Introducing our new ‘Programming with AI’ unit
In the age of AI, we believe kids still need to learn to code. We’re also testing how AI tools can be used to help with teaching and learning programming. This blog dives into our new classroom unit ‘Programming with AI’, which we’ve developed for teachers to introduce students to learning to code using tools… The post Introducing our new ‘Programming with AI’ unit appeared first on Raspberry Pi Foundation.
In the age of AI, we believe kids still need to learn to code. We’re also testing how AI tools can be used to help with teaching and learning programming. This blog dives into our new classroom unit ‘Programming with AI’, which we’ve developed for teachers to introduce students to learning to code using tools built on large language models (LLMs). We share an overview of the unit, and the early excitement of educators and learners with whom we’re exploring this new approach to teaching and learning programming. <img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" width="1999" height="1125" src="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image4-1.jpg" alt="Students completing activities from lesson 1" class="wp-image-92116" style="width:756px;height:auto" srcset="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image4-1.jpg 1999w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image4-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image4-1-500x281.jpg 500w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image4-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image4-1-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image4-1-800x450.jpg 800w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image4-1-450x253.jpg 450w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image4-1-900x507.jpg 900w" sizes="(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px" /> Students completing activities from lesson 1 Bridging the gap in programming education As India is accelerating its efforts to modernise digital and computing education, it’s the ideal place for us to test how best to introduce learners to AI-assisted approaches to programming and teach them responsible AI use. We decided to design a ‘Programming with AI’ unit of eight lessons that support students aged 14–16 to progress from block-based programming to text-based Python programming, Python being one of the most widely employed programming languages in industry and academia. In the new unit, students are guided to use LLM-based tools safely, ethically, and responsibly in order to undertake data analysis projects in Python. Students learn how to use the tools, such as Gemini and ChatGPT, to deepen their understanding, experiment with ideas, and connect classroom concepts with real-world technological applications. <img decoding="async" width="500" height="333" src="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2023/10/YP7_1955-500x333.jpg" alt="A group of male students at the Coding Academy in Telangana." class="wp-image-85231" srcset="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2023/10/YP7_1955-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2023/10/YP7_1955-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2023/10/YP7_1955-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2023/10/YP7_1955-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2023/10/YP7_1955-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2023/10/YP7_1955-800x533.jpg 800w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2023/10/YP7_1955-450x300.jpg 450w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2023/10/YP7_1955-900x600.jpg 900w" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" /> The ‘Programming with AI’ unit is currently being piloted across five residential schools under our partner, the Telangana Social Welfare Residential Educational Institutions Society. In the coming months, we will evaluate the impact of this AI-supported approach to learning programming on student engagement, motivation, and overall learning outcomes. Key design decisions during unit development During the design phase of the unit, we identified three main challenges we wanted to address: The first was the transition from block-based to text-based coding. The students we were designing for are familiar with block-based programming like Scratch, but Python needs precisely typed code (syntax). This is a huge shift, and we wanted to offer a way to bridge the gap. We also had to figure out how to teach prompting LLM tools to students who are learning English as their second language. Finally, LLMs are non-deterministic. This means that LLM tools don’t always produce the same output, even when given the same prompt. They also do not generate correct code consistently. To solve the first problem, we decided that the initial lessons in the unit should start by showing familiar Scratch blocks right next to the equivalent Python syntax. This direct comparison makes the transition from block-based to text-based programmer smoother. <img decoding="async" width="1608" height="350" src="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image6.png" alt="Comparison of Python syntax with equivalent Scratch block" class="wp-image-92117" srcset="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image6.png 1608w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image6-300x65.png 300w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image6-500x109.png 500w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image6-768x167.png 768w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image6-1536x334.png 1536w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image6-800x174.png 800w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image6-450x98.png 450w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image6-900x196.png 900w" sizes="(max-width: 1608px) 100vw, 1608px" /> Comparison of Python syntax with equivalent Scratch block To teach prompting, we built a gradual path. The unit starts with a debugging code activity, where students get code with errors and a prompt to make an LLM tool fix the errors. Later, they learn to break down a prompt into their goal (what output they want) and the context (additional information for the LLM tool). Eventually, they use a structured framework to prompt the tool to generate complete, bug-free code. Handling the unpredictable outputs of LLM tools we turned into a learning activity. In one lesson, students are given different chatbot-generated code segments and asked to analyse and reflect on the code quality. This crucial exercise helps them build the critical thinking and code evaluation skills they need for programming with AI tools. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="637" height="371" src="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image5.png" alt="Illustration showing the progression of Python and generative AI concepts covered in the unit" class="wp-image-92118" style="width:707px;height:auto" srcset="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image5.png 637w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image5-300x175.png 300w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image5-500x291.png 500w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image5-450x262.png 450w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 637px) 100vw, 637px" /> The progression of Python and generative AI concepts covered in the unit Over the eight lessons, there is a progression of Python concepts and generative AI concepts, as shown in the image above. They lead students to complete two challenging, real-world data analysis projects. Preparing the educators To ensure the successful pilot of the ‘Programming with AI’ unit, a comprehensive teacher training program was essential. We understood that teachers needed confidence and competence not only in the subject matter — programming — but also in guiding students to ethically and effectively use LLM tools. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1182" height="665" src="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image2-1.jpg" alt="STEM and ICT teachers participated in the training" class="wp-image-92120" style="width:750px;height:auto" srcset="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image2-1.jpg 1182w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image2-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image2-1-500x281.jpg 500w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image2-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image2-1-800x450.jpg 800w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image2-1-450x253.jpg 450w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image2-1-900x506.jpg 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1182px) 100vw, 1182px" /> STEM and ICT teachers participated in the training The training was an intensive, three-day programme: two days were held in-person for deep collaboration and one day was virtual for reinforcing key information. We covered five critical areas: Hands-on activities to ensure comfort with the Python programming language Exploring the capabilities and limitations of LLM tools Effective prompt writing, which teachers would in turn model for their students to use for code debugging and idea generation Reviewing lesson flow and learning objectives to understand the structure of a lesson Adapting specific pedagogies to integrate an LLM tool in teaching the Python programming language This training ensured our educators were not just teaching a new unit, but felt like confident facilitators ready to lead the shift towards AI-supported learning. Initial student reactions: Excitement, familiarity with LLM tools, and seamless transition The pilot of the ‘Programming with AI’ unit began during the second week of December 2025 across five selected schools. It was immediately met with enthusiastic student engagement — they were highly excited to learn Python programming using LLM tools. When teachers initiated discussions about AI, students demonstrated their familiarity with LLMs, chatbots, and related concepts. They were not only aware of generative AI but could readily name and describe the functions of LLM tools, telling us they were actively using these tools to create projects in various other subjects. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1182" height="665" src="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image1-1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-92123" srcset="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image1-1.jpg 1182w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image1-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image1-1-500x281.jpg 500w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image1-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image1-1-800x450.jpg 800w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image1-1-450x253.jpg 450w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image1-1-900x506.jpg 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1182px) 100vw, 1182px" /> Students could easily connect with the activities in the lessons as they had foundational understanding of programming, which they developed while learning block-based coding in Scratch. This prior knowledge enabled their seamless transition to the new learning. Perhaps most impressive was the students’ rapid adoption of LLM tools to debug their code. This skill can ease what is traditionally a steep learning curve when students first learn text-based programming. We are now eagerly anticipating their curiosity and progress in the upcoming lessons. Looking ahead and collecting impact data With the initial enthusiasm confirmed, the pilot program moves into its next critical phase. Teachers will continue to deliver the unit over the next few months in the five selected schools in Telangana. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1182" height="665" src="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image3-2.jpg" alt="STEM and ICT teachers participated in the training" class="wp-image-92122" style="width:760px;height:auto" srcset="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image3-2.jpg 1182w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image3-2-300x169.jpg 300w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image3-2-500x281.jpg 500w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image3-2-768x432.jpg 768w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image3-2-800x450.jpg 800w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image3-2-450x253.jpg 450w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image3-2-900x506.jpg 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1182px) 100vw, 1182px" /> The teachers and team at our ‘Programming with AI’ training. During this extended observation period, our primary focus will be on rigorous data collection and impact assessment. We will closely monitor how students interact with the provided learning materials and how they use LLM tools throughout the unit. We will systematically assess whether the new teaching approach successfully helps students achieve the defined learning objectives for Python programming. Crucially, we will capture comprehensive data to understand the impact of this AI-integrated approach on engagement, skill acquisition, and problem-solving compared to traditional methods. Based on the synthesis and analysis of all the gathered data, we will share our gathered insights early next year. The findings will inform our plans for more widely introducing the AI-integrated unit and for developing similar content for other settings and age groups. The post Introducing our new ‘Programming with AI’ unit appeared first on Raspberry Pi Foundation.
