodes: Inspiring conversations with teachers, education providers, parents, policymakers and NGOs on how to deliver engaging informatics education
• 6 Webinars: Our project results and resources in a nutshell – current state of teaching informatics, dialogue clubs, teacher competence catalogue, piloting activities and learning analytics.

We welcome you to the fascinating world of informatics education with our first video produced by T-HAP covering:

• The expanding field of informatics
• The importance of informatics education in schools
• The crucial role of digital skills and literacy in today’s world

Check out the first episode of our podcast: In this inspiring conversation, Petra Bevek from the Ministry of Education Slovenia hosts Uroš Ocepek, an awarded secondary school teacher from Slovenia specialised in computer science, and Eugenia Casariego Artola, Development & Advocacy Coordinator from European Schoolnet, an advocate of innovation in teaching and learning at the EU level.

Expect more videos, podcast episodes and webinars from our project partners in 2025!

Broader Outreach: DIGITAL FIRST at External Events

During this first year, the DIGITAL FIRST partners also tried to make the best use of external events to reach out to a wider audience and to create synergies with others working for the common mission of transforming informatics education:

• Algebra University presented the project as a key initiative for transforming informatics education during the Inter-County Professional Gathering of Informatics and Computer Science Teachers they hosted with the key theme “Artificial Intelligence and Education” on 15 May in Zagreb, Croatia. The event gathered 125 participants, predominantly teachers, to delve into the impact of digital technology on our educational systems and the future of our youth.
• The Ministry of Education Slovenia presented the project during the International Scientific Conference on Philosophy of Mind and Cognitive Modelling in Education in Maribor, Slovenia on 19 April 2024. The event which attracted around 300 participants aimed to present the latest research by experts in the fields of Philosophy of Mind, Cognitive Science, Psychology, Neuroscience, Artificial Intelligence and Education.
• Vilnius University presented the project during the online national methodological-practical conference “Challenges and opportunities of teaching and learning informatics: Competence-based education, innovations, artificial intelligence” attended by 390 participants on 20 February 2024.
• Vilnius University also presented the project and its initial results during their visit to Del University of Technology in Sumatra Island, Indonesia on 24-30 June 2024 and during the BEBRAS 20th Anniversary Symposium in Vilnius on 26-27 September.
• ALL DIGITAL showcased DIGITAL FIRST as one of its key initiatives in its stand during the ALL DIGITAL Summit on 15-17 October 2024 in Madrid attended by over 400 participants.

What is next?

Building upon the research phase and collecting insights from the Dialogue Clubs, our project will focus on developing and implementing innovative teaching methods in informatics next year.

These methods will be designed to engage students effectively and emphasize practical application, by equipping learners with essential digital skills for the modern world.

Additionally, our project places significant emphasis on defining the competencies required for informatics teachers. By establishing clear guidelines and standards, educators will be better prepared to deliver high-quality informatics education to their students.

Furthermore, our project will ensure hands-on learning experiences through pilot programs in selected schools. These programs will involve crafting teaching materials, training teachers, and evaluating outcomes to refine and improve teaching practices.

Finally, leveraging insights from learning analytics, our project aims to inform teaching practices and track student progress effectively. By harnessing data-driven insights, educators will be able to adapt their approaches to better meet the needs of their students and foster a more engaging learning environment.

Interested in informatics education? Stay connected, stay inspired!

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