VIEWSVIEWS & OPINIONOPINIO N


Themissing piece of the puzzle: give coding purpose


Comment by DANIEL LINDEGAARD, co-founder and COOof KUBORobotics


Children in the UK have been learning about coding since it was introduced into the curriculum in 2014. There are so many skills associated with


programming and computing that it is fast-becoming a fundamental capability for 21st Century learners. It is also becoming more important to introduce the subject as early as possible, because children need to achieve a much deeper grasp of technology by the time they


reach the job market. However, while there are plenty of resources, products, and apps on the market to help teachers introduce coding in the classroom, it’s of little use unless children can understand the purpose of what they’re learning and how it’s helping shape the world we live in.


The key is to make it relatable; in order for children to really engage with STEMsubjects, teachers need to make coding creative and relevant to what they’re learning and provide examples in a real-world context.


For instance, rather than simply tasking students to build and code a robot that travels from point A to point B, incorporate geographical knowledge and teach them about cardinal directions and environments. You could start by reading books on mapping skills and/or places in the world and then ask students to recreate their own landscape based on an environment (deserts, forests, oceans, etc.) and then set them a challenge in which they navigate their robot past various obstacles to reach the end destination. This will help the m develop foundational knowledge w hen it comes to directions (north, south, east, and west) as well as learning about different settings, cultures, and climates.


Performing practical, hands-on activities means children are far more likely to make the connection between what they are learning and how it applies to real world scenarios – for example, in the case above, sailing a boat through the North Atlantic Ocean or navigating a spacecraft beyond the moon and having to avoid obstacles throughout the journey.


The best part is that coding can be combined wit So, for any teachers who might struggle for inspirat


ion or lack the h any subject.


confidence to deliver standalone coding lessons, this is a simple way of introducing the subject, while further cementing the links between subj ects and real life. This means children are able to identify where and how the fundamental skills associated with coding can be used in other activities, lessons, and the wider world.


It also helps bring coding to life by making it more creative and fun for children – something that is particularly important when it comes to building resilience. Facing difficulties or challenges along the way when learning about coding is almost inevitable, but by making coding engaging, children will be more willing and determined to try, try, and try again until they find a solution to the problem.


While coding might not naturally appeal to every child, making it as creative and hands-on as possible means that i t will spark curiosity and creativity and engage all learners on some level. In addition to this, the wider skills associated with it – including communication, problem-solving, resilience, and collaboration – will help set them up for future success in the classroom and


Marc h 02 beyond.


Studentmental health – why HE should lead the charge


Comment by DR IAN JACKSON,medical director and clinical safety officer at Refero


Research published in June 2018 by the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) and Advance HE Institute disclosed that university undergraduates are more likely to have lower levels of wellbeing than al l young people aged between 20 and 24. Understandably, increasing pressure is being put on higher education providers to tackle this crisis. The real issue here is not a lack of support services, but more a question of ensuri


easy access to them via an interconnected


external organisations – effectively a ‘safety net’ – and that these engagements are fully governed and audit students do not fall through the gaps. As participation in university life has exp


network of internal and ng that students have


anded, national trends in able to ensure that


mental ill-health have materialised in student populations, causin g an increase in demand for support services.


While holistic care of students requires input from multiple stakeholders, universities are uniquely placed to lead the charge. Clearly, universities have a duty of care to safeguard students, but there’s also a very real business case for tackling mental health. Students are a source revenue for universities and there is an obvious need to protect that income.


Higher education providers must therefore be encouraged to work in close partnership with health and care organisations, local communities, parents and even employers to tackle mental health and improve student wellbeing.


Today there are many student services, from within the univ ersity and externally, already in existe nce but mostly the y operate in silos, lacking any one single overlay service delivering real integration and, crucially, tracking those student journeys. One of the most frequently asked questions by students is regarding the availability of local GP services.While many rsities will provide links to primary care providers via their nt enrolment facilities, there is often no further follow up or


stude unive


audit trail.


Technology enables new ways of engag connecting them with support services, im upon more traditional ways of working to


eliminate the possibility proving and building ing people and


of students falling through the cracks at the point where services crossover.


Students should be able to sign up to an online platform and send requests to their university ranging from “where’s the nearest bus to campus?” to “how can I get an appointment to see my GP?” But, the real value comes from the potential to connect students with GPs and/or other valuable resources digitally, providing a clear audit trail of those engagements.


But how do universities facilitate this engagement without incurring additional costs? The key is bringing the many services that fall under the umbrella of student support services together into a single consolidated platform; combined with the ability to switch elements on or off, whether from messaging and self-help, as well as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and analytic, according to need. g y


U niversities of the future are increasin l embracing digital, bu t the real value comes from integrating with wider student and public services, including health and social care organisations, especially GPs. Indeed, students have come to expect this. Only by using technology to improve existing ways of working will we see real improvements in how student mental the future.


2019 1 9 www. wwweducation-toda y.co.uk


.co.uk 12 health is managed in


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52