Astro Pi is 10: A decade of your code in space
Today, we are marking the 10th anniversary of the European Astro Pi Challenge. At 11:03 on 15 December 2015, former ESA Astronaut Tim Peake launched from Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on a Soyuz rocket as part of his UK Space agency ‘Principia’ mission to the International Space Station (ISS). Two Raspberry Pi-powered Astro Pi Mark… The post Astro Pi is 10: A decade of your code in space appeared first on Raspberry Pi Foundation.
Today, we are marking the 10th anniversary of the European Astro Pi Challenge. At 11:03 on 15 December 2015, former ESA Astronaut Tim Peake launched from Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on a Soyuz rocket as part of his UK Space agency ‘Principia’ mission to the International Space Station (ISS). Two Raspberry Pi-powered Astro Pi Mark 1 computers were waiting for him in the Columbus module of the ISS, ready to be set up for an experimental education activity called “Astro Pi”. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1500" height="844" src="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2016/03/Astro-Pi-ISS-vid.png" alt="Tim Peake and one of the Mark 1 Astro Pi computers." class="wp-image-20428" style="width:828px;height:auto" srcset="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2016/03/Astro-Pi-ISS-vid.png 1500w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2016/03/Astro-Pi-ISS-vid-300x169.png 300w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2016/03/Astro-Pi-ISS-vid-768x432.png 768w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2016/03/Astro-Pi-ISS-vid-500x281.png 500w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /> Tim Peake and one of the Mark 1 Astro Pi computers. The European Astro Pi Challenge, an ESA Education project run in collaboration with the Raspberry Pi Foundation, and supported by national ESEROs, has been running every year since. The challenge now features two Python coding ‘missions’ that offer young people the amazing opportunity to write a short computer program to send to run on the ISS: Mission Zero and Mission Space Lab. Tens of thousands of young people participate in Astro Pi annually, reaching over 160,000 participants since 2015. On 15 December this year, Tim Peake and some of the Astro Pi team were at the Science Museum London running Mission Zero workshops for visiting school groups to create their own pixel art programs to send into space. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1999" height="1551" src="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image2-2.jpg" alt="Tim Peake with Libby Jackson and the RPF team at the Science Museum London" class="wp-image-92138" style="width:742px;height:auto" srcset="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image2-2.jpg 1999w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image2-2-300x233.jpg 300w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image2-2-500x388.jpg 500w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image2-2-768x596.jpg 768w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image2-2-1536x1192.jpg 1536w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image2-2-800x621.jpg 800w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image2-2-450x349.jpg 450w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image2-2-900x698.jpg 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px" /> Tim Peake with Libby Jackson at the Science Museum London “Setting up the Astro Pi computers on the ISS for those first experiments in 2015 was just the beginning of something truly incredible — it’s amazing to see how much impact the programme has had since then! I hope Astro Pi inspires thousands more young people to code, learn about space technology, and feel empowered to reach for the stars in their own careers.” – Tim Peake, former ESA Astronaut Astro Pi 2015–2025: A space odyssey As the challenge has matured, its reach has increased, with over 25,000 participants every year since 2021. Young people from all 27 ESA member and associate states have sent their code into space, with 25% of mentors returning to the challenge year after year. “I think Mission Zero is a way of connecting not only to a worldwide group of learners, but also to explorers, future scientists, and future astronauts. To see them as part of a larger community and not just an activity or assignment that they have to do in class. They discover their own abilities and potential, and exercise their creativity in a very low-stakes environment and then to see it come to life in that global way is extremely valuable.” – Mission Zero mentor Mission Zero has proved to be a great way to engage girls in computing and tech, with an average of 44% of participants identifying as female. This is well above the national averages for other STEM subjects in many countries. What attracts many teams of young people to Mission Space Lab is the chance to capture data and images from the SenseHats and High Quality Cameras on the Astro Pi computers. This year the Astro Pis will be positioned in the World Observation Research Facility (WORF) window, which means teams can hope for some fantastic, high-quality Earth-observation images with a full field of view. Each team that achieves Flight Status will receive the images and data their program captures. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1200" height="628" src="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/Untitled-design-6-1.png" alt="Photo of the Gulf of California captured from the WORF window by team ByndTSky, and the Astro Pis situated in WORF" class="wp-image-92096" style="width:774px;height:auto" srcset="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/Untitled-design-6-1.png 1200w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/Untitled-design-6-1-300x157.png 300w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/Untitled-design-6-1-500x262.png 500w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/Untitled-design-6-1-768x402.png 768w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/Untitled-design-6-1-800x419.png 800w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/Untitled-design-6-1-450x236.png 450w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/Untitled-design-6-1-900x471.png 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /> Photo of the Gulf of California captured from the WORF window by team ByndTSky, and the Astro Pis situated in WORF The next generation of space explorers Astro Pi is one of the most inspirational coding activities that young people can do and gives the exciting chance to reach beyond the boundaries of what they may have thought possible. In the 2024–25 impact report, mentors reported that the young people participating were highly motivated by the possibility of having their code run on the ISS. “Honestly, the idea that a kid can send their own code to space is just mind-blowing. It really makes you rethink what ‘possible’ even means.” – Jeanna, Astro Pi enthusiast <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1200" height="628" src="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/MZ-2024-25-submissions.png" alt="A selection Mission Zero submissions from 2024–25" class="wp-image-92098" style="width:778px;height:auto" srcset="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/MZ-2024-25-submissions.png 1200w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/MZ-2024-25-submissions-300x157.png 300w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/MZ-2024-25-submissions-500x262.png 500w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/MZ-2024-25-submissions-768x402.png 768w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/MZ-2024-25-submissions-800x419.png 800w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/MZ-2024-25-submissions-450x236.png 450w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/MZ-2024-25-submissions-900x471.png 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /> A selection Mission Zero submissions from 2024–25 Participation increases skills, confidence and motivation for further exploration in coding, digital making and STEM subjects. 83% of Mission Zero mentors agreed that young people increased their skills and confidence in computing and digital making due to their participation 91% of mentors told us that young people who successfully wrote code for Mission Space Lab were likely, or very likely, to participate in computing and digital making challenges in the future Join us in this year’s anniversary challenge to celebrate a decade of sending young people’s code into space – and receive some limited edition certificates. You can find out everything you need to participate or to mentor a team at astro-pi.org. The post Astro Pi is 10: A decade of your code in space appeared first on Raspberry Pi Foundation.
2025 highlights from the Raspberry Pi Computing Education Research Centre
It’s been over a year since I last wrote an update on this blog about our research and as we’ve just published our 2025 Annual Report, this is an ideal opportunity to share what we’ve been working on at the Raspberry Pi Computing Education Research Centre. We are a research centre based in the Department… The post 2025 highlights from the Raspberry Pi Computing Education Research Centre appeared first on Raspberry Pi Foundation.
