We’re pleased to share highlights from the 2025 Code Club annual survey report today, showcasing another year of incredible achievements and the positive impact of the global Code Club community.
Code Club is a global movement of free coding clubs where school-aged young people — called creators — develop the confidence to create with digital technologies. Code Clubs take place in schools and community venues like youth clubs, libraries, and maker spaces and are run by teachers, educators, and volunteers from all walks of life — known as mentors. These incredible mentors make Code Clubs possible and we are so grateful for their hard work.
About the 2025 survey report
This Code Club annual survey report presents key responses from 775 mentors gathered via surveys and feedback from partners.
This year, 7,494 Code Clubs have confirmed they have been active in the last two years, with clubs in 102 countries. We estimate 257,000 creators are involved in clubs and 43% of creators are female. As one UK Code Club mentor put it: “Girls who didn’t think it was for them now have confidence”.
Code Clubs have a positive impact on young creators
In 2024, an independent evaluation by the Durham University Evidence Centre for Education provided evidence of positive outcomes for young people attending Code Clubs. We are continuing to build on this evidence, with 96% of mentors responding to our surveys agreeing that creators have increased skills in computing and digital making, as well as increased confidence to engage with technology as a result of attending a Code Club.
Here are a few of the examples mentors gave of the impact Code Club has on creators:
Confidence: “[Creators become] more confident using technology and making friends. Some really come out of their shell compared to when they started.” – Code Club mentor, UK
Skill development: “They come into the club with no coding skills (some barely know how to use a computer) and leave as competent, literate, coders.” – Code Club mentor, Canada
Enjoyment: “One of our core principles is that coding should be fun… we give them creative ways to expand on the task. They learn to push themselves a bit beyond a task, and look for more things.” – Code Club mentor, the Netherlands
Social skills: “One great outcome has been the socialization that occurs. Kids in our club are definitely making friendships and improving their soft skills.” – Code Club mentor, USA
Continued participation: “It has increased their passion for tech and how to create new things to solve problems.” – Code Club mentor, Ghana
Increasing access to technology
Code Club also plays an important role in increasing access to technology for creators who would otherwise not have access. We work with partners across the world to run clubs in areas of educational disadvantage to ensure that Code Clubs are available to creators from all backgrounds to address this need.
In some regions, Code Club provides creators with their first significant encounter with digital making. A mentor in Kenya told us that Code Club ensured that creators in his area were not “left behind”. A Code Club mentor in Tunisia told us “[…] access to coding is very limited, our club contributes to reducing this inequality”.
Next steps
Read the full report to dive deeper into the data and stories from the Code Club community!
We are an impact-focused organisation and are always looking to understand how we can improve and increase the impact we have on the lives of children and young people. Over the coming weeks we will be reviewing the feedback we have received to understand how we can support the Code Club community even better.
Keeper wurde im Xbox Games Showcase 2025 vorgestellt.
Dieses neue Spiel von Lee Petty und Double Fine Productions erscheint am 17. Oktober 2025 für Xbox Series X|S, Xbox PC, Xbox Cloud, Steam und im Game Pass.
Keeper ist eine Geschichte ohne Worte, ein Abenteuer aus der Third-Person-Perspektive voller Erkundungen, Rätsel und unerwarteter Abweichungen von der Realität.
Keeper ist eine Geschichte ohne Worte. Es ist ein atmosphärisches Abenteuer in der Third-Person-Perspektive, das in einer post-apokalyptischen Welt spielt, lange nachdem unsere Zeit in der Sonne längst vorbei ist. Wir beginnen auf einer Insel, wo im Schatten eines fernen Berggipfels ein Relikt aus längst vergangenen Zeiten steht. Obwohl sein Zweck in dieser Welt längst vergessen ist, erkennen wir sofort, dass es sich um einen Leuchtturm handelt.
Nach Äonen des Stillstands bewegt sich der Leuchtturm unerwartet. Er zittert und bebt und stürzt zu Boden, wobei sein altes Mauerwerk auseinanderbricht. Doch dann geschieht etwas noch Seltsameres: Die zerbrochenen Trümmerteile setzen sich wieder zusammen, und er steht wieder auf – nun jedoch auf neu gebildeten Beinen. Er ist erwacht.
Während der Leuchtturm unbeholfen stolpert und laufen lernt, wird er von einem geheimnisvollen Sinn für seine Bestimmung erfasst und macht sich, nachdem er seinen Halt gefunden hat, auf den Weg zum Zentrum der Insel, zum Berg.
Er stand unzählige Jahre lang allein da, doch nun findet der Leuchtturm Gesellschaft in einem neugierigen und temperamentvollen Seevogel, der auf der Suche nach Zuflucht vor einer bedrohlichen Präsenz, die sich über die Insel ausbreitet, auf den Leuchtturm stößt. Der Leuchtturm entdeckt, dass sein heller Lichtstrahl die Flora und Fauna beeinflusst und sogar die welkenden Ranken abzuwehren scheint, die sich um ihn herum ausbreiten.
Der Vogel erweist sich als nützlicher und geschickter Verbündeter, der mit seltsamen und uralten Mechanismen umgehen kann. Gemeinsam begeben sich die beiden ungleichen Freunde auf ein episches Abenteuer, eine Odyssee voller rätselhafter Verwandlungen und eine Reise, die sie in Bereiche jenseits des Verständnisses führen wird.
Der Ursprung von Keeper
Der kreative Kopf hinter Keeper ist Lee Petty, der vor langer Zeit als Art Director für Brütal Legend zu Double Fine kam. Neben seiner Mitarbeit an Broken Age und Psychonauts 2 war Lee Creative Lead bei zahlreichen Projekten, darunter das Matroschka-Puzzle-Abenteuer Stacking, das Shag-Teppich-Sci-Fi-Side-Scroller Headlander und das neonfarbene, post-post-apokalyptische Roguelike RAD.
Aufmerksamen Fans ist zwar bekannt, dass alle Spiele von Lee bestimmte Elemente und Themen verbinden, die sich vielleicht auch in „Keeper“ wiederfinden, doch dieses neue Spiel wurde mit einem etwas anderen Ansatz entwickelt.
Vom Lösen von Rätseln durch das Annehmen verschiedener Persönlichkeiten bis hin zur zufälligen Entwicklung neuer mutierter Superkräfte, während man durch eine Ödnis stürmt – Stacking, Headlander und RAD sind allesamt Spiele, deren Gameplay-Hook von Beginn der Produktion an leicht zu beschreiben war. Mit anderen Worten: Sie hatten ein einfach zu beschreibendes Kernelement.
Als es an der Zeit war, an einem neuen Projekt zu arbeiten, wollte Lee an einem Punkt beginnen, der sich nicht so einfach durch sein Genre, seine Mechanik oder seine Kulisse definieren ließ. Stattdessen wollte er die Verschmelzung von Genres erforschen und Raum für etwas Atmosphärischeres schaffen – einen Raum, in dem die Spieler*innen wirklich leben und die Stimmung aufnehmen können. Er wollte diesem neuen Spiel Raum zum Atmen geben, damit es sich im Laufe der Arbeit des Teams ganz natürlich entwickeln konnte.
Als Lee und ein kleines Team begannen, ihre Ideen zu Papier zu bringen, hatte ein unerwartetes Weltgeschehen einen entscheidenden Einfluss.
Im Jahr 2020 hielten uns die globale Pandemie und der darauffolgende Lockdown auf eine Weise voneinander fern, die wir nicht gewohnt waren. Wir verbrachten viel Zeit in unseren Häusern, fernab der Gesellschaft, in sozialer Distanz. Auf der Suche nach einem Tapetenwechsel wanderte Lee mit seiner Familie auf ruhigen Wanderungen durch die Hügel und Pfade in der Nähe seines Zuhauses. Er begann, über die damalige Situation nachzudenken. Über das ultimative Schicksal der Menschheit: Wenn unsere Zeit zu Ende wäre, was würde dann aus dem Leben auf der Erde werden?
Er beschäftigte sich mit Isolation, grübelte über Kameradschaft nach, und als diese Themen zusammenflossen, füllten sich die Skizzenbücher und das Spiel, das Du im Showcase gesehen hast, nahm Gestalt an.
