Technology & Innovation - Issue 12

LOVE... Discover how one head of ICT utilised a coding tool from the Raspberry Pi Foundation to teach essential computing skills in a more open-ended and creative way. WHY I FEATURED EDUCATOR : Tom Mason is head of mathematics and head of ICT at St Joseph’s College, South East London KEY TAKEAWAYS TALKING ABOUT: CODE EDITOR FOR EDUCATION FROM THE RASPBERRY PI FOUNDATION Mr Mason recently set his Y10 students a creative coding challenge that they completed using the Raspberry Pi Foundation’s Code Editor for Education. The challenge not only boosted student engagement, but also showcased the effectiveness of open-ended, student- led learning in computer science education. Challenges in the classroom Teaching coding in a classroom setting presents a unique set of challenges – one of the most significant being the rise of AI. Instead of engaging deeply with concepts like loops, conditions and sorting algorithms, students now increasingly rely on AI tools to generate entire blocks of code for them, without understanding their functions. At the same time, traditional teacher- led instruction methods focused on isolated coding concepts like inputs and outputs often leave students disconnected from the practical and creative aspects of programming. Against this backdrop, Mr Mason wanted to give his students opportunities to apply their Python knowledge in meaningful ways, solve problems both collaboratively and independently, and explore unfamiliar programming concepts in a guided, yet open-ended fashion. The project Mr Mason set a simple, but powerful brief: ‘ Over three lessons, build a quiz that asks 10 questions about what you’ve learnt on the course. ’ With this instruction, Mr Mason gave students a clear idea of what to do, while giving them the freedom to design their quiz however they liked. Students were also told that their 10 quiz questions had to relate to Python, and that after creating their quiz, their classmates would provide them feedback based on key criteria (how well the code worked, the level of creativity, the user experience, etc.) To complete the project, students used the Code Editor for Education. Developed in collaboration with educators, and built purposefully for the classroom, the tool supports a range of teaching styles and learning abilities. Its simple interface encourages students to engage with the logic behind their code — they can’t rely on autocomplete. Results The open-ended structure led to an explosion of creativity and problem- solving. Without step-by-step instructions, students had to independently explore solutions to questions like ‘ How do I randomise questions? ’ or ‘ How can I hide quiz answers in a separate file? ’ Some students created multi-file Python projects, separating the logic Contact: info@raspberrypi.org | raspberrypi.org • Project-based learning fosters deeper engagement and knowledge, and creative application of programming concepts. • Open-ended prompts empower students to explore and develop their own solutions. • Code Editor for Education encourages thoughtful questioning and experimentation, rather than reliance on autocomplete solutions. With its built-in class management and project tools, it offers a safe, browser-based environment ideal for classroom coding. controlling how the quiz worked from the content, or static information. For example, some students created one file to store the player’s answers, and another file to manage the quiz interface and score logic. Students also demonstrated other advanced approaches, such as score tracking based response speeds; use of external Python libraries; custom input and output formatting; and random ordering of quiz questions via algorithms. All students met the base requirements, but the open-ended nature of the project allowed more advanced students to push the boundaries, without the need for additional scaffolding. Educator reflection Mr Mason noted that the project’s success was due in large part to the flexibility and responsiveness of the Code Editor. Students could iterate quickly, test their ideas and collaborate – all within a platform built for classroom coding. “ It was the most successful thing I’ve done. ” he says, “I’ll definitely be doing it again every year. ” PA R T N E R C O N T E N T 9 teachwire.net