Raspberry Pi computers in schools

I’ve just published the findings of some work we’ve done at Raspberry Pi looking at how our computers are used by teachers in schools. We visited schools around the UK who were using the computers and gained some really interesting insights. You can read the full report over on the Raspberry Pi Research and Insights page, or directly here.

Key Findings:

• In the schools we visited, Raspberry Pi computers were mostly being used to enable physical computing projects. Students were working on a wide variety of projects, but these tended to be fairly simple and reliant on instructions. So that more students can experience open-ended projects, teachers need examples of how such projects can be achieved within the constraints of lessons and clubs.
• Most schools we visited had less than a class set of Raspberry Pi computers (12 on average), and usually they set these up by replacing desktop computers. This meant the Pis were usually used for informal learning. In order to be able to use Pis to support physical computing within formal lessons, schools would need the funding to purchase more of them.
• Management and tech support of Raspberry Pi computers was often the responsibility of teachers, not technicians. While experience of setup and troubleshooting can be beneficial for students, it does take up time in lessons that some teachers needed for other content.
• Teachers valued and used our learning resources, and they largely wanted more of the same, including more in the format of lesson plans.
• Picademy addresses the need for face-to-face training of teachers who are not using Raspberry Pi computers.

Originally published at Oliver Quinlan.