It’s been over a year since I last wrote an update on this blog about our research and as we’ve just published our 2025 Annual Report, this is an ideal opportunity to share what we’ve been working on at the Raspberry Pi Computing Education Research Centre. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="533" src="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/AI-research-summit-01-800x533.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-92085" srcset="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/AI-research-summit-01-800x533.jpg 800w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/AI-research-summit-01-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/AI-research-summit-01-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/AI-research-summit-01-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/AI-research-summit-01-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/AI-research-summit-01-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/AI-research-summit-01-450x300.jpg 450w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/AI-research-summit-01-900x600.jpg 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /> At our AI education workshop in early 2025. We are a research centre based in the Department of Computer Science and Technology at the University of Cambridge, with a team that spans the university and the Raspberry Pi Foundation. We conduct research into many aspects of the teaching and learning of computing and AI and we work closely with schools, teachers and young people to ensure our research is applicable to practice. Below I highlight some of the projects we’ve worked on in the academic year 2024-2025: Computing Around the World AI education Programming education Physical computing (EPICS project) Teacher action research (TICE project) Computing Around the World As I’ve written on this blog before, computing education is a global challenge. In one of the Research Centre’s projects, we are looking at how computing education is spreading around the world. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1180" height="618" src="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image1-1.png" alt="Computing education in countries around the world" class="wp-image-92069" style="width:766px;height:auto" srcset="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image1-1.png 1180w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image1-1-300x157.png 300w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image1-1-500x262.png 500w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image1-1-768x402.png 768w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image1-1-800x419.png 800w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image1-1-450x236.png 450w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image1-1-900x471.png 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1180px) 100vw, 1180px" /> Computing education in countries around the world. We found that between 2019 and 2024 the number of countries offering computing education had doubled, and that two thirds of all countries now offer, or have concrete plans to offer, computing education. This research has already been highlighted in the Stanford AI Index, and we are considering repeating the analysis in future years in order to have the most accurate and up-to-date information displayed in our map. AI education We have a number of projects in the area of AI education. Teaching about AI We are very interested in how to teach about AI, and held a workshop with teachers who were interested in the teaching of AI in February. Following on from the workshop results, we are interviewing more stakeholders, including UK-based experts, teachers and students, about their perspectives on concepts and skills that should be taught as part of an AI curriculum. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1999" height="1333" src="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image5.jpg" alt="Notes at our teacher workshop about AI" class="wp-image-92072" style="width:735px;height:auto" srcset="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image5.jpg 1999w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image5-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image5-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image5-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image5-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image5-800x533.jpg 800w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image5-450x300.jpg 450w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image5-900x600.jpg 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px" /> Notes at our workshop about AI education. We’re also researching data science and data ethics education, which are foundational aspects of AI literacy. Most of the current AI systems are data-driven, having been trained on vast amounts of data. Therefore students need to understand about data and data science if they are to learn about AI systems. Therefore we’ve conducted two detailed literature reviews on data science and on data ethics this year. The first of these will be published in March at the WiPSCE conference. Unplugged AI in Ghana One of our PhD students, Salomey Addo, has been examining how AI is taught in Ghana, where it is part of the curriculum for young people between ages 12 and 15. This year Salomey published a paper reporting that Ghanaian teachers have positive attitudes towards teaching AI but feel unprepared for it. She’s also developed unplugged resources to teach about artificial neural networks (ANNs). <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1080" height="810" src="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image3-1.jpg" alt="PhD student Salomey explaining how the unplugged resources worked in a teacher PD session in Ghana" class="wp-image-92075" style="width:703px;height:auto" srcset="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image3-1.jpg 1080w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image3-1-300x225.jpg 300w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image3-1-500x375.jpg 500w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image3-1-768x576.jpg 768w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image3-1-800x600.jpg 800w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image3-1-450x338.jpg 450w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image3-1-900x675.jpg 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px" /> PhD student Salomey explaining how the unplugged resources worked in a teacher PD session in Ghana. ANNs are a fundamental technology used in a variety of AI systems, including image recognition and language translation systems. While ANNs are included in the Ghanaian AI curriculum, Salomey observed that teachers had difficulty with this particular topic The resources she developed are directly inspired by this, and involved teaching through role play and a board game. Using AI in learning and teaching computing This is an area we’ve also done some research in in the past year. Carrie Anne Philbin published a paper in September showing that — at least in higher education — much of the use of generative AI in computing education is just duplicating the way teachers might already teach, and is primarily passive from a students’ perspective. Meanwhile Katharine Childs and Veronica Cucuiat have been looking at how large language models (LLMs) can support secondary school programming education by helping students understand programming error messages. Programming education: Learning to debug Text-based programming is a topic featured in many computing curricula around the world. Teachers and researchers know that younger learners, for example at the lower secondary school level, can find debugging text-based programs very challenging. Although we’ve seen decades of research around programming and debugging focusing on learners who are in higher education, very little research has been done with school-age students. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1999" height="954" src="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image2.png" alt="The interface of the PRIMMDebug tool" class="wp-image-92076" style="width:758px;height:auto" srcset="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image2.png 1999w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image2-300x143.png 300w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image2-500x239.png 500w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image2-768x367.png 768w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image2-1536x733.png 1536w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image2-800x382.png 800w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image2-450x215.png 450w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image2-900x430.png 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px" /> The interface of the PRIMMDebug tool. In his research, Laurie Gale, a final-year PhD student at the Research Centre, found that learners were impatient to fix programs by trial and error, without figuring out what the real problemwas with their code or the underlying algorithm. He subsequently developed a tool called PRIMM Debug, which supports a more reflective and systematic approach to debugging. This tool enables learners to slow down when they are programming and to be more reflective. You can read more about it on the Research Centre website, and also catch up on the Foundation research seminar where he presented his work. EPICS: Physical computing in school As part of a 5-year longitudinal project, running across the whole UK and the first project of its kind, we are looking at how physical computing impacts primary and secondary school learners. We’re investigating the effect of physical computing on learners’ creativity, agency and confidence, over time and at particular points known to be important for their subject choices. We are working with a wonderful set of partner primary schools who we visit each year. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2500" height="1667" src="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2023/11/DB-20181210-0211-9412.jpg" alt="Young learners coding a microbit project." class="wp-image-85414" style="width:769px;height:auto" srcset="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2023/11/DB-20181210-0211-9412.jpg 2500w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2023/11/DB-20181210-0211-9412-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2023/11/DB-20181210-0211-9412-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2023/11/DB-20181210-0211-9412-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2023/11/DB-20181210-0211-9412-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2023/11/DB-20181210-0211-9412-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2023/11/DB-20181210-0211-9412-800x533.jpg 800w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2023/11/DB-20181210-0211-9412-450x300.jpg 450w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2023/11/DB-20181210-0211-9412-900x600.jpg 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px" /> Young people using a micro:bit. This year we reported some of our first results, which point to teachers’ perceptions of physical computing being engaging and inclusive for primary-aged children. Starting next spring, we will be carrying out our third year of data collection with our pupil cohort, who have reached the age of 10 to 11. We’ll also be running a survey next summer for upper primary-aged children and their teachers. Please sign up for our Teacher Research Network newsletter to be the first to hear about taking part in this survey. Teacher Inquiry in Computing Education (TICE) As part of our TICE project we support teachers to conduct their own action research projects. This is a collaborative project, involving academics across the UK who volunteer to support teachers. The goal is to enable teachers to take a deep dive into a curriculum topic, a pedagogical approach, or a new resource, or to address a wider issue such as gender diversity or accessibility, to inform a change in their practice. This year 16 teachers published their reports in our Teacher Research Booklet, and many also presented their findings online at CAS events or at the KCL-CAS London conference and the CAS National Conference. We’re very proud of them! <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1999" height="1500" src="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image4.jpg" alt="TICE participant Will Grey presenting at the KCL-CAS Conference in July 2025" class="wp-image-92077" style="width:750px;height:auto" srcset="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image4.jpg 1999w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image4-300x225.jpg 300w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image4-500x375.jpg 500w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image4-768x576.jpg 768w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image4-1536x1153.jpg 1536w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image4-800x600.jpg 800w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image4-450x338.jpg 450w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image4-900x675.jpg 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px" /> TICE participant Will Grey presenting at the KCL-CAS Conference in July 2025. Two of our TICE teachers will be also presenting their research at an academic conference to be held in January. Congratulations to Will Grey and Joanne Hodge! Get involved There are many other projects you can find out about on our website and in our annual report, so I hope that you will keep reading. It goes without saying that I’m incredibly proud of the team who’ve worked on all of these projects! To summarise, here’s how you can stay up to date with our work and maybe even get involved in studies: Sign up to the Research Centre newsletter Sign up to our Teacher Research Network newsletter if you’re a teacher and interested in participating in projects Finally, I am pleased to announce that we will be hosting the UKICER 2026 conference for researchers and teachers in Cambridge on 3 and 4 2026 September. More details will follow on the UKICER website and on the Research Centre website in due course. The post 2025 highlights from the Raspberry Pi Computing Education Research Centre appeared first on Raspberry Pi Foundation.
