STEM Academy for gymnasielærere

Kryptering

We will introduce key ideas of encryption and decryption from both mathematical and practical perspectives. The course will begin with an introduction to cryptography and its historical development, exploring how the need for secure communication has evolved over time. Participants will investigate the principles of symmetric cryptography (private key systems) and asymmetric cryptography (public key systems), discussing their functioning, potentialities, and limitations.

Through inquiry-based activities, participants will experiment with classical cyphers such as the Caesar cypher and will be introduced to the mathematical foundations of modern cryptographic systems, including RSA encryption. The activities will be designed and conducted following the methodology of digital discussion, highlighting how collaborative interactions within digital environments can support the development of reasoning, argumentation, and critical reflection around cryptographic concepts.

Underviser: Sara Gagliani Caputo

Internet of Things

Playful AI with IoT and Generative AI introduces high school teachers to artificial intelligence through hands-on exploration of microcontrollers and large language models. Using CS Unplugged activities to ground abstract concepts in physical experience, teachers then connect those ideas to real IoT devices and experiment with generative AI tools, prompting, querying, and integrating LLMs into simple sensor-driven systems. No prior AI background is required: participants leave with ready-to-run classroom activities, a concrete understanding of how AI perceives and responds to the physical world, and the enthusiasm to bring playful, critical AI literacy into their own teaching.

Underviser: Daniel Spikol

Mobile computing

Extended Reality technologies such as virtual and augmented reality mix digital and physical worlds. While augmented reality (AR) adds visual overlays to the physical world, virtual reality (VR) replaces the physical world with an entirely digital one. The technologies have now matured to a point where they can be used relatively easily (i.e., mobile headsets, software development doesn’t required expert knowledge anymore). Traditionally, XR has been applied in specialist contexts such as medical training or exposure therapy. Over the past decade, researchers and practitioners have begun exploring how XR can be used in everyday settings and what long-term effects it may have. This workshop introduces the core concepts of XR, discusses both its opportunities and challenges, and explores how these technologies can be meaningfully integrated into teaching.

Underviser: Teresa Hirzle