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Service learning projects 2020-2021

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Academic year 2020-2021

Projects’ goals and partners

Project 1: Mein freund: micro:bit

The project was implemented in cooperation with city libraries (Marin Držić Children's Library and Savica Library) as recognizable information and cultural centers, which needed to promote the new library materials available for young users (micro: bit and micro: Maqueen robots). This project proved to elementary school students (5th and 6th grade), i.e. members of the Savica Library and the Children's Library Marin Držić, that a foreign language can be learned in an interesting and interactive way and it intrigued them to further learn a foreign language and robotics.

Due to the pandemic, the entire project took place through the Google Meets platform as an e-service learning project. Croatia was also hit by an earthquake, which is why everything took place under difficult circumstances. The workshops were created with the aim of encouraging the development of skills of logical thinking and reasoning, problem solving and communication in school children.

The topic of the workshop was learning the German language such as greetings, counting and self-presentation, and the learning itself took place through the basics of programming with micro: bit. One of the biggest problems is that robotics itself is not incorporated into the regular school curriculum and not all children have an insight into the basics of robotics, which cannot even arouse their interest in programming and robotics. Therefore, the workshop itself had to be as creative and interesting as possible in order to attract as many participants as possible. The primary benefit for the target group (children aged 11 and 12) was that they learned the basics of the German language, as well as basics of programming using micro: bit. With such innovative use of the micro: bit, the goal was to stimulate the interest of the target group towards robotics itself.

Link to Google site: https://sites.google.com/view/mein-freund-microbit/o-projektu

Link to ePortfolio: https://prezi.com/view/W7oLXSqvn9IMkhNcPlHh/

 

Project 2:  Learning through fun: micro: bit workshops

The goals of this project were to offer primary school children in grades 5th to 8th (11 to 14 years old) an innovative educational content during the school winter holidays. In order to be considered as service learning, the project was implemented through collaboration with city libraries (Marin Držić Children's Library; Savica Library) as recognizable information and cultural centers which have a need to motivate more users to borrow new library material (i.e. micro: bit and micro: Maqueen robots).

The students of information sciences offered to library users - schoolchildren, education about micro: bit computer and micro: Maqueen robots. Through the implementation of the project, the participants (children) developed their logical skills and made their first steps in the world of programming.

The project was conceived as a series of four interactive workshops for upper elementary school pupils culminating in a Hackathon. The workshops offered pupils work with micro: bit computers, starting from the lowest possible level of knowledge, i.e. no knowledge about micro: bit, all the way to including a micro: bit computer in work with a micro: Maqueen robot. Through the project, school children have mastered the basic logical concepts in the world of programming, and implemented them with student supervision through various tasks. In cooperation with partner libraries, a maximum number of six participants has been agreed on, so that participants can work in a quality and individual way, taking into account that the workshops were held online (e-service learning) due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The students of information, in turn, gained an invaluable experience of teaching schoolchildren in emerging technology use.

Link to Google site: https://sites.google.com/view/ucenjekrozzabavu/po%C4%8Detna?fbclid=IwAR2yOtwmNrFsWEPRnCdOTt7YN5Xh0posCyPhpkm3CaN_rQoxfUEPHKlHhk4

Link to ePortfolio: https://prezi.com/view/MKzNoaGXGcS2mRndJu2l/?fbclid=IwAR1yIe8QoKoK45DbH7hwDdncVx-vFAoAtDLDveILtesMecrLgivgbWSfe44

 

 Project 3:  Acquisition of knowledge about cultural heritage through Minecraft Education Edition

 The project was established as a perfect opportunity to demonstrate transdisciplinary and interdisciplinary skills and knowledge acquired by students during two-major studies at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Zagreb. The idea of ​​this project was to combine a topic that is already familiar and fun for children - video games - with the topic of learning and merging these two topics into an alternative technique of learning that is not present in regular schooling. Thus, the school children were provided with a new learning experience, as well as the use of student potential to agree on an appropriate plan for the implementation of workshops in which skills from information and communication technology and cultural heritage to pedagogy and methodology intersect.

