ComponentBuilder® makes computer science more engaging through several innovative features:
- Tactile Learning: ComponentBuilder® provides physical, 3D-printed components that students can interact with, making abstract computer science concepts tangible and easier to understand.
- Augmented Reality (AR): The tool incorporates AR to create a virtual representation of computer components, enhancing the learning experience by combining physical interaction with digital visualization. This approach helps students grasp complex concepts in a fun and memorable way.
- Real-World Analogies: ComponentBuilder® uses familiar analogies to explain computer parts, such as comparing the motherboard to a town and its components to buildings. This method makes learning more relatable and easier to comprehend.
- Collaborative Learning: The tool encourages group work, which has been shown to engage more female students and foster a sense of inclusion among all learners.
- Improved Academic Performance: Trials with ComponentBuilder® have demonstrated significant improvements in students’ academic performance, with an average increase of over 21% in end-of-unit tests.
- Addressing Resource Gaps: By providing hands-on resources, ComponentBuilder® addresses the lack of physical computing tools in many schools, making lessons more interactive and effective compared to traditional methods like PowerPoint slides.
These features collectively make ComponentBuilder® a unique and effective tool for engaging students in computer science education.
PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS
Lack of Physical Resources
for Computer Components
3d Printed Resources with AR app that solely focuses on Computing Fundamentals in an interactive way promoting engagement for all
Only 21% Girls take Computer
Science at GCSE
Groupwork engages more female students to participate and allow all students to feel included.
Right to Repair Legislation (June 2021)
Giving all users confident to the inside of an electronic system encouraging more people to repair rather than buy new electronics therefore cutting down on e-waste
Only 24% Women in
STEM in the UK
Positive results in focus groups leads to more opportunities in attainment for Computer Science subjects and future STEM related careers
SUCCESS IN SCHOOLS
WHAT IS AR AND WHY USE IT?
ComponentBuilder® is an educational tool that helps students learn about how computers work by using physical tactile components with a virtual representation of that component.
The Augmented Reality app shows a digital image of the component on the device’s screen, which changes as the student interacts with it. The concept combines the familiar (the motherboard is like a town and the components are buildings) with the unfamiliar (how each component works) making learning fun and memorable.
Augmented Reality is a technology that combines real and digital worlds, recognised in some social media filters or games.
It makes learning more fun and interactive, as students can explore together the computer system as a town with buildings.