Sucre4Stem: Collaborative Projects Based on IoT Devices for Students in Secondary and Pre-University Education

Abstract

This paper describes a new technological evolution of the <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Sucre</i> project, which aims to foster a vocation for science and develop computational thinking and programming skills in pre-university students. This improved version is called <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Sucre4Stem</i> and has been designed from the Internet of Things perspective. At a technological level, we differentiate two main tools, <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">SucreCore</i> and <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">SucreCode</i> . <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">SucreCore</i> provides a new, more compact design, encapsulates an advanced microcontroller and supports wireless connectivity with the ability to create online variables and functions. <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">SucreCode</i> , the block-based visual programming tool, has a revamped interface and allows wireless communication with <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">SucreCore</i> . At the pedagogical level, Sucre4Stem makes it easier to implement new group dynamics and to create novel types of collaborative projects between groups of students. In this article, we also explore how these collaborative projects can be carried out by taking advantage of the different types of communications between <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">SucreCore</i> and the server-side platform using shared online variables and functions.