The delegation of professors from the National University of Distance Education (UNED) (Mª Luisa Sevillano and José Manuel Sáez) and the Complutense University of Madrid (José Manuel Sáez, Miguel Ángel Ortiz, Ramón Cobo and Donaciano Bartolomé) was welcomed by Prof. Annemarie Profanter, Professor of Intercultural Education at the Faculty of Education.

The visit focused on a joint research and innovation project. Professor Profanter is now part of a three-year research project entitled "Creative Programming in Primary Education: Development of Materials and Proposals for Block Coding, Machine Learning Game Engines, and Robotics" (PROMBOT), which has received €70,000 in funding from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (PID2022-136442OB-100). The project is led by IP researcher José Manuel Sáez of UNED and involves collaboration with researchers in Italy, Spain, Portugal, Colombia and the Netherlands.

The main objective of the project is to introduce an active teaching model with innovative curriculum design and development, including teaching resources that promote the educational and sustainable use of technological applications and resources related to coding and digital creativity in primary education. "Educational authorities have included computational thinking in legislation as part of the minimum curriculum. This project, focused on creative programming, through proposals, materials, conclusions and dissemination, will contribute to the transfer of the appropriate implementation of these new technologies in content and curricular elements already present in formal teaching. The use of technologies, coding and robotics is intended, using coding in a creative way. This approach can promote the acquisition of key skills, content, interdisciplinary and transversal elements, with an active and dynamic methodology," says Profanter.

During the visit, the professors discussed the planning of their research efforts and outlined the major publications that will result from this collaboration. This initiative not only strengthens the ties between unibz and Spanish universities but also promises to pave the way for innovative approaches to education on an international scale.

(zil)