When carrying out the project, the key was to choose a partner from the community with whom the students wanted to collaborate and carry out the project. It was an NGO for gifted "DAR" in Zagreb, whose role is to support gifted pupils in the Republic of Croatia and beyond.

The experience of learning through the video game "Minecraft Education Edition" allowed school pupils to step out of the common learning framework and experience alternative methods of learning about cultural heritage. In addition to the material covered through video games, pupils had the opportunity to learn about non-European cultural heritage through math assignments and board games that are specific to the Asian and African cultures. This was an attempt to subvert the present material in Croatian education, which is primarily West-centric and Eurocentric in nature (except for a small part of the material that is covered in subjects such as geography and history), as well as expanding students' awareness of different cultures.

Link to ePortfolio: https://prezi.com/view/pS1g8iRphGTr8x7aVjgh/

Link to Google site: https://sites.google.com/view/dku-projekt

 

Project 4:  Minecraft and Glagolitic script

The plan of this project was to encourage primary school pupils (3rd and 6th grade) to learn about the history of the Croatian language, more precisely about the Glagolitic script and the heritage that rests in this Old Slavonic language. The project was implemented in the form of workshops on the Minecraft Education Edition platform under the supervision of students from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences and librarians from the Marin Držić Children's Library and the Savica Library via the Google Meet application. Glagolitic script has deep roots in Croatian literature and history and is considered the oldest Croatian script. That is why the goal of this project was to present and introduce students to the Glagolitic script in order to recognize its importance for Croatian heritage. So the students learned what the Glagolitic scripts is, how it was created and why, the alphabet in the Glagolitic script and what all its symbols represent. Also, one of the goals was to make learning as fun as possible, and the students decided to achieve this through the Minecraft Education Edition platform. In today's world where the younger generation does not attach any special importance to the heritage of their country, this project was an ideal opportunity to raise pupils’ interest through introduction to the Glagolitic script and Glagolitic heritage because it is the main source for understanding Croatian literary, cultural and national identity and that is why this letter is especially important for education. Pupils were given the opportunity to learn about their Croatian language and culture in Croatia and to become "promoters" and "guardians" of its heritage. These workshops benefited school pupils so that they will now be able to recognize Glagolitic heritage, transmit knowledge about Glagolitic script, recognize the most important monuments, books and manuscripts in Glagolitic script in Croatia and other interesting things, and there is a new skill they adopted - writing and reading in Glagolitic script. In addition to this, pupils also learned how to navigate the Minecraft Education Edition platform, which contributed to the improvement of their IT skills.

Link to ePortfolio: https://prezi.com/view/Am9VxthlbVdcs6qm7d7F/

Link to Google site: https://sites.google.com/view/minecraft-glagoljica/naslovna?authuser=1

Service learning projects 2019-2020

Details

Academic year 2019-2020

Projects’ goals and partners

Project 1: Micro: bit radio communication

The project was realized in cooperation with the following community partners: IRIM (Institute for Youth Development and Innovation) and Elementary School Jure Kaštelan (Prof. Maljković).

The main theme of the Micro: bit radio communication service-learning project is the need to bring the STEM area closer to the target group (primary school children) and to make them interested in STEM. The benefits for the target group have been shown to be many and varied. First, children were given the opportunity to learn how to work with micro: bit. Second, children were able to learn something about how communication works between people, how emotions can be expressed, and what rules of polite behavior must be followed when exchanging messages and information. Third, having university students as acting school teachers, children experienced a change in the way of teaching from what they were accustomed to, they had the opportunity to actively participate in the learning process by giving their comments and suggestions while writing the program code. They were allowed creativity in expression.

Link to final presentation: https://prezi.com/view/azGzuOFTXbupRCv2kL3D/

Project 2: Basics of robotics: mBot

The project was realized in cooperation with the following community partners: IRIM (Institute for Youth Development and Innovation) and Elementary School Jure Kaštelana (Prof. Maljković).