Die Arbeit an einem Spiel auf diese Weise hat uns letztendlich an einen sehr interessanten und einzigartigen Ort geführt. Keeper handelt vom Unerwarteten. Es ist eine realitätsverzerrende Erfahrung voller Überraschungen, Absurditäten und Freude, bei der man nie genau weiß, was als Nächstes passieren wird. Es ist atmosphärisch, manchmal psychedelisch und surreal. Wir hoffen sehr, dass Fans unserer Spiele diese seltsame, jenseitige Geschichte genießen werden.
Keeper wird am 17. Oktober veröffentlicht
Wir freuen uns darauf, dass Du diese Reise erleben kannst – und die Wartezeit ist gar nicht mehr lang. Am 17. Oktober 2025 erscheint Keeper für Xbox Series X|S, Xbox PC, Xbox Cloud und Steam, und Du kannst es direkt zum Release im Game Pass spielen. Und mit Xbox Play Anywhere kannst Du mit einem einzigen Kauf auf Xbox-Konsolen und Xbox-PCs spielen und Deine Spielstände vollständig übertragen – ohne zusätzliche Kosten.
Are you a teacher who is interested in data science education for key stage 5 (age 16 to 18)? Then we invite you to join our free, in-person workshop exploring the topic, taking place in Cambridge, UK on 10 July 2025.
You will be among the very first educators to see some of our first test activities for teacher training to build data science concepts, and your contributions will feed into our future work. Sign up by 20 June to take part.
Data science: What do we need to teach school-age learners?
Current artificial intelligence (AI) methods, especially machine learning (ML), rely heavily on data. While young people learn mathematics, and some statistics, at school, data science concepts are not commonly taught.
To complement our work on AI literacy, we have been investigating what data science teaching resources and education research are currently available.
Our goals for this work are:
To figure out what data science concepts may need to be taught in schools, initially with a focus on key stage 5
To develop related teacher professional development and classroom resources
Join us to discuss data science education
If you are interested in data science education for young people, and maybe even have experience of teaching it to learners aged 16 to 18 in your school (in any subject, including computer science, social sciences, mathematics, statistics, and ethics), please join our free workshop on Thursday 10 July in our office in Cambridge. We are able to reimburse some travel expenses.
At the workshop:
We would love to hear about your experience of teaching any elements of data science
We will share some exploratory concept building activities with you and discuss them together
You’ll be the first group of working teachers we will share these activities with — your feedback will be invaluable, and you’ll have the chance to shape our work going forward.
You will then receive more information from us by 27 June. Spaces in the workshop are limited, so please do not book any travel until we confirm your space.
We’re looking forward to shaping the future of data science education with you.
Game Preview auf Xbox und Early Access auf Steam ab 29. Juli 2025: Seid vom ersten Tag an dabei und gestaltet Grounded 2 mit, während es mit mehr Story, mehr Systemen und mehr Geheimnissen wächst, die alle auf eurem Feedback basieren.
Eine ganz neue Welt: Erkunde Brookhollow Park, eine riesige neue Umgebung mit einer spannenden Geschichte und vielen Geheimnissen, die es zu entdecken gilt.
Die Buggys sind da! Zähme, reite und kämpfe an der Seite von Insekten wie Ameisen und Spinnen, die alle über einzigartige Fähigkeiten verfügen, die das Spiel verändern.
Der Hinterhof in Grounded war nur der Anfang. Heute im Xbox Games Showcase angekündigt und als Überraschung in der The Outer Worlds 2 und Grounded 2 Direct vorgestellt: Willkommen bei Grounded 2, das am 29. Juli 2025 in der Game Preview auf Xbox und im Early Access auf Steam erscheint. Zwei Jahre nach den Ereignissen des ersten Spiels kehren die Teenager in einer völlig neuen Umgebung zurück, um ein Spiel zu erleben, das größer, mutiger und von Anfang an mit eurer Hilfe entwickelt wurde.
Willkommen im Brookhollow Park
Der Brookhollow Park ist eine lebendige, nostalgische Vorstadtwüste aus dem Jahr 1992, deren Startzone allein fast so groß ist wie die gesamte Hinterhofkarte des ersten Spiels. Als Koop-Survival-Abenteuer aus der First- oder Third-Person-Perspektive dreht sich bei Grounded seit jeher alles um Teamwork, Kreativität und den Nervenkitzel, als winzige Figur zu überleben. Mit mittlerweile über 25 Millionen Spieler*innen freuen wir uns darauf, dieses Universum in Grounded 2 weiter auszubauen.
Egal, ob Du aus dem ersten Spiel zurückkehrst oder mit Grounded 2 neu einsteigst, es gab noch nie einen besseren Zeitpunkt, um das Spiel auszuprobieren. Zwei preisgekrönte Teams, Obsidian und Eidos Montréal, haben sich zusammengetan, um Dir das nächste Kapitel mit noch mehr Tiefe, Gefahren und Entdeckungen zu präsentieren.
Und so wie die Welt gewachsen ist, sind auch die Teenager gewachsen: Die ursprüngliche Crew ist zurück, ein bisschen älter, ein bisschen mutiger und bereit, sich allem zu stellen, was diese überdimensionale Welt ihnen entgegenwirft. Vertraute Objekte wie Imbissbuden, Mülleimer und ein umgeworfener Eiswagen werden beeindruckend, wenn man selbst nur so groß wie eine Ameise ist. Mit brandneuen Biomen, überarbeiteten Kreaturen und völlig neuen Bedrohungen erstreckt sich diese Welt weit über den ursprünglichen Hinterhof hinaus – voller Geheimnisse, Überraschungen und Geschichten, die darauf warten, entdeckt zu werden.
Lerne Deine Buggies kennen
Buggies sind mehr als nur Reittiere – sie sind Deine treuen Verbündeten, die dir dabei helfen, in Brookhollow Park zu bauen, zu kämpfen und zu überleben. Diese Käfer bieten mehr als nur Geschwindigkeit; jeder von ihnen verfügt über einzigartige Fähigkeiten, die Dein Spielerlebnis verändern. Rufe einen Red Ant Buggy zu Hilfe, um Dir bei Deinem nächsten großen Bauprojekt zu helfen, oder stürze Dich auf dem Rücken eines Orb Weaver, der mit seinem Netz Feinde mitten im Kampf betäubt, in den Kampf.
Buggies waren eines der am häufigsten gewünschten Features der Community für Grounded, daher hat das Team von Grounded 2 daran gearbeitet, sie sorgfältig in das neue Spiel zu integrieren. Jeder Buggy, den wir vorstellen, hat seinen eigenen Charakter, seine eigenen Vorteile und seine eigene Art, die Erkundung des Parks auf den Kopf zu stellen. Egal, ob Du Dich kopfüber in die Gefahr stürzt, einen klassischen Tag-Team-Takedown hinlegst oder gerade genug Chaos verursachst, um Dich an Problemen vorbeizuschleichen – Dein Buggy steht Dir immer zur Seite. Zu Fuß? Das ist langweilig. Steig auf und fahr mit Stil.
Neue Features und Änderungen für die Grounded 2-Spielvorschau
Omni-Tool eingeführt: Eine wichtige Verbesserung, die Hammer, Axt, Schaufel und Schraubenschlüssel in einem Allzweckwerkzeug vereint, wertvollen Platz im Rucksack spart und euer Überlebenserlebnis optimiert.
Story: In Grounded 2 werden wir euch bei der Veröffentlichung der Game-Vorschau nicht die ganze Geschichte verraten, aber es wird genug geben, damit ihr sofort damit beginnen könnt, Geheimnisse aufzudecken, Hinweisen nachzugehen und eure wildesten Theorien zu teilen (ja, wir beobachten euch).
Erweiterte Marken zur Weltgestaltung: Freut euch auf die Rückkehr von beliebten Elementen wie Punch-O und Minotauren & Myrmidonen sowie auf neue Marken und Kulissen, die nicht nur cool aussehen, sondern auch eine Geschichte erzählen (wenn ihr wisst, wo ihr suchen müsst) – all das zusammen erweckt Brookhollow Park mit dem typischen Charme von Grounded zum Leben.
Neue und wiederkehrende Bugs: Stellt euch bekannten Feinden und noch nie dagewesenen gruseligen Krabbeltieren wie der anmutigen Kakerlake, die neue Herausforderungen und Kampfdynamiken mit sich bringt, beispielsweise die Fähigkeit, eure Angriffe zu blockieren.
