In the spring, the first phase of the ”I Can DigIT!” future digital skills research project was conducted in two small groups (n=20) at Rantakylä Teacher Training School. The project aimed to monitor the progress of students’ digital skills, teamwork abilities, and self-efficacy across three content modules. The modules were held during the spring of 2023. In addition to practicing digital skills, students responded to surveys on teamwork and self-efficacy.

The content modules were implemented using LEGO Spike Prime, Micro:bit, and Minecraft.

• In the Spike Prime module, students were introduced to the basics of programming and sensor operation. At the end of the module, students had the opportunity to design, build, and program their own amusement park ride.
• In the Micro:bit module, the Hummingbird kit was utilized for building MAKER projects. After familiarizing themselves with the kit and its use, students designed and constructed a trap that would automatically trigger using various sensors.
• In the Minecraft module, students were tasked with building a shared historical structure. To accomplish this, students worked in small groups, assigning different tasks to group members. The theme for the construction and activities was Ancient Rome.

The digital skills instruction was provided by Ville Eronen and Sampo Forsström, lecturers at the Eastern University Teacher Training School, as well as special education lecturers Juuso Pursiainen and Katariina Räsänen. The video recordings of the learning sessions were carried out, and the analysis of research data was conducted by Anniina Kämäräinen, a lecturer in special education at the University of Eastern Finland.

The research and collaboration project is being carried out by the FCLab project, which is funded by the Finnish National Agency for Education.

An overview of I Can Dig IT! -activities can be found from the projects’ homepage.