A successful day for Swiss Computer Science education
The Swiss Day for Computer Science Education took place for the 14th time at ETH Zurich. The event offered teachers a wide range of courses and honored people and institutions who have made a special contribution to computer science in schools, as well as the finalists of the "Informatikbiber" competition.
The Swiss Day for Computer Science Education ("Schweizer Tag für Informatikunterricht", STIU) took place on June 25, under the theme “Constructing instead of consuming”. The Center for Computer Science Education ("Ausbildungs- und Beratungszentrum für Informatikunterricht", ABZ), under the direction of Professor Dennis Komm, organized the event, which was held in conjunction with the final of the Swiss Computer Science Beaver competition.
A Wide Range of Workshops
Teachers from all levels of education from all over Switzerland gathered in the main building of ETH in sunny weather. They were able to choose from a wide range of workshops to get ideas for their own lessons that contribute to the sustainable development of skills in children and young people.
The course offerings included the workshop “AI Literacy Education: An Experimental Approach”, led by Professor April Wang. In this course, participants were able to learn how to promote their students' AI skills in a practical and engaging way. Other workshops focused on “Creative Robotics”, “Debugging Assessment” and computational thinking in music education. In his “computer science unplugged” course, Professor Tim Bell, who received the Rector's STEM Prize last year, discussed how to teach students the basics of computer science without a computer.
“At ETH Zurich, we don't just conduct research — we are also a school. That's precisely why we feel the changes in the world of education so acutely.”Günther Dissertori, Rector of ETH Zurich
After the workshops, Professor Günther Dissertori, Rector of ETH Zurich, and Dennis Komm welcomed the participants in a packed Audi Max. "At ETH Zurich, we don't just conduct research — we are also a school. That's precisely why we feel the changes in the world of education so acutely", said Günther Dissertori.
The ABZ medals of honor were then awarded to individuals and institutions that made a special contribution to school informatics. These included the Hasler Foundation, which has successfully campaigned for the establishment of a basic subject in computer science throughout Switzerland. Managing Director Sinja Christiani and Professor Lothar Thiele, Chairman of the Sponsorship Committee, accepted the award in person.
Record Participation in the "Informatikbiber"
The highlight of the STIU was once again the award ceremony for the 71 finalists of the "Informatikbiber" competition. The students came to ETH Zurich together with their parents and teachers to take part in the final competition.
"We had a record number of 50,000 students from all over Switzerland take part in this round of the 'beaver'. To be one of the 71 finalists is a huge achievement," said Dennis Komm. The final round comprised five different age categories. Dennis Komm and Günther Dissertori awarded the medals to the finalists to loud applause. The top three in each age category received the gold medals.
(Credit: Markus Burren)