Größere Welt, reichhaltigere Biome: Mehr Platz zum Bauen, Erkunden und Überleben – Brookhollow Park ist fast so groß wie der gesamte Hinterhof aus dem ersten Spiel und steckt voller neuer Geheimnisse, die es an jeder Ecke zu entdecken gilt, von Imbissbuden und umgestürzten Eiswagen bis hin zu längst vergessenen Ecken des Parks.
Von der Community vorangetriebene Entwicklung: Wir entwickeln gemeinsam mit euch und jedes Update wird dank des Feedbacks der Spieler*innen noch bedeutungsvoller und wird von euch mitgestaltet. Eine öffentliche Roadmap, die wir bei Start der Game Preview am 29. Juli veröffentlichen werden, hält euch auf dem Laufenden.
Kampf 2.0 – Egal, ob ihr alleine oder im Team spielt, neue Kampfmechaniken wie Ausweichen und intelligenteres Verhalten der Gegner machen jeden Kampf intensiver – und das Überleben umso befriedigender.
Zurück zur Spielvorschau – mit euch im Mittelpunkt
Grounded war schon immer ein Spiel, das gemeinsam mit der Community entwickelt wurde, und das machen wir wieder. Die Spielvorschau für Grounded 2 startet am 29. Juli, und dieses Mal legen wir mit mehr Story, mehr Systemen und einer klareren Roadmap von Anfang an los. Aber wie geht es weiter? Hier kommt ihr ins Spiel. Euer Feedback wird unsere Updates leiten, unsere Prioritäten beeinflussen und dabei helfen, die Zukunft von Brookhollow Park zu gestalten. Egal, ob ihr zum ersten Mal dabei seid oder wieder einsteigt, es gab noch nie einen besseren Zeitpunkt, um mit Grounded anzufangen und uns dabei zu helfen, die Zukunft zu gestalten.
Werdet erneut geschrumpft in „Grounded 2“ – älter, mutiger und bereit, euch den Gefahren im Brookhollow Park zu stellen. „Grounded 2“ wird am 29. Juli 2025 für 29,99 Euro in der Game Preview auf Xbox Series X|S, Xbox PC und Xbox Cloud sowie im Early Access auf Steam erhältlich sein. Mit Game Pass könnt ihr es am Tag der Veröffentlichung spielen. Und mit Xbox Play Anywhere kannst Du mit einem einzigen Kauf auf Xbox-Konsolen und Xbox-PCs spielen und Deine Spielstände ohne zusätzliche Kosten vollständig synchronisieren.
Fahrt zusammen. Überlebt zusammen. Setzt das Spiel jetzt auf Xbox und Steam auf eure Wunschliste und seid bereit, wenn der Park ruft.
Pre-orders are now available for Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 on PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch™ 2, and PC. For more information, visit tonyhawkthegame.com.
* Foundry Demo available for pre-orders on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC.
**4K output requires a 4K compatible device or display.
***Actual play time subject to possible outages and applicable time zone differences.
(C) 2025 Activision Publishing, Inc. ACTIVISION and PRO SKATER are trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc. TONY HAWK is a registered trademark of Tony Hawk, Inc. All other trademarks and trade names are the property of their respective owners.
If you like to listen to those “deep focus” soundtracks that are all ambient and relaxing, then you’ve heard a tongue drum in action. A tongue drum, or tank drum, is a unique percussion instrument traditionally made from an empty propane cylinder — though purpose-built models are now common. Several tongues are cut into one end cap and weighted to produce specific notes when struck. As with all instruments, playing a tongue drum is an art. To simplify that, Jeremy Cook built a robot capable of playing a small tongue drum.
When robotizing a percussion instrument, it is common to use solenoids and that is what Cook did here. Solenoid actuators like these move linearly and can strike with pretty decent force, which makes them a good choice. Cook’s drum has eight tongues, so his robot has eight solenoids held by flexible friction arms mounted onto a C-shaped laser-cut MDF frame. PVC pipes actual as the vertical structural supports on that frame.
To tell the robot what tunes to play, Cook added a MIDI input that comes through an Opta-compatible I2C and serial adapter of his own design. That adapter is available for sale on Tindie if you want one.
The MIDI input can come from a something like a keyboard for real-time manual control, or it can come from a PC for playing pre-written (or algorithm-generated) ambient hits. If you attended the Orlando Maker Faire last year, you may have had a chance to try this robotic tongue drummer for yourself.
Drone flight controllers do so much more than simply receive signals and tell the drone which way to move. They’re responsible for constantly tweaking the motor speeds in order to maintain stable flight, even with shifting winds and other unpredictable factors. For that reason, most flight controllers are purpose-built for the job. But element14’s Milos Rasic was building his own drone from scratch and found that the Arduino Nicla Vision board makes a great flight controller.
To perform that critical job of keeping the drone stable, the flight controller needs precises information about the orientation of the drone and any movement in three-dimensional space. Luckily, the Nicla Vision has an integrated six-axis motion sensor that is perfect for the job. It has also a powerful STM32H7 microcontroller, a built-in camera for machine vision and learning tasks, onboard Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, and more. And because it is very small (22.86×22.86mm) and very light, it is a good choice for a drone.
Rasic designed and made the entire drone from zero, using 8520 brushed DC motors and a 3D-printed frame. That is cool, but it isn’t uncommon. The Nicla Vision-based flight controller is what stands out the most.
Rasic developed a custom PCB for the Nicla Vision that acts like a breakout board and contains a few other useful components, such as for regulating and boosting power. But it didn’t need much, as the Nicla Vision already has most of the necessary hardware.
While he could have turned to existing flight controller firmware, Rasic chose to develop his own and that is the most impressive part of this project. That necessitated the creation of three PID (proportional-integral-derivative) controller algorithms for balancing pitch, roll, and yaw. Those work with control inputs to let the drone hover and move stably. The control signals come from a PC over Wi-Fi, with the pilot providing input through a USB flight stick.
The drone isn’t yet flying well, as PID tuning is a challenge for even the most experienced drone builders. But the foundation is there for Rasic to build on.
There is a little bit of noticeable lag when working over KIWI. The mouse cursor feels a little bit like it’s being dragged through mud, although keyboard inputs feel more responsive. It’s faster than Raspberry Pi Connect at least, but we wouldn’t want to be doing any twitch FPS gaming using it.
It also provides several very useful functions for this kind of screen capture – sending some basic key commands, allowing you to paste from your host computer and even do a screen recording. The interface for this is all very customisable, even allowing for a random ‘mouse jiggle’ to keep a screen alive.
Debugging a Snake game with KIWI KVM
Extra functions
A fairly unique ability in its PRO version is the ability to (physically) uncover some extra GPIO ports on the device and control them via the interface, which also have UART. They’re marketed at IT professionals, allowing for debugging and control of ATX power, and there’s even an extra function of turning the input cable into a virtual serial cable. It’s quite impressive.
With the myriad ways you can connect to a Raspberry Pi from another device, we did wonder if this would be superfluous. However, due to the speed of getting it working, no need for any local networking, and its fairly small footprint, it’s a great alternative to Connect and other network-based remote connection tools. These network tools also only work once a system has fully booted up, whereas KIWI’s physical connection allows you to see the boot process, which means you can troubleshoot any misbehaving Raspberry Pi without plugging it into another monitor.
If you use Raspberry Pi a lot, this is definitely worth considering adding to your arsenal of add-ons.
Controlling the desktop of Raspberry Pi
Verdict
9/10
A surprisingly functional and full-featured digital KVM and screen capture device, and much smaller than even a Raspberry Pi.
From 1982 to 2000 Sony also made a line of pocket TVs, which didn’t catch on as much in the UK (who wants to walk around glued to a tiny portable screen, eh?). These devices, collectively called the Sony Watchman, came in many, many variants as screen technology evolved over 18 years of production. What’s […]
One of the best features you’ll find on a fancy luxury car is seat position memory. Typically, there are at least two profiles that “save” the position of the seat. When switching drivers, the new seat occupant can simply push the button for their profile and the seat will automatically move to their saved position. Tired of adjusting it manually, Andy of Yeah Nah DIY implemented a similar memory function into the controller he built for his standing desk.
