10 March 2022 (Eventbrite link)

For our first CI Studio event of 2022 we were back in our home at E11! We were super excited to welcome participants into our dedicated space for a hands-on and in-person coding taster event.

In this two hour, introductory session, Creative Informatics Research Associate Susan Lechelt showed participants how to get started with coding and simple electronics using BBC Micro:bit computers and fun accessories like the Mini.mu electronic music making glove. For more info see: Microsoft Makecode

About the BBC Micro:bit

The BBC micro:bit is a pocket-sized codeable computer with motion detection, a built-in compass and Bluetooth technology. It was designed to be used as an introduction to computing for children, but is now widely used by adults for all kinds of creative projects and for learning digital skills. A collaboration between 29 partners, the BBC micro:bit is the BBC’s most ambitious education initiative in 30 years, which aims to inspire digital creativity and develop a new generation of tech pioneers. In the 1980s, the BBC introduced many children to computing for the first time and the BBC micro:bit, part of the BBC’s Make it Digital initiative, builds on the legacy of that project for the digital age.

Susan Lechelt

Susan is a researcher in Human-Computer Interaction, interested in designing playful interfaces and experiences that encourage curiosity and reflection. She is also passionate about investigating new methods for teaching novices about data and digital literacy. Susan has a mixed background spanning interaction design, computer science and cognitive science. Her PhD at the UCL Interaction Centre focused on investigating how the new generation of physical computing toolkits can be designed to better support computing education in real classrooms — and to make learning about computing more creative and collaborative for children.