Exploiting Collaboration to Engage High-School Learners in Experiencing Sensors and Actuators

Due to the rapid smartification of cities and houses we have experienced over the years, (future) citizens are urged to familiarize themselves with sensors and actuators as elementary components of the Internet-of-Things (IoT) paradigm. Learning experiences must pivot towards engaging mechanisms and electronic kits to empower learners to take on the active role of designers. This paper investigates the possibility of engaging 230 high-school learners by enabling them explore professional technologies of STMicroelectronics, relying on hands-on activities, and verifying the impact of working in collaboration. To do so, the protocol distinguishes collaborative and individual phases, and participants auto-assessed the perceived level of engagement in each phase by an anonymous post-questionnaire administered immediately after the in-person workshop. Our findings reveal statistically significant differences, indicating a strong preference among participants for collaborative work-a trend that aligns with existing literature. This study sheds light on the positive effect of collaborative learning approaches in engaging young minds in the realm of emerging technologies.