There are a lot of motorized, adjustable standing desks on the market and some of them do have memory settings. But the model Andy owns didn’t have the functionality. Instead, it just had two buttons to raise or lower the desk. His DIY controller solves that problem, making the desk far more convenient to use from day to day.
The original controller was very simple, with two buttons to activate the motor (one with reversed polarity). Basic limit switches disconnected power to prevent collisions.
The new controller, controlled by an Arduino Nano Every board on a custom PCB, has similar buttons, but also three memory positions. To find those positions, the Arduino needs to know how high the desk is at any given time. Andy added an encoder to the elevation screw to count revolutions, which are then used to calculate distance and therefore height. With that feedback the Arduino controls power to the desk’s motors via relays and also monitors the limit switches.
The Arduino and custom PCB fit into a nice, minimalist enclosure that mounts onto the front of the desk within easy reach. All of the 3D models and the Arduino sketch file are available for download if you have a similar desk and want to upgrade it in the same way.
Today we’re publishing a position paper setting out five arguments for why we think that kids still need to learn to code in the age of artificial intelligence.
Generated using ChatGPT.
Just like every wave of technological innovation that has come before, the advances in artificial intelligence (AI) are raising profound questions about the future of human work. History teaches us that technology has the potential to both automate and augment human effort, destroying some jobs and creating new ones. The only thing we know for sure is that it is impossible to predict the precise nature and pace of the changes that are coming.
One of the fastest-moving applications of generative AI technologies are the systems that can generate code. What started as the coding equivalent of autocomplete has quickly progressed to tools that can generate increasingly complex code from natural language prompts.
This has given birth to the notion of “vibe-coding” and led some commentators to predict the end of the software development industry as we know it. It shouldn’t be a surprise then that there is a vigorous debate about whether kids still need to learn to code.
In the position paper we put forward five arguments for why we think the answer is an unequivocal yes.
We need humans who are skilled programmers
First, we argue that even in a world where AI can generate code, we need skilled human programmers who can think critically, solve problems, and make ethical decisions. The large language models that underpin these tools are probabilistic systems designed to provide statistically acceptable outputs and, as any skilled software engineer will tell you, simply writing more code faster isn’t necessarily a good thing.
Learning to code is an essential part of learning to program
Learning to code is the most effective way we know for a young person to develop the mental models and fluency to become a skilled human programmer. The hard cognitive work of reading, modifying, writing, explaining, and testing code is precisely how young people develop a deep understanding of programming and computational thinking.
Learning to code will open up even more opportunities in the age of AI
While there’s no doubt that AI is going to reshape the labour market, the evidence from history suggests that it will increase the reach of programming and computational approaches across the economy and into new domains, creating demand for humans who are skilled programmers. We also argue that coding is no longer just for software engineers, it’s becoming a core skill that enables people to work effectively and think critically in a world shaped by intelligent machines. From healthcare to agriculture, we are already seeing demand for people who can combine programming with domain-specific skills and craft knowledge.
Coding is a literacy that helps young people have agency in a digital world
Alongside the arguments for coding as a route to opening up economic opportunities, we argue that coding and programming gives young people a way to express themselves, to learn, and to make sense of the world.
And perhaps most importantly, that learning to code is about power. Providing young people with a solid grounding in computational literacy, developed through coding, helps ensure that they have agency. Without it, they risk being manipulated by systems they don’t understand. As Rushkoff said: “Program, or be programmed”.
The kids who learn to code will shape the future
Finally, we argue that the power to create with technology is already concentrated in too small and homogenous a group of people. We need to open up the opportunity to learn to code to all young people because it will help us mobilise the full potential of human talent, will lead to more inclusive and effective digital solutions to the big global challenges we face, and will help ensure that everyone can share in the societal and economic benefits of technological progress.
The work we need to do
We end the paper with a call to action for all of us working in education. We need to challenge the false narrative that AI is removing the need for kids to learn to code, and redouble our efforts to ensure that all young people are equipped to take advantage of the opportunities in a world where AI is ubiquitous.
You can read the full paper here:
The cartoon image for this blog was created using ChatGPT-4o, which was prompted to produce a “whimsical cartoon that expresses some of the key ideas in the position paper”. It took several iterations.
Bradford was buzzing with excitement this May as over 170 young digital makers from across the UK gathered for Coolest Projects UK 2025 at the Life Centre to celebrate the amazing things young people create with technology. Run by the Raspberry Pi Foundation and hosted by BBC science presenter Greg Foot, the free, in-person event brought together budding creators, families, mentors, and even a few troops of Scouts for a fun-filled day.
From AI tools and advanced programming to Scratch games and hardware builds, the showcase featured an incredible range of projects from 113 Coolest Projects participants and 58 scouts. Every young person received thoughtful feedback from industry professionals, the chance to try hands-on coding challenges, and the thrill of sharing what they built with a welcoming crowd and other creators.
A day of discovery and digital making
Coolest Projects UK 2025 wasn’t just about showcasing finished products; it celebrated every part of the creative journey. Many creators shared works-in-progress or prototypes, sparking conversations around design, problem-solving, and learning through code.
One of the day’s highlights was an interactive escape room designed just for the event, giving attendees a chance to flex their logical thinking and collaboration skills. And for 58 visiting Scouts, the day was a chance to earn their Digital Maker Badge and share their creations with the showcase participants.
Greg Foot is known for BBC Radio 4’s Sliced Bread and other popular science shows. He brought energy and enthusiasm as host, sharing stories and celebrating young people’s creativity on stage.
A platform for everyone
Many of this year’s participants came from local Code Clubs, CoderDojos, and schools across the UK. Others had worked independently to bring their ideas to life. The event encouraged collaboration and connection, with creators exchanging feedback, learning from each other, and celebrating shared interests.
Earlier this year, young people from Bradford also had the chance to take part in hands-on workshops. Held at the National Science and Media Museum, they were guided on getting started with digital making and developing their own project ideas for the showcase.
Featured projects
Here are a few of the projects that were showcased on the day. Each one demonstrates the power of digital tools and the fun and creativity that young people bring to their Coolest Projects journeys. Here’s what the creators had to say about their work, what inspired them, and their experiences of the day:
Arlo | MUST. EAT. DONUTS., AI
Arlo’s interactive game featured AI models that used face and mouth tracking to make the main character, called Chompy, mirror the movements of the player. Arlo’s game was inspired by a session at his Code Club. He came across a video sensing motion plug-in and realised he could make a game that used the player’s head as the controller.
“It is a fun and silly game for all to play. I also created the artwork myself in my own style, as drawing is another one of my passions, alongside coding. I would love to come back next year, maybe in a different category. I wanted to enter because I got the chance to share my coding and drawing skills, and I was excited to think others may play a game I created.”
Felicia and Francesca | The Silent Forest, Scratch
Felicia and Francesca created a top-down, Zelda-style RPG in Scratch, where the player explores a pixel world and interacts with characters and objects. Instead of using the keyboard, the game is controlled with a Micro:bit. Felicia shared with us why they wanted to showcase the game at Coolest Projects.
“I went to Coolest Projects UK because I love making things with Scratch and wanted to show my game to other people. It was a fun way to share what I built, see what other kids made, and learn new ideas. I wanted to challenge myself and be part of something really cool!”
Eesa, Yahya and Yusha | Let’s Speak Arabic!, Scratch
Let’s Speak Arabic is an interactive program designed to help people learn conversational Arabic. Eesa, Yahya, and Yusha are home educated and study a book called Al Arabiyyah Bayna Yadayk together. This inspired them to think about fun ways to upgrade their study, and the idea for gamifying their learning through Scratch was born. The team shared a little about their experience:
“The event was awesome. Actually, it was even better than we imagined! We loved meeting people from all over the country, really enjoyed playing other people’s games, and got lots of ideas for what we could code in the future. And, our parents were so proud we got judge’s favourite!”
Jay | J Bot, Hardware
Jay is a long-time friend of the Foundation and has been taking part in Coolest Projects online and in person for the past few years. He wowed again this year with his life-sized J Bot and shared with us why he thinks Coolest Projects is such an important event for the young creator community.
“I know it might seem a bit intimidating to come and showcase in front of all these people, but I feel more and more people should try and get involved [in Coolest Projects] because it’s a really good community of people. And they are really supportive as well. So I would just say, give it a go. Don’t be nervous because people are here to help you along the way.”
