Roboklocki workshops

Main goal. Preparation of an innovative teaching program about mine operations (ore exploitation, natural hazards, technological cycle, intelligent systems of ore management), with application of roboblocks (Lego® Education Mindstorms EV3, Lego® Education WeDo 2.0, Dash and Dot ®) and running pilot workshops (program validation) which will significantly enrich the project results by creation of unique and targeted educational offer.

What has been said about the project:

"I am glad that our Company's staff is looking for initiatives that have such a socially important meaning. We are a scientific unit, which is why it is particularly important to us not only to educate children and young people, but also to constantly improve it" - says Piotr Dytko, President of KGHM Cuprum. - "I am even more satisfied with the fact that it is possible to achieve this in the area as difficult and demanding as mining is" - he adds.

"And it was a hit! Thanks to an innovative and at the same time very accessible way of transferring knowledge, we have opened a wide range of education opportunities for children and youth in the field of mining" - says Dr. Eng. Malwina Kobylańska, project manager of "VirtualMine - as a modeling tool for Wider Society Learning", financed by EIT Raw Materials GmbH. - "Workshops, which included more than 100 children were learning not only for them but also for us. We learned what needs to be improved in the program, so that the fun would be the best, and on the other hand how the program could be adjusted better to children's age and perception, and would bring as much educational content as possible".

"One of the main advantages of this form of education is to introduce children to learn science in a very intuitive and friendly way. The combination of working on the computer, and building the construction of the blocks directly "on the table" makes the children do not get tired sitting in front of the monitor" - explains Konrad Jurga, head of Roboklocki® company. -"Many hours of consultations that we conducted with the KGHM Cuprum team to prepare and develop the Roboklocki® pilotage in mining, inspired our team to continue exploiting this topic. We hope that this is just the beginning of our cooperation".

"At the beginning there were interesting activities for mining and quiz. Then we were divided into groups and went to build from LEGO blocks. My brother and I arranged a conveyor belt. It was great!" - Maciek, 10-year-old, says with delight. - "We have arranged a very nice set, I have not seen the one like this yet. At the end there were rewards" - says his younger brother Mikołaj (8 years old)".

Partnership

• KGHM Cuprum sp. z o.o. Centrum Badawczo-Rozwojowe (KGHM Cuprum Ltd. Research & Development Centre), Poland

• RoboKlocki, Poland

Our cooperation is carried out as part of the project called VirtualMine.

"VirtualMine – as a modeling tool for Wider Society Learning"

Objective. The main goal is to increase the awareness among local community about the importance of raw materials and its possible use for better development of the European regions. Furthermore, the project is to popularize mining among the general public, especially children and students who start to develop their path career, as well as to show the importance of the minerals in our modern world. The main stress should be put on creating conditions to convey knowledge on raw material as key to the development of the circular knowledge-based economy in the most effective way. Specific objectives are: showing attractiveness and diversity of mining through the use of customized, innovative teaching methods, strengthening the key competencies in children and students, such as practical use of obtained knowledge in the field of mining, creativity and entrepreneurship, as the skills necessary in further professional life and showing to the project participants the usefulness of education in sciences and their use in today’s labor market in the context of planning an attractive career, breaking stereotypes about mining, generally applicable in the society, including use of raw materials. Showing social utility and application of mining in everyday life as the model of sustainable development, establishing cooperation between scientific and informal educational public entities to improve the attractiveness of vocational education in the faculties.

source: www.eitrawmaterials.eu/course/virtualmine/

project website: https://sites.google.com/view/virtualmine/home

Partnership

• KGHM Cuprum sp. z o.o. Centrum Badawczo-Rozwojowe (KGHM Cuprum Ltd. Research & Development Centre), Poland (Lead Partner)
• i3D S.A., Poland
• National Mining University (NMU Ukraine), Ukraine
• National Technical University of Athens, Greece
• Technical University of Kosice, Slovakia
• Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, UPM (Technical University of Madrid), Spain
• Zavod za gradbenistvo Slovenije, ZAG (Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering  Institute), Slovenia
• Muzeum Miedzi w Legnicy (Copper Museum in Legnica), Poland