Rationale

The project objective is to work on the concepts of product innovation, project-based learning, multidisciplinary working relationships, improving language proficiency and knowledge of technology and trends. The aim is to generate high-quality curriculum materials that allow students to approach to the World of Work. We also want to help motivate future professionals in STEM careers. In order to achieve this a base model will be used, on which students should learn and customisation in teams. The chosen base model that will serve to achieve the project objectives will be a toy drone.

From IES La Foia we have annual meetings with local business associations to manage student practices and they convey the need not only students have technical knowledge, but also having communication skills, multidisciplinary teamwork, initiative and creativity for active participation in developing new products. Therefore, the aim of this projecct is to contribute to increase the employment rate in recent graduates, according to the report The Education and Training Monitor 2014 (prepared by the Directorate-General of Education and Culture -October 2014) is currently 75.5% and the European Objetive was 82%.
In this sense, this project aims to improve key Competencies and, based on the development of a complex toy, put together students from different disciplines and knowledge (peer learning) so that they starting with some basic requirements, are able to evolve a basic model and generate their own toy. The product to develop is a drone, because is complex and with different disciplines involved.  Furthermore this course 2014-2015 in IES La Foia begins to develop new cycle (Technician in Forming by Metal and Polymer Moulding ) which requires new educational materials and increasing educational methods adapted to the environment and occupational demand.

This project was born of knowledge and complementarity of the four participating VET Schools and toy expert. In this regard the consortium is:
(1) IES La Foia (Spain). Plastic parts expert and Mechanical, 3d modelling
(2) Tehnička Škola Sisak (Croatia): Mechanical components and environmental considerations, 3d modelling
(3) Zespół Szkół Nr 10 (Poland): Open source software related to flight control. Moodle Plaftorm.
(4) Šolski Center  (Slovenia): Mechatronics, testing (wind tunnel ,etc.) electronics and microcontrollers, 3d modelling.
(5) and as an expert in product development, specifically in the development of toys and knowledgeable about the World of Work: AIJU (Spain), a technology centre, that ensures with their expertise and vision that all learning materials will be closed to the business world. Quality and Dissemination.

This project is foreseen for three years: the objective of first year is to join teachers and AJU's experts in order to develop the base educational materials. During the second and third year of the project, students will perform their works. For this, multidisciplinary teams will be formed with one student from each of the schools that will work together in a customisation of their drone. The objective of the first year for students is that their drone can fly and be controlled. For the second year student teams will perform a programmed flight through waypoints. In addition, they will use additional systems like GPS, Camera and First Person View. In this sense each team will have a coacher and also a tutor. It means that the coacher is a teacher with a technical background and the tutor of the team will be an English teacher who will support them and drive their communications with other students of the same team from the others schools.  English teachers of schools will prepare a specific vocabulary of each specialty to have adequate glossary for the project.

The target groups of this project are:

1) teachers from four schools VET involved, each in its defined specialty.
2) middle grade students of VET schools. With the aim of having an overview of product innovation,  integration in teams with the need to communicate with other students from different countries and specialty.

The project aims to improve key competences for both students and teachers.

However, all developments  will be opened and may be applied both in higher education and secondary education. The modularity of the intellectual outputs outlined in this project, will allow all stakeholders to make use of full, partial or adapted form. To ensure availability, in addition to the project website, all generated educational materials will be published  under open license as Open Educational Resources (OER).

Impact

Moreover intellectual outputs, the aim of this project is to improve some key competencies set by the European Union. More specifically:

- Communication in English as a foreing language for all project stakeholders. And work also intercultural understanding.

- Digital competence Involving

- Learning to learn, the objective is organise and work in multidisciplinary groups, so social learning is needed.

- Social an civic competences, because is necessary to participate in a efective and a constructive way in teams formet with students from different schools and countries.

- STEM competences, Because students will resolve a range of problems in project activities.

- Initiative and Entrepreneurship: envolves innovation and creativity to customize their product. This competence include awareness of ethical values and promote good governance for future professionals.

European added value

The project will meet VET teachers and students from different areas of knowledge and will bring a more global vision in order to professionally develop these stakeholders. It is intended to work on innovative practices in four VET Schools, adding synergies and supported by an expert technology centre in order to generate high-quality Open Educational Resources.

It is also intended that teachers of different Schools can develop educational materials that cannot develop without the collaboration of teachers from other disciplines and experts.

Moreover, this project will bring a high added value since we will follow the same steps needed in the development of a real and innovative product. Students will know and will analyse  the same concepts used in business. Therefore this will be a close project to the real world of work. That is why the aim is to cover the current demand of dynamic, creative and enterprising professionals.

Students can develop basic and transversal skills in multidisciplinary teams. The creation of theses multidisciplinary teams of students will also allow peer learning. That is, a Spanish student will have worked on the plastic structure of the drone, the Polish student will have worked on the software and programming device control. The Slovenian student will provide its expertise in electronics and wind tunnel evaluation. The Croatian student will contribute the development of several parts using CNC using special tools developed in their School. They all together in a team can learn from their peer formed in different disciplines.

DroneTeam Project

The project has met VET teachers and students from different areas of knowledge with a global vision to professionally develop these stakeholders. Consortium has worked on innovative practices in four VET Schools, adding synergies and supported by an expert technology centre generating high-quality Open Educational Resources.

Moreover, this project will bring a high added value since we will follow the same steps needed in the development of a real and innovative product. Using DroneTeam results students will develop basic and transversal skills in multidisciplinary teams.

For three years this Project has been developed and on this webpage you can find all the information about its development, as well as free and free access to the results.
In this page you can find: the justification and the impact of the project in each partner; all about the transnational meetings held; Dissemination and communications activities carried out and, of course, the project results available with a creative commons license.

Please click the above banner: you will access the DroneTeam eLearning Platform. It is in five languages (English, Spanish, Croatian, Polish and Slovenian) and you can access small training courses, 16 courses that will offer you an expert knowledge about the world of Drone: Drone Components; Basic Assembly; Advanced drone assembly; Glossary; How to Fly a Drone; Wind Tunnel; Why does a drone fly?; Flight Simulators; Propeller Comparative; VR Simulator; Plastic Drone Components; 3D CAD Design; Printing Drone Parts; Game of Drones, DronE app - DroneTeam app; Regulations about drones.

Access to the platform is free, but you will have to register with an email to be able to save your progress. You can download your diploma if you have satisfactorily passed the questionnaires in the basic courses of components, assembly and glossary. In this section, you will also find various materials suitable for learning through crosswords, kahoots, etc But there is much more, in the Download Area of the eLearning Platform you can download the CAD files in standard exchange formats like STEP, IGS; STL files prepared for 3D printing, software and tutorials on drones; Glossary, ...

During project development, since September 2015, we have witnessed an evolution of the drone sector, with a great emergence of drone manufacturers and also of professional applications. Therefore, in the eLearning Platform you can find a section where you can see the relevant figures of the drone sector and know the state of the art through a selection of videos that demonstrate the evolution of this sector, both in the professional field and in the leisure field.