What’s next?
Coolest Projects UK continues to grow as a platform for the next generation of changemakers. We can’t wait to see what they create next!
Although the online showcase and Foundation-led events are now closed for this year, there are still many more partner events happening globally throughout 2025.
Coolest Projects is just one part of the Raspberry Pi Foundation’s work to help young people explore computing. Across the UK and Ireland, over 2000 free Code Clubs offer sessions where young people build digital skills, grow in confidence, and work on creative projects with others. Across the world, there are nearly 6000 more clubs running.To find your local Code Club or get involved as a volunteer, head to codeclub.org.
From smart devices to workplace tools, AI is becoming part of everyday life and a major part of how people are thinking about the future — raising big questions about access, skills, and readiness.
As governments around the world create AI strategies for the decade ahead, many are seeing an urgent need to address the large gap between how AI tools are already impacting jobs and people’s lives, and making sure young people have the chance to gain the skills and knowledge to keep up with this rapid pace of technological change. This gap is larger still when it comes to opportunities for educationally underserved communities.
That’s why we’re excited to share how Experience AI, our AI literacy programme, is helping organisations around the world create these much-needed opportunities for young people.
The value of a global network
Experience AI was co-developed in 2022 by us and industry experts at Google DeepMind with a clear mission: to equip teachers with free, accessible, easy-to-use classroom resources that build AI literacy from the ground up. The programme offers a suite of materials to help students understand real-world applications of AI, the basics of machine learning, and the ethical considerations around these technologies.
In 2023, we started building an international Experience AI network by collaborating with a group of our existing educational partners. We saw a huge amount of interest and received very positive feedback, and through our partnerships we reached an estimated one million young people. In late 2024, with support from Google.org, we tripled the size of our Experience AI partner network to 21, with new organisations joining from across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. In this way, we aim to reach an additional 2.3 million young people by December 2026, helping them to gain the knowledge and skills to confidently engage with AI in an ever-changing world.
Each partner in the Experience AI network is a unique educational organisation looking to create lasting social change. Through their local knowledge and networks, we can present Experience AI to educators and students in a way that is engaging and relevant for local communities.
Partners help us to adapt and translate our resources, all while making sure that the core pedagogy and design principles of Experience AI are preserved. Just as importantly, these organisations train thousands of teachers on how to use the materials, providing educators with free support. With their work, they reach communities that otherwise may have never had the opportunity to learn about AI.
We asked some of our partners to share their insights on the impact Experience AI is having on the teachers and young people in their communities.
Building communities
The Latvian Safer Internet Centre (LSIC), an initiative of our partner, the Latvian Internet Association (LIA), is dedicated to helping young people protect themselves online, and to preparing them for a fast-changing digital economy. As an Experience AI partner, they aim to train 850 teachers and support 43,000 students to build a strong foundation in AI literacy through the programme.
“We hope to spark a cultural shift in how AI is […] taught in Latvian schools. Our goal is for AI literacy to become a natural part of digital competence education, not an optional extra.”
Based in Riga, the team is travelling to 18 different regions across Latvia to bring in-person professional development to teachers, including those in rural communities far from major cities. By meeting teachers where they are, the LIA are creating invaluable networks for learning and support between communities. Through hands-on training, they are also supporting teachers to bring Experience AI into their own classroom, creating examples which are suited for their learners.
“We chose an in-person training model because it fosters a more collaborative and engaging environment, especially for teachers who are new to AI. Many educators, particularly those who are less confident with digital tools, benefit from direct interaction, real-time discussions, and the chance to ask questions in a supportive setting.”
As an Experience AI partner, the Latvian Internet Association is not just delivering content but working to strengthen digital competency across the country and ensure that no teacher or student is left behind in Latvia’s AI journey.
One teacher shares: “The classroom training was truly valuable: it gave us the chance to exchange ideas and reflect on our diverse experiences. Hearing different perspectives was enriching, and I’m glad we’re shaping the future of our schools together.”
“AI is for everyone”
EdCamp Ukraine’s mission is to unite educators and help them to grow. Operating from their main base in Kharkiv, near the Eastern border and the frontline of the ongoing war in Ukraine, they see AI as both a tool for new technological breakthroughs and as something that can help build a fairer, more efficient, and resilient society.
“We firmly believe AI should not only be an object of study — it must become a tool for amplifying human potential. AI should also not be a privilege, but a resource for everyone. We believe the Experience AI programme can truly transform education from the bottom up.”
Within their community of 50,000 teachers, EdCamp Ukraine ensures that every educator, regardless of their living conditions or where they work, can access high-quality, relevant, and accessible support. For the organisation, the ongoing situation in Ukraine means being flexible with planning, preparing for a range of different outcomes, and being ready to pivot delivery to different locations or to an online setting when needed. These same considerations apply to EdCamp Ukraine’s teacher community, who need to be ready to adapt their lessons for any scenario.
“Recognising these war-related challenges helps us see the bigger picture and always have contingency plans in place. We think ahead and develop flexible scenarios.”
This year, the team piloted Experience AI through their community of trainers, who, when they’re not training, are busy teaching in the classroom. Teacher Yuliia shared how her students valued the opportunity to be creators, rather than just users of technology:
“One student, who is an active AI user, kept silent during the lesson. I thought he wasn’t interested, but during the reflection he shared a lot of positive feedback and expressed his gratitude. Other students said it was important that they weren’t just told about AI — they were using it, creating images, and working with apps.”
EdCamp Ukraine plans to roll out training for Ukrainian teachers this autumn, reaching 2,000 teachers and 40,000 young people by the end of next year.
More countries, more classrooms
Two new partners in Nigeria are about to join the Experience AI network, and there are many more organisations in more countries coming soon. As our partner network continues to grow, we are excited to reach more communities and give more young people around the world the chance to build AI literacy skills and knowledge.
You can find out more about Experience AI on the website. If your organisation is interested in partnering with us to deliver Experience AI, please register your interest and we will let you know about opportunities to work with us.
Amidst heated discussion of smartphones and their impacts on young people’s lives, it’s become a frequent recommendation to ban phones in schools. Below I summarise the research evidence on smartphone bans (it’s mixed) and share tips for computing educators on how to constructively address the topic with their learners and empower them to think critically about technology design.
A turning tide
2024 was the year the tide turned against smartphones. Across the world, parents, teachers, and governments highlighted the risks of excessive phone use among young people. In the UK, the ‘Smartphone Free Childhood’ movement emerged, quickly growing to 100,000 members who advocate for keeping smartphones away from children due to concerns about addiction, harmful content, and mental health. Jonathan Haidt’s global bestseller The Anxious Generation has further fuelled the movement, linking smartphone use to adolescent mental health issues and recommending phonefree schools. Meanwhile, countries including England, France, and Finland have urged schools to adopt strict phone bans, hoping to reduce classroom distractions and enhance student safety.
Despite widespread support, academic research on phone bans remains limited and inconclusive. Given this situation, computing educators are uniquely positioned to offer an alternative approach.
Evaluating evidence on phone bans
The rapid spread of school smartphone bans is a straightforward response to complex issues around personal technology use in education. Teachers and parents frequently view phones as inherently disruptive, a perspective supported by studies that show phones can impair students’ focus and engagement in lessons. Concerns about cyberbullying and addiction contribute to this view, with many educators seeing bans as a practical solution to mitigate risks. Surveys in England reveal that nearly half of all secondary schools now enforce all-day bans. This trend was supported by teachers participating in my master’s degree research, who see these policies as necessary to reduce distractions and maintain control in the classroom.
“Calls for outright bans may oversimplify the conversation.”
Yet calls for outright bans may oversimplify the conversation, limiting opportunities to examine both the benefits and the risks of smartphone use in schools. Evidence on the impact of phone restrictions is mixed: while some studies suggest restrictions may benefit learning, especially for students who struggle the most, others indicate no significant impact on academic outcomes. Additionally, recent findings show that cyberbullying is not directly linked to time spent online, with traditional bullying still more prevalent in schools. Even the narrative around smartphone addiction is contested, with some researchers suggesting that concerns about addiction may be overstated. And some schools do not have access to digital devices for learners and then smartphones may play a crucial role in teaching and learning digital literacy skills.
