Preparing Future Educators: a Higher Education Course Curriculum on Robotics and Environmental Education

The GREENCODE Higher Education Curriculum has been developed to equip preservice preschool teachers and their respective departments in higher education institutions with the necessary skills and training opportunities to teach children in kindergartens and preschools about sustainable and ecofriendly practices, through unplugged coding and robotics applications. The curriculum enhances children’s understanding of life cycle thinking and other green practices based on the Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL) approach. The curriculum serves as a comprehensive framework, encompassing objectives, teaching materials, methods, and assessment techniques. It follows a modular structure that includes theoretical explanations. The curriculum can be adapted by education authorities for in-service training of current preschool teachers, allowing for country-specific modifications based on local needs. This flexible approach ensures that both future and existing teachers are equipped to encourage environmental awareness and digital literacy in young children. The project specifically focuses on preservice preschool teachers, as well as current preschool and ICT teachers, with an emphasis on implementation in targeted countries. The curriculum is structured into five modules. Together, these modules form a robust methodological framework that equips preservice teachers with the knowledge and skills necessary to integrate the three topics of robotics, coding and sustainability into their teaching practices from a holistic perspective. The GREENCODE project partners organised consultation workshops in each partner country to invite preschool teachers, administrators and experts to give their views and perspectives on the proposed titles and content of the planned modules.

URI

http://hdl.handle.net/10400.19/9623

Citation

Figueiredo, M., & Ferreira, S. (2024). The Importance of Outdoor and Indoor Activities for Environmental Education in ECE. In A. Rudolfa, & K. Tumase (Eds.), Preparing Future Educators: a Higher Education Course Curriculum on Robotics and Environmental Education (pp. 28-38). Escola Superior de Educação de Viseu. https://doi.org/10.34633/978-989-35783-5-3.