From learners to leaders: Jayantika and Ruturaj’s journey as Code Club youth mentors
Two remarkable teenagers from Pune in the state of Maharashtra, India — Jayantika (age 16) and Ruturaj (age 14) — have turned curiosity into community impact. With support from the Bidkar Foundation and the Raspberry Pi Foundation, they now help run five Code Clubs, reaching over 200 young people in rural areas of Pune. Along… The post From learners to leaders: Jayantika and Ruturaj’s journey as Code Club youth mentors appeared first on Raspberry Pi Foundation.
Two remarkable teenagers from Pune in the state of Maharashtra, India — Jayantika (age 16) and Ruturaj (age 14) — have turned curiosity into community impact. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1280" height="720" src="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image3.jpg" alt="Jayantika (age 16) and Ruturaj (age 14) taking part in Coolest Projects India." class="wp-image-92043" style="width:742px;height:auto" srcset="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image3.jpg 1280w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image3-300x169.jpg 300w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image3-500x281.jpg 500w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image3-768x432.jpg 768w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image3-800x450.jpg 800w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image3-450x253.jpg 450w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image3-900x506.jpg 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px" /> Jayantika, Ruturaj, and their friends at Coolest Projects India 2025. With support from the Bidkar Foundation and the Raspberry Pi Foundation, they now help run five Code Clubs, reaching over 200 young people in rural areas of Pune. Along the way, they have twice received the Coolest Projects Judges’ Favourite Award: first online in 2023, and again at Coolest Projects India in September 2025. How it all began For Jayantika and Ruturaj, the spark for coding began at home. During the pandemic, when schools were closed and days felt long, their father encouraged them to try something new. “When we were at home and there was nothing to do,” recalls Jayantika, “my dad introduced us to coding, and from that time till this date we are participating — and yeah, we love it.” In 2021, they joined their local Code Club, run by the Bidkar Foundation, which provides coding opportunities for young people in rural areas of Pune. That moment opened a door to creativity neither of them expected. Scratch projects soon filled their weekends with problem-solving, and Ruturaj found himself fascinated by how games worked. “I was too curious how games were made,” he says. “After a while in Code Club, I learned new things and got the answers to my questions.” As their confidence grew, so did their sense of purpose. They wanted others to experience the same excitement they had discovered. “We thought these things should be shared with others,” says Jayantika. “So that’s why we started a Code Club and began teaching — to spread awareness and knowledge to everyone.” Reaching out to rural learners Each weekend, Jayantika and Ruturaj set out for nearby villages, with laptops, lesson plans, and a sense of possibility. Their aim is simple but powerful: to bring coding opportunities to children who might otherwise never encounter them. “Village students must also learn coding and get opportunities to come in front,” explains Jayantika. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1040" height="780" src="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image2.jpg" alt="Jayantika (age 16) and Ruturaj (age 14)" class="wp-image-92046" style="width:704px;height:auto" srcset="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image2.jpg 1040w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image2-300x225.jpg 300w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image2-500x375.jpg 500w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image2-768x576.jpg 768w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image2-800x600.jpg 800w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image2-450x338.jpg 450w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image2-900x675.jpg 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1040px) 100vw, 1040px" /> What started modestly — “one computer and seven students” — has become a thriving network of clubs that now reaches hundreds of young learners. Their father, Mr Bidkar, has been by their side throughout, watching as their initiative has grown from a small idea to something that’s changing lives. “Now we are 25 computers, 200-plus children,” he says proudly. Inside their Code Club sessions Their Code Club sessions are lively and filled with curiosity. Children crowd around laptops, excited to build their next animation or game. The mentors blend teaching with fun, alternating between theory and practice to keep things engaging. “At first, we take theory classes — we explain what’s the game,” says Jayantika. “At the end we let them sit on computers.” Some weeks are spent planning and others creating. “We give them a plan, and then next time they create,” she explains. Younger learners, aged six to ten, start with small projects such as animations or motion-based activities. Older learners tackle bigger challenges in Scratch, building their own games from ideas they’ve brainstormed together. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1040" height="780" src="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image1.jpg" alt="Jayantika (age 16) and Ruturaj (age 14)" class="wp-image-92049" style="width:696px;height:auto" srcset="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image1.jpg 1040w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image1-300x225.jpg 300w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image1-500x375.jpg 500w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image1-768x576.jpg 768w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image1-800x600.jpg 800w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image1-450x338.jpg 450w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image1-900x675.jpg 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1040px) 100vw, 1040px" /> Sessions end with a much-loved tradition: “After the session ends, we give them 15–20 minutes to do whatever they want,” says Ruturaj. “Because they’re very curious.” The pair work in perfect rhythm. “I manage one group and Ruturaj manages another,” says Jayantika. “If any doubt is there, we solve them together.” Mentoring has given both siblings new confidence and skills. “At first we were only on Scratch, and now we’ve expanded our knowledge,” says Jayantika. “Next, we’re going to start robotics. It is simple and it is creative also and it can connect to Scratch.” The role of a mentor Over time, Jayantika and Ruturaj have learned that mentoring is as much about listening as it is about instructing. “Sometimes their questions are not so obvious,” laughs Jayantika. “Like ‘Why can’t we change the sprite?’ or ‘Why can’t we use another block?’ We can explain to a certain limit, but after that we are speechless!” These moments, she says, are part of the magic of teaching. They push the mentors to explore new ways of explaining and to see coding from a beginner’s perspective again. Watching their students succeed brings the biggest reward. “We feel very happy that the students are listening to us and they’re doing what we wanted — and they’re even adding extras,” says Jayantika. “Most of them tell us they want to create another project; they want more time.” And for those thinking about becoming mentors, they both agree that empathy is key. “If you want to teach them, you must become a student,” says Ruturaj. “First, think at the students’ level… explain in simple language and give more time to experiment,” adds Jayantika. Looking ahead Ruturaj dreams of exploring game development and cybersecurity, while Jayantika hopes to move into web and app design. Together, they balance logic and creativity, each complementing the other’s strengths. “Even though both are coding, we are on different paths,” she smiles. For anyone curious about coding, Ruturaj’s advice is simple: “Do it by yourself. Make projects by yourself, share them, and learn from others.” Jayantika adds: “Coding has no limits. You can create anything you imagine — open your mind, open your creativity.” Their father, rightly, is proud not just of their achievements but of how they have inspired others to learn. From a single laptop to five thriving Code Clubs, Jayantika and Ruturaj’s journey shows what’s possible when young people lead with passion and purpose. With support from their family, the Bidkar Foundation, and the Raspberry Pi Foundation’s India team, they’re proving that talent truly is everywhere — opportunity just needs a spark. Thank you, Jayantika and Ruturaj, for inspiring young people across India and around the world. The post From learners to leaders: Jayantika and Ruturaj’s journey as Code Club youth mentors appeared first on Raspberry Pi Foundation.