As the debate over smartphone bans continues, educators have an opportunity to move beyond restrictions and engage students in understanding the technology that shapes their lives. This is where computing educators can really make a difference. How can they guide students to understand why technology is designed to capture attention and what lies behind these design choices?
Understanding and questioning the design of technology
School smartphone bans can feel like a hopeless act that suggests phones and social media are inherently incompatible with learning and student well-being. This approach assumes the only solution is to remove them, rather than considering how these technologies might be better managed or reimagined to support young people. What if, instead of banning phones, educators worked with students to explore why they are so captivating and how they could be designed differently? Computing educators can lead this exploration. With digital literacy as part of their curriculum, computing teachers can help students question the motives behind their devices, fostering a critical understanding of the forces shaping their digital world.
“With digital literacy as part of their curriculum, computing teachers can help students question the motives behind their devices, fostering a critical understanding of the forces shaping their digital world.”
At the heart of how social media platforms are designed is their business models. Tech companies rely on features such as notifications, autoplay, and infinite scrolling to maximise user engagement and revenue. This is part of what the writer Shoshana Zuboff calls “surveillance capitalism”, where companies gather vast amounts of behavioural data by keeping users engaged on their platforms for as long as possible.
In the classroom, educators can open discussions with students on the motives behind technology design, exploring questions such as why platforms want users to stay engaged, and what data they are collecting. Activities might include analysing popular apps to identify which features encourage prolonged use, or debating how social media could be designed to prioritise user wellbeing. By critically examining these design choices, students can better understand the forces driving their digital interactions and consider ways in which technology could be reimagined to serve them, rather than just profiting from them.
Collaborative policymaking
Once young people understand why phones and social media are designed the way they are, educators can work with students to create phone policies that reflect shared values and goals. This collaborative approach encourages students to take ownership of their technology use, and computing teachers, drawing on their knowledge of technology design and digital literacy, are ideally positioned to facilitate these discussions.
Research suggests that policies developed with student input are more effective, as they foster responsibility and engagement. By involving students in policymaking, educators can encourage them to consider how phones could support rather than hinder learning. For example, students might agree that phones should stay off during certain times, or in certain spaces, but that they might be useful in other scenarios where access benefits learning. This kind of flexibility ensures that phones are used thoughtfully, allowing for both practical boundaries and opportunities for educational use.
Critical skills for navigating the digital world
As debate around smartphone use in schools continues, academic research remains inconclusive on the effectiveness of phone bans. This uncertainty presents computing educators with an opportunity to move beyond restrictive policies and foster deeper understanding. By guiding students to explore why phones and social media are designed to capture attention, we can help to equip them with the critical skills needed to navigate their digital world thoughtfully. Involving students in crafting flexible, meaningful phone policies reinforces this understanding, giving them a sense of agency in shaping technology’s role in their lives.
Computing educators are uniquely positioned to empower students, not just as users, but as active challengers of technology design norms. Embracing a collaborative approach allows computing educators to inspire students to envision a future where technology genuinely serves their growth and their learning, rather than commercial interests.
More on digital literacy for young people
A version of this article appears in the newest issue of Hello World magazine, which is all about teaching digital literacy. Explore issue 26 and download your free PDF copy today.
Lack of access to devices presents teachers with challenges in any setting. In schools, money is often limited and digital technology may not be the priority when buildings need maintenance or libraries need replenishing. This issue is particularly important when the very subject you teach relies on and relates to devices that you may have limited or no access to.
It must be frustrating for teachers in this situation to see marketing campaigns from companies showing how their curriculum offering will use the very latest in robotics, AI, or media production, when the teachers’ reality is that they don’t have anything like the means or resources to deliver this.
Fortunately there are approaches that can help. Below I outline some of the ways we are working with teachers to make the teaching of computing and digital literacy less resource-heavy and more accessible and equitable.
Schools in Kenya: A case study
Our work with Kenyan teachers has brought the access issue into sharp focus for us. We are currently developing free resources to deliver the Kenyan curriculum to schools in Mombasa and the Frontier Counties. There are big contrasts both between and within these two areas of the country. Some schools are well equipped with digital technology, while others have very little access to any computing devices; in these schools, smartphones play a crucial role.
With that in mind, the curriculum resources we develop suggest class activities that make the most of limited devices, such as the use of projected demonstrations. We also provide a step-by-step guide to computing tasks, with screenshots, to guide learners through the tasks conceptually. This ensures learners understand the process and can apply their new knowledge once they gain access to the necessary devices.
We make these resources available online and in downloadable documents. This means the resources can be taken offline and taught in places without stable internet connection. We are also careful to limit file sizes, to make downloads more accessible. Wherever possible, our resources are device-agnostic, so that they can be accessed on a wide range of devices, including personal devices such as mobile phones.
As well as tailoring curriculum resources, we have also adapted our teacher training to make it more accessible for people with less experience of using computing devices. For example, during a recent project coaching community trainers in Mombasa, we emphasised activities that improve digital skills on various devices. This meant that when passing the training on to other teachers, the community trainers had a broader set of skills across a wider range of devices.
You’ll be able to read more about the impact of our work with Kenyan schools in an upcoming blog post.
Unplugged activities
Even computing-specific concepts such as a programming construct can, to a degree, be taught with very limited access to devices. Unplugged activities, where no digital technology is required, can be used to introduce fundamental concepts such as sequencing and repetition.
For example, you can ask learners to recognise patterns in repeating sequences of colours and identify how to describe the sequences without repeating the colours many times. While it is good practice to link the learning from an unplugged activity back to a plugged activity, students will still benefit when that is not possible.
Emulators
There are also a significant number of devices which offer online emulator apps that mirror the functions of the physical device. Consider Bee-Bot floor robots, which can be relatively expensive to purchase and may get damaged in a classroom. If you don’t have the physical device, its emulator app provides a similar experience.
Similarly, the micro:bit, a versatile microcontroller for young people, can be emulated in the MakeCode programming environment, including all its buttons and sensors. There are also numerous emulators which enable you to make and test your own circuits using a variety of hardware platforms.
What do you actually need?
Sometimes it can be helpful to look up what devices you actually need — they might not be as expensive as you think. General-purpose, single-board computers such as Raspberry Pi can be bought new for less than £25, and more powerful models still under £50.
Similarly, microcontrollers such as Raspberry Pi Pico, micro:bit, or Crumble, range from about £5 to £20 per device. Accessories such as LEDs, jumper leads, motors, and buzzers are also reasonably priced. They can be a relatively low-cost entry into physical computing and robotics, especially if you pair them with craft materials or share devices between students.
Make the most of it
However limited your access to devices is, I encourage you to:
Look out for partners or solution providers that prioritise inclusivity and accessibility in their resources
Consider whether you can make activities accessible on a wider range of devices and use what students may already have (check out the OctoStudio app for smartphones for example)
Use unplugged activities, and relate them back to plugged devices when possible
Look up devices which might be more affordable than you realised
If you have your own tips to share with fellow teachers, please comment below.
Experience CS is our new free curriculum that helps elementary and middle school educators (working with students aged 8 to 14) teach computer science with confidence through creative, cross-curricular lessons and projects. Designed for teachers, by teachers, Experience CS is built to be easy to use in classrooms, with everything you need integrated into one safe, school-friendly platform.
In this blog post, we will share more about the safety features of Experience CS, and the steps we’ve taken to make the platform a great fit for your school.
A safe, teacher-managed environment
Experience CS supports young people to develop their understanding of computer science through engaging, interactive projects using the programming language Scratch. Scratch is a popular block-based language that helps young people get started with coding, and Experience CS includes a version of Scratch that we have built especially for schools. With our version, which is fully integrated into the Experience CS platform, students can explore coding in a teacher-managed, closed environment that aligns with schools’ safeguarding policies and gives you full control over what your students see and do.
Scratch coding within Experience CS. If you’ve used our Code Editor, you’ll recognise this interface.
Student safety and privacy are at the forefront in Experience CS, which means:
A private, closed environment. Projects are kept within the classroom and cannot be published to a public gallery.
Teacher-controlled access. Students don’t need to create or manage their own accounts. Teachers manage their students’ access, with no student email addresses required.
No social features. Students don’t create public profiles or follow other users, and there are no chat or comment features for young people.
Curated content. Students can only access the projects and materials you share with them, not content from other users.
