Certification for educators and teachers on the educational robot Thymio

Mobsya, the Swiss association that created the Thymio robot, and Stripes coop sociale, the official training organization in Italy for the Thymio robot, have recently put together a certification for teachers, educators and third sector operators who want to use the Thymio educational robot professionally in the contexts in which they work.

Since years Stripes, through the Stripes Digitus Lab, an international research center on educational robotics and digital technologies, has been involved in workshops for children and young people as well as training for educators and teachers. The experience in the field of training combined with pedagogical and technical knowledge of the robot Thymio have made possible the creation of CTT – Certified Thymio Teacher.

This robot has been created, industrialized and commercialized by Mobsya, a non-profit association founded in 2010 by MOBOTS (Mobile Robotics Group) and EPFL (Federal Polytechnic School of Lausanne). The robot was created from an open source perspective and has become much more than just an educational robot used in many schools today.

With this certification for teachers and educators who intend to include it in their teaching-educational program, it is possible to learn and certify their knowledge of the robot by obtaining the CTT – Certified Thymio Teacher issued by Mobsya and Stripes. The certification takes place entirely online and consists of an exam to verify the knowledge acquired divided into 4 parts.

The first section deals with the history and basics of educational robotics and is composed of multiple choice questions as well as the second and third sections that aim respectively to verify the knowledge of the Thymio robot and its programming. In addition to verifying the more technical aspects of the robot, the certification also serves to measure the possible pedagogical and didactic-educational implications conceived by each candidate for the Thymio robot in lessons or laboratories.

Those who obtain the certification are asked, in section 4, to write a final paper in which they must bring into play their knowledge and skills regarding the world of education and teaching as well as their creativity. This last section will be evaluated by the Stripes Digitus Lab trainers who will give feedback and suggestions on how best to develop a didactic and educational activity with the Thymio robot that can really be done with children and young people.

The importance of the paper is precisely to require candidates to seek potential developments in the use of the robot in education and teaching.

So what are you waiting for? Get your certification now!