Secondary school maths showing that AI systems don’t think
At a time when many young people are using AI for personal and learning purposes, schools are trying to figure out what to teach about AI and how (find out more in this summer 2025 data about young people’s usage of AI in the UK). One aspect of this is how technical we should get… The post Secondary school maths showing that AI systems don’t think appeared first on Raspberry Pi Foundation.
At a time when many young people are using AI for personal and learning purposes, schools are trying to figure out what to teach about AI and how (find out more in this summer 2025 data about young people’s usage of AI in the UK). One aspect of this is how technical we should get in explaining how AI works, particularly if we want to debunk naive views of the capabilities of the technology, such as that AI tools ‘think’. In this month’s research seminar, we found out how AI contexts can be added to current classroom maths to make maths more interesting and relevant while teaching the core concepts of AI. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="984" height="342" src="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-12-11-at-11.15.13.png" alt="Prof. Dr. Martin Frank, Assistant Prof. Dr. Sarah Schönbrodt, Research Associate Stephan Kindler" class="wp-image-92021" srcset="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-12-11-at-11.15.13.png 984w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-12-11-at-11.15.13-300x104.png 300w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-12-11-at-11.15.13-500x174.png 500w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-12-11-at-11.15.13-768x267.png 768w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-12-11-at-11.15.13-800x278.png 800w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-12-11-at-11.15.13-450x156.png 450w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-12-11-at-11.15.13-900x313.png 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 984px) 100vw, 984px" /> Prof. Dr. Martin Frank, Assistant Prof. Dr. Sarah Schönbrodt, Research Associate Stephan Kindler At our computing education research seminar in July, a group of researchers from the CAMMP (Computational and Mathematical Modeling Program) research project shared their work: Prof. Dr. Martin Frank, Founder of CAMMP (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Germany). Assistant Prof. Dr. Sarah Schönbrodt (University of Salzburg, Austria) Research Associate Stephan Kindler (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Germany) They talked about how maths already taught in secondary schools can be used to demystify AI. At first glance, this seems difficult to do, as it is often assumed that school-aged learners will not be able to understand how these systems work. This is especially the case for artificial neural networks, which are usually seen as a black box technology — they may be relatively easy to use, but it’s not as easy to understand how they work. Despite this, the Austrian and German team have developed a clear way to explain some of the fundamental elements of AI using school-based maths. Sarah Schönbrodt started by challenging us to consider that learning maths is an essential part in developing AI skills, as: AI systems using machine learning are data-driven and are based on mathematics, especially statistics and data Authentic machine learning techniques can be used to bring to life existing classroom maths concepts Real and relevant problems and associated data are available for teachers to use A set of workshops for secondary maths classrooms Sarah explained how the CAMMP team have developed a range of teaching and learning materials on AI (and beyond) with an overall goal to “allow students to solve authentic, real and relevant problems using mathematical modeling and computers”. She reflected that much of school maths is set in contexts that are abstract, and may not be very interesting or relevant to students. Therefore, introducing AI-based contexts, which are having a huge impact on society and students’ lives, is both an opportunity to make maths more engaging and also a way to demystify AI. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1212" height="648" src="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image8.png" alt="A glance at the schoolbook diagram" class="wp-image-92023" style="width:752px;height:auto" srcset="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image8.png 1212w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image8-300x160.png 300w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image8-500x267.png 500w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image8-768x411.png 768w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image8-800x428.png 800w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image8-450x241.png 450w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image8-900x481.png 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1212px) 100vw, 1212px" /> Old-fashioned contexts are often used to teach classroom maths concepts. Those same concepts could be taught using real-world AI contexts. (Slide from the researchers’ presentation.) Workshops designed and researched by the team include contexts such as privacy in social networks to learn about decision trees, personalised Netflix recommendations to learn about k-nearest neighbour, word predictions to learn about N-Grams, and predicting life expectancy to learn about regression and neural networks. Learning about classification models: traffic lights and the support vector machine For the seminar, Sarah walked through the steps to learn about support vector machines. This is an upper secondary workshop for students aged 17 to 18 years old. The context of the lesson is an image problem — specifically, classifying the data representing the colours of a simplified traffic light system (two lights to start with) to work out if a traffic light is red or green. She walked through each of the steps of the maths workshop: Plotting data points of two classes, the representation of green and red traffic lights Finding a line that best separates the data points of both classes Figuring out what best is Classifying the data points in relation to the chosen (separating) line Validating the model statistically to see if it is useful in classifying new data points, including using test data and creating a contingency table (also called a confusion matrix) Discussing limitations, including social and ethical issues Explaining how three traffic lights can be expressed as three-dimensional data by using planes <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1232" height="684" src="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image4.png" alt="Classification problems diagram " class="wp-image-92025" style="width:724px;height:auto" srcset="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image4.png 1232w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image4-300x167.png 300w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image4-500x278.png 500w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image4-768x426.png 768w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image4-800x444.png 800w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image4-450x250.png 450w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image4-900x500.png 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1232px) 100vw, 1232px" /> By classifying green and red traffic light data, students are learning about lines, classifying data, and considering limitations. (Slide from the researchers’ presentation.) Throughout the presentation, Sarah pointed out where the maths taught was linked to the Austrian and German mathematics curriculum. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1228" height="685" src="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image1.png" alt="Classification problems diagram" class="wp-image-92026" style="width:748px;height:auto" srcset="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image1.png 1228w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image1-300x167.png 300w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image1-500x279.png 500w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image1-768x428.png 768w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image1-800x446.png 800w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image1-450x251.png 450w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image1-900x502.png 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1228px) 100vw, 1228px" /> Learning about planes, separating planes, and starting to see how data can be represented in vectors. (Slide from the researchers’ presentation.) Learning about social and ethical issues <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1232" height="682" src="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image7.png" alt="" class="wp-image-92027" style="width:731px;height:auto" srcset="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image7.png 1232w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image7-300x166.png 300w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image7-500x277.png 500w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image7-768x425.png 768w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image7-800x443.png 800w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image7-450x249.png 450w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image7-900x498.png 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1232px) 100vw, 1232px" /> Learning about the social and ethical issues in data-driven systems. (Slide from the researchers’ presentation.) As well as learning about lines, planes, distances, dot product and statistical measures, learners are also engaged in discussing the social and ethical issues of the approach taken. They are encouraged to think about bias, data diversity, privacy, and the impact of errors on people. For example, if the model wrongly predicts a light as green when it is red, then an autonomous car would run through a red traffic light. This would likely be a bigger consequence than stopping at a green traffic light that was mis-predicted as red. So should the best line reduce this kind of error? To teach the workshops, Sarah explained they have developed interactive Jupyter notebooks, where no programming skills are needed. Students fill in the gaps of example code, explore simulations, and write their ideas for discussion for the whole class. No software needs to be installed, feedback is direct, and there are in-depth tasks and staggered hints. Learning about regression models: Weather forecasting and the toy artificial neural network Stephan went on to introduce artificial neural networks (ANNs), which are the basis of generative AI applications like chatbots and image generation systems. He focused on regression models, such as those used in weather forecasting. ANNs are very complex. Therefore, to start to understand the fundamentals of this technology, he introduced a ‘toy ANN’ with one input, three nodes, and one output. A function is performed on the input data at each node. With the toy network, the team wants to tackle a major and common misconception: that students think that ANN systems learn, recognise, see, and understand, when really it’s all just maths. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1239" height="694" src="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image3.png" alt="" class="wp-image-92029" style="width:776px;height:auto" srcset="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image3.png 1239w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image3-300x168.png 300w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image3-500x280.png 500w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image3-768x430.png 768w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image3-800x448.png 800w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image3-450x252.png 450w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/image3-900x504.png 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1239px) 100vw, 1239px" /> Tackling misconceptions about ANNs by exploring how they work in a toy version. (Slide from the researchers’ presentation.) The learning activity starts by looking at one node with one input and one output, and can be described as a mathematical function, with a concatenation of two functions (in this case a linear and activation function). Stephan shared an online simulator that visualises how the toy neural network can be explored as students change two parameters (in this case, weight and bias of the functions). Students then look at the overall network, and the way that the output from the three nodes is combined. Again, they can explore this in the simulator. Students compare simple data about weather prediction to the model, and discover they need more functions — more nodes to better fit the data. The activity helps students learn that ANN systems are just highly adjustable mathematical functions that, by adding nodes, can approximate relationships in a given data set. But the approximation only works in the bounds (intervals) in which data points are given, showing that ANNs do not ‘understand’ or ’know’ — it’s just maths. Stephen finished by explaining the mutual benefits of AI education and maths education. He suggested maths will enable a deeper understanding of AI, and give students a way to realistically assess the opportunities and risks of AI tools and show them the role that humans have in designing AI systems. He also explained that classroom maths education can benefit from incorporating AI contexts. This approach highlights how maths underpins the design and understanding of everyday systems, supports more effective teaching, and promotes an interdisciplinary way of learning across subjects. Some personal reflections — which may not be quite right! I have been researching the teaching of AI and machine learning for around five years now, since before ChatGPT and other similar tools burst on the scene. Since then, I have seen an increasing number of resources to teach about the social and ethical issues of the topic, and there are a bewildering number of learning activities and tools for students to train simple models. There are frameworks for the data lifecycle, and an emerging set of activities to follow to prepare data, compare model types, and deploy simple applications. However, I felt the need to understand and to teach about, at a very simple level, the basic building blocks of data-driven technologies. When I heard the CAMMP team present their work at the AIDEA conference in February 2025, I was entirely amazed and I asked them to present here at our research seminar series. This was a piece of the puzzle that I had been searching for — a way to explain the ‘bottom of the technical stack of fundamental concepts’. The team is taking very complex ideas and reducing them to such an extent that we can use secondary classroom maths to show that AI is not magic and AI systems do not think. It’s just maths. The maths is still hard, and teachers will still need the skills to carefully guide students step by step so they can build a useful mental model. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1300" height="731" src="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Ada-CS-event.png" alt="Photo of a class of students at computers, in a computer science classroom." class="wp-image-91975" style="width:794px;height:auto" srcset="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Ada-CS-event.png 1300w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Ada-CS-event-300x169.png 300w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Ada-CS-event-500x281.png 500w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Ada-CS-event-768x432.png 768w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Ada-CS-event-800x450.png 800w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Ada-CS-event-450x253.png 450w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Ada-CS-event-900x506.png 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1300px) 100vw, 1300px" /> I think we can simplify these ideas further, and create unplugged activities, simulations, and ways for students to explore these basic building blocks of data representation, as well as classification and representing approximations of complex patterns and prediction. I can sense the beginnings of new ideas in computational thinking, though they’re still taking shape. We’re researching these further and will keep you updated. Finding out more If you would like to find out more about the CAMMP resources, you can watch the seminar recording, look at the CAMMP website or try out their online materials. For example, the team shared a link to the jupyter notebooks they use to teach the workshops they demonstrated (and others). You can use these with a username of ‘cammp_YOURPSEUDONYM’, where you can set ‘YOURPSEUDONYM’ to any letters, and you can choose any password. They also shared their toy ANN simulation. The CAMMP team are not the only researchers who are investigating how to teach about AI in maths lessons. You can find a set of other research papers here. Join our next seminar In our current seminar series, we’re exploring teaching about AI and data science. Join us at our last seminar of the series on Tuesday, 27 January 2026 from 17:00 to 18:30 GMT to hear Salomey Afua Addo talk about using unplugged approaches to teach about neural networks. To sign up and take part, click the button below. We’ll then send you information about joining. We hope to see you there. I want to join the next seminar The schedule of our upcoming seminars is online. You can catch up on past seminars on our previous seminars page. The post Secondary school maths showing that AI systems don’t think appeared first on Raspberry Pi Foundation.
Celebrating the community: Irioluwa, Michelle, Jedidiah and Inioluwa
We love hearing from members of the community and sharing the stories of amazing young people, volunteers, and educators who are using their passion for technology to create positive change in the world around them. In our latest story, we’re meeting a group of inspiring young innovators from Belfast — Michelle, 15, Inilouwa, 18, Jedidiah,… The post Celebrating the community: Irioluwa, Michelle, Jedidiah and Inioluwa appeared first on Raspberry Pi Foundation.
We love hearing from members of the community and sharing the stories of amazing young people, volunteers, and educators who are using their passion for technology to create positive change in the world around them. In our latest story, we’re meeting a group of inspiring young innovators from Belfast — Michelle, 15, Inilouwa, 18, Jedidiah, 14 — and Irioluwa, 11, who are using their creativity and technical skills to tackle an issue that impacts millions of young women across the UK: period poverty. The power of community The group first connected through Diverse Youth, a community space that gave them the chance to collaborate, learn, and grow. At the youth centre, the girls were introduced to Code Club through mentor, and Jedidiah’s mum, Tiwa. When Tiwa offered them the opportunity to travel to Coolest Projects UK and showcase projects they had been working on, they knew they wanted to make something special… <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="840" src="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot-2024-10-28-115717.png" alt="Flow Body website screenshot" class="wp-image-92006" style="width:776px;height:auto" srcset="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot-2024-10-28-115717.png 1920w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot-2024-10-28-115717-300x131.png 300w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot-2024-10-28-115717-500x219.png 500w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot-2024-10-28-115717-768x336.png 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /> Tackling taboo topics The idea for Flow Body began when Inilouwa was inspired by her sister’s experience at school. “So, for me, it was my sister actually, that really inspired this project because she would tell me, her school at the time, they run out of period products very frequently, so not a lot of girls could access it.” Wanting to make a difference, the team created Flow Body, a website connecting young women to period charities in the UK and providing reliable information about periods, puberty, and related health issues. Playing to their strengths The technical side of the project was led by Inilouwa, with the rest of her teammates supporting her with research and content creation. “So, alongside Michelle, I researched the diseases and what can come from period poverty and how different people get by with the lack of period products around,” Jedidiah said. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2560" height="1920" src="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/IMG_0296-1-scaled.jpg" alt="Inspiring young innovators from Belfast — Michelle, 15, Inilouwa, 18, Jedidiah, 14 — and Irioluwa, 11" class="wp-image-92004" style="width:692px;height:auto" srcset="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/IMG_0296-1-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/IMG_0296-1-300x225.jpg 300w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/IMG_0296-1-500x375.jpg 500w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/IMG_0296-1-768x576.jpg 768w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/IMG_0296-1-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/IMG_0296-1-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/IMG_0296-1-800x600.jpg 800w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/IMG_0296-1-450x338.jpg 450w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/IMG_0296-1-900x675.jpg 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" /> Their research highlighted just how widespread period-related health issues are. The team discovered that one of the biggest challenges is access to accurate information, given the stigma around discussing menstruation, and using technology to solve this issue seemed like the perfect fit to them. Inilouwa explained, “Having that access to information that’s tailored to young women, to young parents, to everyone all across the board would be really helpful, you know, in order to make periods less of a strange topic to discuss.” <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/53720488421_f82a23e26e_b.jpg" alt="Inilouwa, 18, speaking with presenter on stage at Coolest Projects UK" class="wp-image-92007" style="width:738px;height:auto" srcset="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/53720488421_f82a23e26e_b.jpg 1024w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/53720488421_f82a23e26e_b-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/53720488421_f82a23e26e_b-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/53720488421_f82a23e26e_b-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/53720488421_f82a23e26e_b-800x534.jpg 800w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/53720488421_f82a23e26e_b-450x300.jpg 450w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/12/53720488421_f82a23e26e_b-900x600.jpg 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /> Celebrating teamwork After taking home judges’ favourite in the web category, the girls could not recommend the experience enough. When asked what advice they would give to other young people thinking of taking the leap and entering Coolest Projects, the answer was simple… “Do it. Don’t be afraid. Even if tech is not your thing, it’s not a lot of people’s things. But like you learn so much, you grow so much and it’s very fun. It is. It really is,” said Inilouwa. If you are interested in getting involved in Coolest Projects, keep an eye on the website for exciting announcements for 2026 plans. Want support on your coding journey? Find a Code Club near you to learn alongside a likeminded community. The post Celebrating the community: Irioluwa, Michelle, Jedidiah and Inioluwa appeared first on Raspberry Pi Foundation.