Tailor-made for schools
We have designed every part of the Experience CS platform with school environments in mind, making it easier for teachers to manage and for students to use.
Here’s how:
Fully integrated platform. Everything students need is built into the Experience CS platform, including Scratch, lesson resources, student materials, and project templates. There is no need to visit other websites.
Simple access. Teachers generate class codes so learners can jump straight into activities, with no student email address required.
Automatic progress saving. Students’ projects are saved in the platform and linked to their class. Teachers can see students’ progress at a glance.
Teacher control. Teachers have full visibility of students’ activity, and what students see and do stays within the classroom environment.
Experience CS gives you the tools and peace of mind to deliver creative, engaging computer science lessons and activities in a way that works for your school. You will be able to effortlessly manage students’ work, with everything you and your students need provided within a simple, intuitive interface.
Be the first to try Experience CS
Experience CS is launching soon, and we can’t wait to see what you and your students create with it.
If you would like early access, want to stay up to date, or are interested in trying Experience CS out in your classroom, sign up for updates and we’ll keep you in the loop.
We’re also planning ahead: in the coming months, we’ll make our version of Scratch available to all schools and clubs via our Code Editor. That means whether or not you use the Experience CS curriculum, you’ll be able to run safe, creative coding sessions using Scratch in a school-friendly environment.
To celebrate World Book Day on April 23rd, Google Play Books provides tools to make reading extra engaging for families and children. Here are two ways we’re creating a fun and rewarding space for future bookworms:
A modern twist on storytime with Read and Listen: Google Play Books‘ Read and Listen feature brings stories to life, as entire ebooks are read aloud while pages flip automatically – capturing the cozy feeling of a narrated story. Explore this featured collection of children’s books with Read and Listen.
Reading Rewards stickers to build strong reading habits: As kids dive into children’s books in the Google Play Books Android app or Google Kids Space, they can unlock colorful and exciting digital stickers displayed in the Kid Reader toolbar’s „Prizes“ section.
April 22 is Earth Day – a powerful reminder of our shared responsibility to preserve the planet for future generations. While the call for climate action grows louder, Arduino is committed to making sustainability an ongoing priority through concrete projects and global collaborations every day of the year.
One of the most exciting steps in that direction is our work on bio-based printed circuit boards (PCBs) – announced by co-founder David Cuartielles during this year’s Arduino Days. It’s an effort to fundamentally rethink how electronics are made, used, and eventually disposed of.
Our bio-based PCB initiative is part of Desire4EU, a European project funded by the European Innovation Council (GA N°101161251). Running from 2024 to 2028, it brings together researchers and engineers from Sweden, Italy, Hungary, Belgium, and France. The goal: to design and test bio-based multilayer PCBs that reduce environmental impact, without compromising on functionality or performance.
Partners include the Budapest University of Technology and Economics, CROMA at the Université Grenoble Alpes, the Catholic University of Leuven, and others. Arduino is proud to contribute both open hardware designs and real-world testing thanks to the Arduino community – hey, that’s you!
The first working prototypes have already been manufactured using a new flame-retardant composite made from PLA-flax, instead of traditional fiberglass and epoxy. And yes, it actually works: the team has already successfully replicated Arduino Nano and UNO boards using this new bio-based substrate.
A holistic approach for sustainability
As Pascal Xavier (researcher at CROMA and professor at the Technology University Institute in Grenoble) pointed out during Arduino Days, making boards bio-compatible first and biodegradable second is a step forward in managing growing volumes of e-waste that collect on our planet. But benefits don’t stop there, because to make the most of the new materials, researchers had to lower soldering temperatures – leading to lower energy consumption during manufacturing. This helps reduce not just end-of-life waste, but the total environmental footprint of electronics production.
According to a paper the team published on Nanotechnology in the early phases of the project, assembly with the new material is still compatible with standard surface mounted technology (SMT), meaning no expensive new infrastructure is needed. Also, the new boards use optimized layouts to improve yield and reliability – even with double-sided designs and through-hole vias.
Looking beyond the board: full lifecycle impact matters
All of these aspects (and more) are being considered to validate the environmental benefits of the project in a holistic perspective. A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is being conducted by the team at the Catholic University of Leuven, leveraging all the necessary data to quantify how much waste and CO? can be saved, the energy savings during production, and the potential for bio-leaching. The latter provides a way to recover high-purity copper from used PCBs using bacterial processes, instead of energy-intensive chemical treatments.
At the moment, we estimate that 90% of the traditional FR4 substrate (the composite material made with woven fiberglass cloth and an epoxy resin binder traditionally used) can be replaced with sustainable materials – without altering the behavior of the board during use at extreme environmental conditions?.
Designing with the planet in mind (and barely changing a thing)
What changes when design meets bio-compatibility? Surprisingly little according to Attila Géczy (head researcher in bio-based electronics at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics), who took part in the Arduino Days announcement to provide interesting technical details. Most existing Arduino board designs can be adapted with minimal changes. A few layout tweaks – like teardrop pads and improved via structures – help ensure reliable manufacturing, but the overall workflow stays familiar to any embedded designer. That’s crucial if we want these technologies to be adopted widely, not just experimentally.
Be part of the solution!
As part of the Desire4EU project, we’ll be giving away 1,000 beta boards starting in April 2026 – built on this new sustainable substrate and featuring an open-source design with LoRa® wireless connectivity.
We’re looking for testers, educators, and innovators to help us evaluate performance in real-world applications. If you’re interested in joining the program, stay tuned: we’ll share more in the coming months.
The joysticks found on ordinary controllers are quite simple, and as a result, they fail to provide much in the way of haptic feedback for the user. This is especially tough in racing or flight simulator games where making sharp turns should require a greater amount of force.
YouTuber zeroshot’s project aimed to overcome this by combining a pair of stepper motors and positional sensors into a single two-axis joystick for use in Microsoft Flight Simulator. Based on how a gimbal can rotate in several directions while moving along static axes, the custom 3D-printed housing features a central pivot point and two sub-frames that each connect to ball bearings in the base for smooth movements.
The motors are responsible for applying a varied amount of force that is constantly trying to realign the joystick to the center. An Arduino Micro was selected since it could act as a native USB human interface device (HID) to relay the positions being sensed by the magnetic encoders to the host machine. This data was also used to instruct the motors on how far to move in each axis.
Once fully assembled, zeroshot’s next-level flight joystick was able to provide plenty of resistance when flying in a virtual cockpit and could even fly the plane itself once a few inputs had been preprogrammed into the Micro.
We’re sharing the latest Google Play Console updates that make it easier for developers to gain actionable performance insights and deliver better user experiences. Highlights include:
A redesigned app dashboard that puts important metrics front and center
New pre-review checks and Android vitals quality metrics, including an excessive wake locks metric that identifies potential battery drain issues
How can we ever really know anything? If you listen to the anti-science types, you might believe that we can’t. But if you get past Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, you can start identifying basic truths, through logic and experiments, on which to build upon. One important foundational building block is absolute zero. Most of us take scientists at their word about where that is relative to temperatures we can comprehend, but Marb built this machine to find it for himself through experimentation.
In the real world, nobody can physically bring anything down to absolute zero. It is a bit like Zeno’s Dichotomy Paradox — you can’t reach zero, because there isn’t anything cooler than the thing you’re cooling, so you just keep getting closer. But it is possible to get really close and that’s why Marb did here.
The experiment works by expanding gas as much as is feasible, reducing the average energy in any given volume and resulting in cooling…on average. If you’ve ever used canned air to clean a dirty keyboard, you’ve experienced that effect yourself.
But Marb didn’t have a way to expand gas enough to get anywhere close to absolute zero. Instead, he needed a way to develop a mathematical function to estimate the value.
To achieve that, he used a glass syringe (meant for gasses), a hot air gun, a thermocouple with amplifier, and a time-of-flight sensor from Adafruit. An Arduino Nano board took measurements from those. It measured the temperature and the plunger position in pairs while Marb heated the syringe. Using those values, Marb was able to calculate the gas volume for each given temperature.
From there, estimating absolute zero was a matter of finding a function that fits the measured values and extrapolating it out to zero.
