BRICS Project
This project is a collaboration between Oide Digital Technologies (Primary) team and the LEGO Education Innovation Studio team (Dr. Denis Moynihan, Dr. Anne McMorrough, and Emeritus Professor Deirdre Butler) in DCU’s Institute of Education and is also supported by Athlone Education Centre and the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS).
The BRICS project, involving teachers and children from 14 primary schools in the Midlands region, aims to engage children from 3rd to 6th class in real-world integrated STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) learning.
The project will support teachers to design learning experiences using programmable LEGO Education robotic materials, to foster confidence, curiosity and criticality in children while addressing real-world challenges.
Focus on STEM Education
The project comes at a critical time, as STEM education is increasingly recognised as essential for preparing young learners for the future. Globally and nationally, education systems are placing greater emphasis on STEM, and recent updates to the Irish Primary School curriculum reflect this growing focus.
The BRICS project responds to these changes by providing a practical and engaging approach to STEM education, supporting teachers to design learning experiences using programmable LEGO Education robotic materials, to foster confidence, curiosity and criticality in children while addressing real-world challenges.
Consequently, an integral part of the project includes a series of professional learning supports facilitated by Oide, aimed at supporting teachers to develop the skills and confidence to integrate this innovative approach to STEM learning in their classrooms.
The research to be conducted by the LEGO Education Innovation Studio team is a central part of the BRICS initiative focusing on:
- how primary school teachers in Ireland understand and apply an integrated STEM approach.
- the strategies and methods primary school teachers use when incorporating programmable robotic materials into their lessons.
- the impact of the BRICS intervention by measuring changes in teachers’ and pupils’ confidence and skills in STEM subjects.
