Making with Micro:bit: Teachers and Students Learning 21st Century Competences through the Innovation Process

Innokas Network works with schools and other stakeholders to develop 21st Century Competences in education. In this work we present a maker pilot study in which Innokas Network introduced Finnish teachers to the Innovation Process and the Micro:bit programmable device for supporting students’ 21st Century Competences. We show preliminary results of the study and discuss the relevance of maker projects and the Innovation Process for learning 21st Century Competences in the Finnish educational context. 100 participating Finnish teachers received in-service training in Micro:bit technology and learned to apply the technology within the Innovation Process. After the training, the teachers used the technology in class projects. They reported on their projects using blog narratives and research questionnaires. In addition, 850 participating students answered a questionnaire on their experiences. The results of an initial analysis point to a positive view of the maker-related Innovation Process and Micro:bit technology as a way for both teachers and students to learn 21st Century Competences.