The current informatics curriculum in primary schools is not in line with the changes that are taking place on a daily basis in the field of technology, children and teachers are not provided with the devices needed for digital transformation of education, depriving them of equality in learning opportunities. The project STEM revolution in the community, initiated by the Institute for Innovation and Youth Development, was created to contribute to the development of service learning methodology at STEM faculties. To implement it, the platform of another IRIM project - the Croatian Makers League - was used, which made it possible for university students to develop and boost STEM competencies of children in ​​4 Croatian counties and the City of Zagreb.

In the project Basics of robotics: mBot, students joined the STEM revolution by participating in the implementation of independent workshops related to robotics with primary school children. All members of the project team were graduate students of information sciences and this project was an ideal opportunity to implement what was learned in theory into real practice (learning by doing) while encouraging young generations to think logically and find new approaches to problem solving by introducing them to new, more interesting methods of learning programming and robotics, which were designed precisely for the purpose of bringing the STEM area closer to school children.

Link to final presentation: https://prezi.com/view/PD07Z9MROK26M1xpgDPH/

Link to the project E-portfolio: https://sites.google.com/view/projekt-dku/po%C4%8Detna-stranica?authuser=0

Service learning projects 2017-2018

Details

Academic year 2017-2018

Projects’ goals and partners

Project 1: Cruiseum – Equal Through Museums

The project was realized in cooperation with: XI. Gymnasium (Professor of Fine Arts: Nataša Babić Bogdanic), Museum of Typhology (Director: Željka Bosnar Salihagić), Museum of the City of Zagreb (Mrs. Vesna Leiner), Archaeological Museum (Mr. Ozren Domiter), Croatian School Museum (Director Štefka Batinić) and Ethnographic Museum the museum (Mrs. Željka Jelavić).

The main theme of the project is equality. The project started in XI. Gymnasium where university students conducted a survey to discover if the high school students were familiar with and interested in the museums. Furthermore, the university students organized professional tours through museums for highschool students, they also designed and moderated five workshops. They started with the Ethnographic Museum in Zagreb, where the topic was "Aborigines", and university students organized a fine arts workshop where high school pupils had to draw what the word "equality" means for them by using the pointing technique. The next museum on the tour was the Croatian School Museum in which the theme was school uniforms, and the workshop was designed as a debate with the thesis “School uniforms erase differences between students”, and the class was divided into 2 teams (for and against). Furthermore, the workshops were organized at the Museum of the City of Zagreb and at the Typhlological Museum (where highschool students had the opportunity to go through a part of the permanent display with blindfolds to become aware of the world of blind and partially sighted people). At the Typhlological Museum, professional guidance encompassed the topics of education, writing and artistic expression of the blind and visually impaired, and during the workshop highschool students were divided into 3 groups, each was given a picture that they had to describe in detail (for example, a person who had never seen before). The last stop was the Archaeological Museum with the topic "Roman Empire: Religion and Cult". The workshop was designed as a roundtable, and highschool students could discuss religions, respect and tolerance on an equal and open basis. In the final phase, back at the classroom of the XI. Gymnasium, a final evaluation was conducted to determine whether and to what extent the project affected the change in highschool students' attitudes regarding museums, and whether they had a desire to visit museums and other heritage institutions more frequently.

Link to final presentation: https://prezi.com/view/OnPABRTwbqgYBhRHdRyB/

Link to ePortfolio: https://sites.google.com/view/kruzej-krozmuzejejednaki

 

Project 2: Information literacy workshops for elementary students

The project of information literacy workshops for elementary school students is a continuation of the successful service-learning collaboration between the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences and the Children Library Marin Držić, involving other partner institutions: Grigor Vitez Elementary School, Rapska Primary School and Marin Držić Primary School.