How Ada Computer Science empowers students: Survey findings
Listening to the voices of young people is crucial in creating genuinely effective learning resources. That’s why we recently ran a survey of students who use Ada Computer Science, our platform designed to help students learn and revise key computer science concepts. “The different topics are nicely categorised and it is easy to find the… The post How Ada Computer Science empowers students: Survey findings appeared first on Raspberry Pi Foundation.
Listening to the voices of young people is crucial in creating genuinely effective learning resources. That’s why we recently ran a survey of students who use Ada Computer Science, our platform designed to help students learn and revise key computer science concepts. “The different topics are nicely categorised and it is easy to find the information I wish to revise.” – Ada Computer Science student We were delighted to hear from 103 students, most of whom are 16–19 years old and studying in England, and their insights are invaluable in helping us to continue to develop Ada CS. Students think Ada CS is high quality and useful The most common ways students use Ada CS are for revision and to check whether they understand concepts. The majority of respondents are building Ada CS into their regular study habits, with over half of respondents using the platform every week. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Ada-CS-event-500x281.png" alt="Photo of a class of students at computers, in a computer science classroom." class="wp-image-91975" style="width:682px;height:auto" srcset="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Ada-CS-event-500x281.png 500w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Ada-CS-event-300x169.png 300w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Ada-CS-event-768x432.png 768w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Ada-CS-event-800x450.png 800w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Ada-CS-event-450x253.png 450w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Ada-CS-event-900x506.png 900w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Ada-CS-event.png 1300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" /> We were pleased to see the benefits of updates we’ve made, including a redesign of the question finder released in March 2025 — students reported that it is easy to navigate the platform and find what they need: 81% reported being able to find relevant content, and 77% could find the questions they were looking for. “It’s SO EASY to find exactly what I want.” – Ada Computer Science student Overall, students perceive Ada CS as both useful for learning about computer science concepts and of high quality. They reported finding the content clear, with a good level of detail. “The topics are broken down into easily digestible sections, and the provided diagrams really help with understanding the topics.” – Ada Computer Science student “The resource is really well designed, short and concise.” – Ada Computer Science student We also received helpful suggestions for future improvements. Students shared feedback on how the information on the platform is presented, asking for more concise, revision-friendly content as well as guidance for exploring concepts in more depth. We’ll therefore be looking into alternative ways to structure content as we continue to develop Ada CS. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="495" src="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/image2-800x495.png" alt="Graph depicting how strongly students felt that Ada Computer Science helps them to learn about computer science concepts." class="wp-image-91968" style="width:840px;height:auto" srcset="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/image2-800x495.png 800w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/image2-300x186.png 300w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/image2-500x309.png 500w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/image2-768x475.png 768w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/image2-1536x950.png 1536w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/image2-450x278.png 450w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/image2-900x557.png 900w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/image2.png 1904w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /> Students rate the quizzes highly The most popular feature is the quizzes and practice questions, including the immediate feedback and hints provided. Students value how these resources help them solidify their knowledge, learn from mistakes, and prepare for assessments. “The questions are clear and make me think, they’re relevant to my studies and the hints for the questions are very useful.” – Ada Computer Science student We also appreciated the suggestions we received for how we can further develop this feature, for example, creating more questions, extending the range of question types per topic, and making improvements to the hints. Impact on learning Students also feel that using Ada CS has a tangible impact on their learning. 82% agreed they were more confident that they understand CS concepts as a result of using Ada CS and 79% feel more confident learning about computer science concepts without a teacher to explain. “I do CS A level but I hadn’t done the GCSE and I found that all of the resources gave me enough information to learn the concepts from scratch and now I’m much more confident in my knowledge of the theory.” – Ada Computer Science student <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="648" src="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/image1-800x648.png" alt="Graph depicting how students feel using Ada CS has on their learning." class="wp-image-91969" srcset="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/image1-800x648.png 800w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/image1-300x243.png 300w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/image1-500x405.png 500w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/image1-768x622.png 768w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/image1-1536x1244.png 1536w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/image1-450x364.png 450w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/image1-900x729.png 900w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/image1.png 1862w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /> What’s coming next? Students provided us with lots of useful feedback and suggestions for how we can further improve Ada CS, especially relating to practice questions. We’re already working on adding more questions across topics, creating more challenging questions, and adding more question types that will enhance students’ learning experience. We’ve got some other exciting developments in the pipeline too, which we’ll announce soon! Thank you to everyone who took the time to complete the survey. These findings are invaluable for shaping the future of Ada Computer Science, helping us to continue to provide the best possible learning platform for students. The post How Ada Computer Science empowers students: Survey findings appeared first on Raspberry Pi Foundation.
Code Club Conference 2025: Creativity, community, and collaboration in Cambridge
Over the first weekend in November, members of the global Code Club community came together for two inspiring days of learning, creativity and connection. The annual event celebrates the people who make Code Clubs happen, allowing them to share ideas, explore new tools, and connect with others who help young people learn to code. Exploring… The post Code Club Conference 2025: Creativity, community, and collaboration in Cambridge appeared first on Raspberry Pi Foundation.