An increasing number of frameworks describe the possible contents of a K–12 artificial intelligence (AI) curriculum and suggest possible learning activities (for example, see the UNESCO competency framework for students, 2024). In our March seminar, Lukas Höper and Carsten Schulte from the Department of Computing Education at Paderborn University in Germany shared with us a unit of work they’ve developed that could inform such a curriculum. At its core, the unit enhances young people’s awareness of how their personal data is used in the data-driven technologies that form part of their everyday lives.
Lukas HöperCarsten Schulte
Lukas Höper and Carsten Schulte are part of a larger team who are investigating how to teach school students about data science and Big Data.
Carsten explained that Germany’s informatics (computing) curriculum includes a competency area known as Informatics, People and Society (IPS), which explores the interrelationships between technology, individuals, and society, and how computation influences and is influenced by social, ethical, and cultural factors. However, research has suggested that teachers face several problems in delivering this topic, including:
Lack of subject knowledge
Lack of teaching material
Lack of integration with other topics in informatics lessons
A perception that IPS is the responsibility of other subjects
Some of the findings of that 2007 research were mirrored in a more recent local study in 2025, which found that although there have been some gains in subject knowledge in the interval period, the problems of a lack of teaching material and integration with other computer science (CS) topics persist, with IPS increasingly perceived as the responsibility of the informatics subject area alone. Despite this, within the informatics curriculum, IPS is often the first topic to be dropped when educators face time constraints — and concerns with what and how to assess the topic remain.
In this context, and as part of a larger, longitudinal project to promote data science teaching in schools called ProDaBi, Carsten and Lukas have been developing, implementing, and evaluating concepts and materials on the topics of data science and AI. Lukas explained the importance of students developing data awareness in the context of the digital systems they use in their everyday lives, such as search engines, streaming services, social media apps, digital assistants, and chatbots, and emphasised the difference between being a user of these systems and a data-aware user. Using the example of image recognition and ‘I am not a robot’ Captcha services, Lukas explained how young people need to develop a data-aware perspective of the secondary purposes of the data collected by these (and other) systems, as well as the more obvious, primary purposes.
Lukas went on to illustrate the human interaction system model, which presents a continuum of possible different roles, from the student as the user of digital artefacts to the student as the designer of digital artefacts.
Figure 1. Different roles in interactions with data-driven technologies
To become data-aware users of digital artefacts, students need to be able to understand and reflect on those digital artefacts. Only then can they proceed to become responsible designers of digital artefacts. However, when surveyed, some students were only moderately interested in engaging with the inner workings of the digital technologies they use in their everyday lives. Many students prefer to use the systems and are less interested in how they process data.
The explanatory model approach in computing education
Lukas explained how students often become more interested in data-driven technologies when learning about them with explanatory models. Such models can foster data awareness, giving students a different perspective of data-driven technologies and helping them become more empowered users of them.
To illustrate, Lukas gave the example of an explanatory model about the role of data in digital systems. Such a model can be used to introduce the idea that data is explicitly and implicitly collected in the interaction between the user and the technology, and used for primary and secondary purposes.
Figure 2. The four parts of the explanatory model
Lukas then introduced two teaching units that were developed for use with middle school children to evaluate the success of the explanatory model approach in computing education. The first unit explores location data collected by mobile phone networks and the second features recommendation systems used by movie streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime.
Taking the second unit as their focus, Lukas and Carsten outlined the four parts of the explanatory model approach:
Part 1
The teaching unit begins by introducing recommendation systems and asking students to think about what a streaming service is, how a personalised start page is constructed, and how personal recommendations might be generated. Students then complete an unplugged activity to simulate the process of making movie recommendations for a peer:
Task 1: Students write down movie recommendations for another student.
Task 2: They then ask each other questions (they collect data).
Task 3: They write down revised movie recommendations.
Task 4: They share and evaluate their recommendations.
Task 5: Together they reflect on which collected data was helpful in this exercise and what kind of data a recommendation system might collect. This reflection introduces the concepts of explicit and implicit data collection.
Part 2
In part 2, students are given a prepared Jupyter Notebook, which allows them to explore a simulation of a recommendation system. Students rate movies and receive personal recommendations. They reconstruct a data model about users, using the idea of collaborative filtering with the k-nearest neighbours algorithm (see Figure 3).
Figure 3. Data model of movie ratings
Part 3
In part 3, the concepts of primary and secondary purposes for data collection are introduced. Students discuss examples of secondary purposes such as personalised paywalls for movies that can be purchased, and subscriptions based on the predictions of future behaviour. The discussion includes various topics about individual and societal issues (e.g. filter bubbles, behaviour engineering, information asymmetry, and responsible development of data-driven technologies).
Part 4
Finally, students use the explanatory model as an ‘analytical lens’. They choose other examples from their everyday lives of technologies that implement recommendation systems and analyse these examples, assessing the data practices involved. Students present their results in class and discuss their role in these situations and possible actions they can take to become more empowered, data-aware users.
Uses of explanatory models
Using the explanatory model is one approach to make the Informatics, People and Society strand of the German informatics curriculum more engaging for students, and addresses some of the problems teachers identify with delivering this competency area.
In presenting the idea of the explanatory model, Carsten and Lukas emphasised that the model in use delivers content as well as functioning as a tool to design teaching content. In the example above, we see how the explanatory model introduces the concepts of:
Explicit and implicit data collection
Primary and secondary purposes of that data
Data models
The explanatory model framework can also be used as a focus for academic research in computing education. For example, further research is needed to evaluate if explanatory models are appropriate or ‘correct’ models and to determine the extent to which they are useful in computing education.
In summary, an explanatory model provides a specific perspective on and explanation of particular computing concepts and digital artefacts. In the example given here, the model focuses on the role of data in a recommender system. Explanatory models are representations of concepts, artefacts, and socio-technical systems, but can also serve as tools to support teaching and learning processes and research in computing education.
Figure 4. Overview of the perspectives of explanatory models. Click to enlarge.
The teaching units referred to above are published on www.prodabi.de (in German and English).
See the background paper to the seminar, called ‘Learning an explanatory model of data-driven technologies can lead to empowered behaviour: A mixed-methods study in K-12 Computing education’.
In our current seminar series, we’re exploring teaching about AI and data science. Join us at our next seminar on Tuesday 13 May at 17:00–18:30 BST to hear Henriikka Vartiainen and Matti Tedre (University of Eastern Finland) discuss how to empower students by teaching them how to develop AI and machine learning (ML) apps without code in the classroom.
To sign up and take part in our research seminars, click below:
Um dir ein optimales Erlebnis zu bieten, verwenden wir Technologien wie Cookies, um Geräteinformationen zu speichern und/oder darauf zuzugreifen. Wenn du diesen Technologien zustimmst, können wir Daten wie das Surfverhalten oder eindeutige IDs auf dieser Website verarbeiten. Wenn du deine Einwillligung nicht erteilst oder zurückziehst, können bestimmte Merkmale und Funktionen beeinträchtigt werden.
Funktional
Immer aktiv
Die technische Speicherung oder der Zugang ist unbedingt erforderlich für den rechtmäßigen Zweck, die Nutzung eines bestimmten Dienstes zu ermöglichen, der vom Teilnehmer oder Nutzer ausdrücklich gewünscht wird, oder für den alleinigen Zweck, die Übertragung einer Nachricht über ein elektronisches Kommunikationsnetz durchzuführen.
Vorlieben
Die technische Speicherung oder der Zugriff ist für den rechtmäßigen Zweck der Speicherung von Präferenzen erforderlich, die nicht vom Abonnenten oder Benutzer angefordert wurden.
Statistiken
Die technische Speicherung oder der Zugriff, der ausschließlich zu statistischen Zwecken erfolgt.Die technische Speicherung oder der Zugriff, der ausschließlich zu anonymen statistischen Zwecken verwendet wird. Ohne eine Vorladung, die freiwillige Zustimmung deines Internetdienstanbieters oder zusätzliche Aufzeichnungen von Dritten können die zu diesem Zweck gespeicherten oder abgerufenen Informationen allein in der Regel nicht dazu verwendet werden, dich zu identifizieren.
Marketing
Die technische Speicherung oder der Zugriff ist erforderlich, um Nutzerprofile zu erstellen, um Werbung zu versenden oder um den Nutzer auf einer Website oder über mehrere Websites hinweg zu ähnlichen Marketingzwecken zu verfolgen.