Three workshops were conducted: How to be safe on the internet, Electronic information resources and Rules of conduct on the internet. The workshops with fourth grade elementary school students focused on helping them to realize the importance of using the internet properly and in a useful way through interactive activities, especially as these are still areas to which school teachers do not devote enough time, due to the strict school curriculum.

At the workshops, surveys were also conducted among the elementary school students that provided insight into the behavior of 4th grade students on the Internet.

Link to final presentation: https://prezi.com/view/KftJwLSjodJOtD6VmuMH/

Link to ePortfolio: https://sites.google.com/site/radioniceinfpismenosti/home

 

Project 3: Internet etiquette: rules of conduct on the Internet

The partner institution was the Dugave Library and the Dugave Primary School.

There are a number of dangers on the Internet such as stalking, insulting, impersonation, peer violence and pedophilia. Children, as the youngest and most inexperienced, are particularly at risk. Therefore, there is a need to make them aware of the consequences and dangers of the Internet and the social networks they use. As the Internet is not only a network of computers, but also a large informal community with its own code of conduct, it is of great importance to teach children that the same rules of conduct apply to the Internet as in real life (Internet etiquette). By adopting the rules of conduct on the Internet early, they can develop into future digital professionals and computer literate individuals who can contribute to the community through proper and beautiful behavior on the Internet.

Through a series of workshops, university students taught 6th and 7th grade elementary school students and their parents about the potential dangers of careless and misbehavior on the Internet and social networks that could endanger their child's safety.

Link to final presentation: https://prezi.com/p/nj5oz9ei9xfj/

Link to ePortfolio: https://sites.google.com/view/internetski-bonton-portfolio/naslovnica

 

Project 4: INFour - development of an info-brochure for non-formal education lecturers

The partner institution with which the project was implemented was the Association Zamisli -  Association for promoting quality education of young people with disabilities.

The project "Creating an Info Brochure for Lecturers in Non-Formal Education" was created to provide concrete suggestions on how to prepare lectures and exercises on the development of communication skills in which people with disabilities participate. The project is intended for people who serve as lecturers in formal and non-formal educational settings, for students who have to make presentations and lectures as part of their education, for academic staff who are not sufficiently aware of this issue. The project is intended to sensitize lecturers who do not have rehabilitation and other qualifications to work with people with disabilities. The brochure defines what disability is, who solves the problem of disability, and provides specific tips for improving presentational skills.

The brochure can be downloaded in pdf format or browsed online through the link: https://issuu.com/katarinabetak/docs/info_bro__ura_za_predava___ice_u_ne

Link to final presentation: https://prezi.com/p/-jkh6jov3qew/

Link to ePortfolio: https://sites.google.com/site/infourdku/home/brosura

 

Project 5: Designing an application and school of programming for the Dar Association

The partner institution was the DAR Association - association for the gifted children.

As part of the project, university students have created a mobile application for DAR association members and DAR administrators to facilitate communication between members and administrators. The second part of the project involved four workshops for gifted children of primary school age (upper elementary schools) and high school where they were taught to develop mobile applications (the basics of mobile app design and the creation of a simple app with several views). The technologies used by the students included standard web technologies (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, jQuery).

Link to final presentation: https://prezi.com/p/kw5rg61nuscm/

Link to ePortfolio:https://sites.google.com/view/e-portfoliodku

 

Project 6: Computer and information literacy of teachers of XI. Gymnasium

The partner institution was XI.Gymnasium in Zagreb.

The main objective of the project was to inform high school teachers about the use of information technologies and tools through IT workshops on four different topics (Kahoot, MSMovie Maker, Excel and Quizlet). The first was a Kahoot tool workshop, followed by a short video making workshop that was also the most complicated for users. This was followed by an MS Excel workshop, in which university students taught high school teachers about the basic functions and actions in Excel. During this workshop students had to improvise to help professors solve a specific problem - designing an annual school curriculum. Improvisation was carried out successfully to the satisfaction of both parties. Finally, the last workshop had a topic of test development in Quizlet.

