Learning to program: an opportunity for the new generations

ICTs inevitably have a growing influence on our lives, and yet technology is often used in the classroom as a passive instrument, schoolchildren learn as users. Teaching programming encourages creativity and autonomy among young people, beyond preparing them for a labor market in which many will hold jobs that do not yet exist, and in which not having basic knowledge of code can be a significant handicap. . Among those who want to move forward in responding to this educational need, we have come across an interesting initiative in Great Britain. The BBC has today started sending out a Micro:bit coding kit to every 11-12 year old UK years.

The Micro:bit, cards that are only 4×5 cms – but contain some of the most important hardware applications-, are an initiative of the BBC to teach children the fundamentals of programming and building computers. The students receive the kit and are encouraged to learn to use it for whatever comes to mind or a multitude of possible uses that are proposed: communication, play, use as sensors, control of other devices, etc. The Micro:bit contains 25 LED lights that can display messages or facilitate gameplay, a micro-USB slot, or battery connection, among others:

Micro:bit has an antecedent: BBC Micro, micro-computers that were distributed in the 80s to, at that time, promote the teaching of computing.