Link to final presentation: https://prezi.com/p/txhm8utztu4x

Link to ePortfolio: https://sites.google.com/site/projektxigimnazija/welcome

 

Project 7: Workshops for elementary school students "Popularity of chat applications among children, problems and dangers of internet / Internet safety".

The partner institution was Jure Kaštelan Elementary School, also known as "Savica Primary School".

The project was aimed at the elementary school sixth grade students. This target group was chosen because during this period of life they start to actively use mobile phones and computers, and it is important to teach them some principles and rules of using the Internet. As the topics of behavior on the Internet, its dangers and protections are not addressed in the existing school curriculum, students held workshops in which they instructed children on the problems of cyberbulling, phishing, trolling, e-mail traps, password security, etc.

Link to final presentation: https://prezi.com/02-jffzl892l/project-students-filosophy-faculty/

Link to ePortfolio: https://sites.google.com/view/dkuprojekt

 

Service learning projects 2016-2017

Details

Academic year 2016-2017

Projects’ goals and partners

Project 1: Information workshops for elementary school students

The aim  of the project was to encourage elementary school students to search the Internet and use social media in a responsible and careful way and to teach them to work in ISSUE Digital Publishing platform.

The link to the Prezi presentation: https://prezi.com/adl5fgwyggti/informacijska-radionica/

The link to the video: https://youtu.be/ZNgls_6ZFvM

 

Project 2: Digital imaging for primary school children

The first objective of this project was to point out to the elementary school children that pictures on the covers of magazines are not a real measure of beauty and that the photographs of celebrities are being edited by a whole range of experts and that this "artificial beauty" is not realistic. In this way, the students wanted to boost the self-confidence and self-esteem of children in higher grades of primary schools, who are, being in the adolescent age group, very sensitive to their external appearance and are constantly exposed to media pressure and photographs of the "perfect" men and women that impose a sense of inferiority. Another aim of the project was to present the "light" side of the Photoshop through practical workshops for children where they were designing various invitations and flyers, receiving skills that can come in handy during their future education.

The link to the video: https://youtu.be/xabbkgpZTN0

The link to the Prezi presentation: https://prezi.com/p0qxoopftap1/dku/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy

 

Project 3: Safe friend is always a trend!

Since the informatics curriculum for primary schools does not include topics on safety and child security on the Internet, students have recognized the community need to convey the most important information on the protection and self-presentation on the Internet to children through a series of workshops.

The link to the video: https://youtu.be/RMvFwezEHaI

The link to the Prezi presentation: https://prezi.com/ilrh0jbajsc_/siguran-frend-uvijek-je-trend/

 

Project 4: TOOROOM-VIRTUAL TOUR of the Velika Gorica Youth Club

The results of the survey adminstered by group Mladi and members of the Velika Gorica alternative scene showed that young people in town Velika Gorica (15 -29 years of age) lack the alternative places to go, they lack free educational workshops and debate club, cultural, sporting and social events and are in need of new contents. In order to meet the needs of these young people, the city mayor has encouraged the opening of the Youth Club.

In this projects, students created the applications TOOROOM that promotes and encourages young people in Velika Gorica to visit their Youth Club. Students aimed to help the city and the local community in raising awareness of the existence of such a useful place in as many young people as possible.

The link to the video: https://youtu.be/alYf1qAR5sE

The link to the Prezi presentation: https://prezi.com/doq35psc1l8s/vr-tooroom/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy

 

Project 5: Information literacy as a key attribute for lifelong learning

The aim of the project was to conduct workshops of information literacy to elementary school pupils in the age of 10-12 years, more specifically, to teach them how to search for and evaluate information, to present the acquired knowledge, and to protect themselves on the Internet.

The link to the video: https://youtu.be/ITk-U7CGnWk

The link to the Prezi presentation: https://prezi.com/1dqsovkmnpjb/drustveno-korisno-ucenje-radionice-informacijske-pismenosti-20162017/

  

Project 6: Cronauts

Specific project objectives were to determine the level of knowledge of online interactive tools in elementary school pupils and to replace traditional tools which children previously used (such as PowerPoint presentations and posters) with online tools that enable greater interactivity in transmitting multimedia messages (eg. Prezi, SMoR and Mindomo).

The link to the video: https://youtu.be/RuLKr0LyfN0

The link to the Prezi presentation: https://prezi.com/gcmuad_il2ff/projekt-cronauti-klub-iz-i-i-radionice-multimedijskog-opismenjavanja/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy

 

Project 7: Social inclusion of elderly at risk of social isolation

The project plan was to design and implement workshops of information literacy in the home for the elderly, aiming to help the elderly at risk of social exclusion.

Residents at homes for the elderly belong to a group of elderly people who are at risk of social exclusion due to lack of knowledge and inability to use ICT. The project enabled students to develop competencies and skills applying already acquired knowledge and has helped the residents at one institution (homes for the elderly) to gain ICT skills to a certain extent.

Students have concluded that older people shy away from new technology for several reasons:

a) physical disability (loss of vision, poor cognitive function, tremors ...)

b) mental "fence" (discomfort due to ignorance)

c) lack of knowledge and experience in use of the new technologies

After the workshop, however, their interest in the use of information technology grew for these reasons:

a) the ability to do what they were pleased (quizzes, online games ...)

b) better and more frequent contact with the families

c) knowledge about current events

d) recall of the past through viewing digital photos

e) socializing and quality free time

The link to the video: https://youtu.be/8Jm0TIiaJ6I

The link to the Prezi presentation: http://prezi.com/lquzjgtrr3qh/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy 

 

Project 8: Information literacy education for women asylum seekers

The aim of the project was to conduct workshops of information literacy to women asylum seekers in Zagreb (Croatia), to help them fight the social exclusion. Getting to know the cultures of women asylum seekers which are very different from their own, students managed to get rid of prejudices that they had at the beginning of the project, they reported that they became more tolerant and more aware of social problems.

The link to the video: https://youtu.be/mrlP9XIhFo8

The link to the Prezi presentation: https://prezi.com/s8a06a62wdyq/rad-sa-zenama-iz-prihvatilista-za-trazitelje-azila-porin/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy

Service learning projects 2014-2015

Details

Academic year 2014-2015

Projects’ goals and partners

 

The first project entitled Improvement and Promotion of Services in the Small Library was realized in cooperation with the public library of Gracac. Since it is a small library with only 2 staff members (Assistant Librarian and Director) as well as small number of users (about 200), the first aim of the project was to investigate the perception of the Library among existing and potential users through a survey that was conducted in the library and in a local primary school, since the majority of users are school children. Furthermore, university students have developed and implemented a new identity of the Gracac public library (they have designed a logo, membership cards and a trademark), in order for the Gracac library to become recognized in both the local and regional community. Students have also raised awareness of the importance of libraries as a source of knowledge and information through the promotion of this library on the Facebook social network and through printed brochures that were distribued to locals.
The project is described on the Google page https://sites.google.com/site/kicgracac/ and in Prezi: https://prezi.com/mcevrv9mfgeb/knjiznica-i-citaonica-gracac/
 
Another project called Students for children aimed to raise awareness on the importance of education for children in the Home for Orphans Antun Gustav Matos in Zagreb. The Home has 2 departments (department of children up to 18 years and department of children up to 14 years). University students wanted to encourage these children to learn, but also to teach them how to get the necessary information and how to use various sources of knowledge. Since the target population was a very sensitive group with special problems regarding motivation and concentration, students have tried to raise the awareness on the importance of literacy through various creative workshops (making greeting cards, posters, bookmarks for books, etc. with children). Students have tried to present many creative ways of expression that can help children in their learning and/or while looking for the desired job.
The project is described in Prez: https://prezi.com/-b4pwzep4ygn/studenti-za-djecu/