Over the first weekend in November, members of the global Code Club community came together for two inspiring days of learning, creativity and connection. The annual event celebrates the people who make Code Clubs happen, allowing them to share ideas, explore new tools, and connect with others who help young people learn to code. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1417" height="945" src="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Web-2K-CCC-2025-2.jpg" alt="Educator at Code Club Conference attending a workshop" class="wp-image-91938" style="width:746px;height:auto" srcset="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Web-2K-CCC-2025-2.jpg 1417w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Web-2K-CCC-2025-2-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Web-2K-CCC-2025-2-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Web-2K-CCC-2025-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Web-2K-CCC-2025-2-800x534.jpg 800w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Web-2K-CCC-2025-2-450x300.jpg 450w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Web-2K-CCC-2025-2-900x600.jpg 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1417px) 100vw, 1417px" /> Exploring new technologies and inclusive teaching Saturday began with hands-on sessions that brought creativity and technology together, exploring large language models and prompt engineering in Collaborating with LLMs and being a prompt boss. There was a lot of laughter from attendees about how large language models can produce confident but incorrect answers if given vague prompts, but many left inspired to experiment with new technologies in their own clubs. “First time there and it was amazing. Met loads of great people and the amazing code club crew. I learnt loads of new skills around AI and Arduino.” – An attendee Explore AI with creators in your club using our AI and machine learning projects. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1417" height="945" src="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Web-2K-CCC-2025-1.jpg" alt="Educator in a workshop, using a micro:bit " class="wp-image-91939" style="width:738px;height:auto" srcset="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Web-2K-CCC-2025-1.jpg 1417w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Web-2K-CCC-2025-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Web-2K-CCC-2025-1-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Web-2K-CCC-2025-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Web-2K-CCC-2025-1-800x534.jpg 800w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Web-2K-CCC-2025-1-450x300.jpg 450w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Web-2K-CCC-2025-1-900x600.jpg 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1417px) 100vw, 1417px" /> Collaboration that counts brought mentors together to discuss common challenges like volunteer retention, limited resources, and communication barriers. A crowd favourite was a shared volunteer toolkit, as well as event checklists and safeguarding resources. “What I enjoyed most about the Clubs Conference was the opportunity to meet other facilitators and hear their stories — their successes and challenges. These conversations validated the volunteer work I do and reminded me of the impact of our clubs.” – An attendee From the theatre sessions, you can watch Inclusive learning – Supporting Deaf learners in clubs which was both moving and insightful. We learnt that visual demonstrations, colour cues, and repetition were key to supporting Deaf learners. One memorable quote captured the spirit of the session: “The children couldn’t speak to us. The children — we couldn’t hear their voices but by the eighth week we were able to hear their voices from what they built on the screen and it was echoing all around the classroom.” – Chidi Duru Find out more about Chidi’s joy of coding alongside Deaf creators. Learning and making across continents The weekend’s talks showcased the reach of Code Club worldwide, with volunteers sharing their experiences of collaboration, sustainability, and creativity. Watch Lessons from resourceful Code Clubs in India, which highlighted the ingenuity of young learners in under-resourced settings, while Hands-on with the Raspberry Pi Pico showcased low-cost, high-impact projects from Kenya and South Africa. Speakers showed how community clubs adapt to local needs with unplugged activities and coding games inspired by cricket and kabaddi, empowering young people to solve real problems and celebrate curiosity through play. Excitingly, these new resources will be launching early next year; keep an eye on our activities page to be among the first to try them out! <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1417" height="945" src="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Web-2K-CCC-2025-4.jpg" alt="Two attendees during a workshop working together" class="wp-image-91940" style="width:694px;height:auto" srcset="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Web-2K-CCC-2025-4.jpg 1417w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Web-2K-CCC-2025-4-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Web-2K-CCC-2025-4-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Web-2K-CCC-2025-4-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Web-2K-CCC-2025-4-800x534.jpg 800w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Web-2K-CCC-2025-4-450x300.jpg 450w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Web-2K-CCC-2025-4-900x600.jpg 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1417px) 100vw, 1417px" /> In the session Code Club Projects Unplugged, facilitators shared the idea of “hiding the vegetables” — hiding the learning inside the fun. Whether through a collaborative Scratch game, a micro:bit prop on stage, or a Pico gadget solving a real problem, this approach helps young people learn through play. They remember the joy, and the skills come naturally. Learning beyond the screen Teaching tech away from the computer screen shared a fun unplugged cybersecurity activity, The Chicken Shop, where learners role-play social engineering scenarios. Its success came from clear printed instructions, movement, humour, and strong debriefing. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1417" height="945" src="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Web-2K-CCC-2025-3.jpg" alt="Educators sharing ideas during a workshop" class="wp-image-91943" style="width:736px;height:auto" srcset="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Web-2K-CCC-2025-3.jpg 1417w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Web-2K-CCC-2025-3-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Web-2K-CCC-2025-3-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Web-2K-CCC-2025-3-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Web-2K-CCC-2025-3-800x534.jpg 800w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Web-2K-CCC-2025-3-450x300.jpg 450w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Web-2K-CCC-2025-3-900x600.jpg 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1417px) 100vw, 1417px" /> Learning coding outside the box explored how to engage young people with diverse learning styles while the Arduino crash course gave attendees a taste of physical computing and C++ programming in action. Workshops on AI, sustainability, and youth empowerment with Raspberry Pi computers and Unlocking Code Club resources helped club leaders discover practical ways to inspire problem-solving and make use of all the support available through Code Club. The message from the sessions was clear: young people learn best when technology is human and hands-on. Showcasing creativity with Coolest Projects Coolest Projects – get involved! championed creativity over competition. Any young person under 18 can submit their project, including unfinished ideas. In-person and online showcases celebrate progress, imagination, and teamwork. Speaking on the closing panel, Code Club leader Rachael Coultart talked about the importance of Coolest Projects as a rare platform for children to talk about their learning. She spoke about the experience of one particular child, explaining that it had made a powerful impression on her, saying: “It had such a huge impact. I felt so proud of her and what she’d achieved. Afterwards, her parents told me that they felt it was the first time she had really been seen.” What the community is taking forward The community is united in its commitment to making Code Clubs inclusive, creative, and sustainable. Context matters — projects that reflect local interests and challenges motivate young people to learn Accessibility is central: visual cues, repetition, interpreters, and inclusive resources support every learner Structure builds confidence; start with simple, guided activities before open-ended exploration Volunteers are vital; shared toolkits, checklists, and training help them deliver engaging sessions Celebration and affordability matter too: regular showcases and tools like the micro:bit, Pico, and Crumble keep computing fun, hands-on, and accessible for all “Thank you. Clubs Conference is a highlight of my year.” – An attendee Stay connected If you want to stay up to date with the latest news, events and opportunities from Code Club, sign up for our newsletter and be part of the growing global community. The post Code Club Conference 2025: Creativity, community, and collaboration in Cambridge appeared first on Raspberry Pi Foundation.
Debunking myths about space science with Astro Pi impact evidence
The European Astro Pi Challenge is a collaboration between ESA, the national European Space Education Resource Offices, and the Raspberry Pi Foundation. The 2025/26 challenge, which is currently open for registration, marks 10 years of incredible opportunities for young people to send their code into space. In this blog post, we are pleased to share… The post Debunking myths about space science with Astro Pi impact evidence appeared first on Raspberry Pi Foundation.
The European Astro Pi Challenge is a collaboration between ESA, the national European Space Education Resource Offices, and the Raspberry Pi Foundation. The 2025/26 challenge, which is currently open for registration, marks 10 years of incredible opportunities for young people to send their code into space. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="533" src="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2023/05/AstroPi-WORF-LR-iss069e004379-800x533.jpg" alt="The Astro Pi computers inside the International Space Station." class="wp-image-83983" style="width:500px;height:auto" srcset="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2023/05/AstroPi-WORF-LR-iss069e004379-800x533.jpg 800w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2023/05/AstroPi-WORF-LR-iss069e004379-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2023/05/AstroPi-WORF-LR-iss069e004379-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2023/05/AstroPi-WORF-LR-iss069e004379-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2023/05/AstroPi-WORF-LR-iss069e004379-450x300.jpg 450w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2023/05/AstroPi-WORF-LR-iss069e004379-900x600.jpg 900w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2023/05/AstroPi-WORF-LR-iss069e004379.jpg 1392w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /> The Astro Pi computers inside the International Space Station, where young people’s programs run. In this blog post, we are pleased to share the Astro Pi 2024/25 impact report, where we look at ways in which the Astro Pi Challenge is bringing value to the lives of many young people and mentors, based on survey responses and interviews. Along the way, we’ll debunk some myths about space science. How Astro Pi makes space science accessible Here at the Raspberry Pi Foundation, we’ve heard a few myths about space science and coding, and how daunting it can be to write a computer program, let alone one that can run in space. We can’t let these myths stand — instead we’re going to debunk them, equipped with evidence we’ve collected about the 2024/25 Astro Pi Challenge and previous challenge rounds. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="546" src="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2022/09/33483075158_05b701ef4e_k-800x546.jpg" alt="A young person takes part in Astro Pi Mission Zero." class="wp-image-81433" srcset="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2022/09/33483075158_05b701ef4e_k-800x546.jpg 800w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2022/09/33483075158_05b701ef4e_k-300x205.jpg 300w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2022/09/33483075158_05b701ef4e_k-500x341.jpg 500w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2022/09/33483075158_05b701ef4e_k-768x524.jpg 768w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2022/09/33483075158_05b701ef4e_k-1536x1048.jpg 1536w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2022/09/33483075158_05b701ef4e_k-450x307.jpg 450w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2022/09/33483075158_05b701ef4e_k-900x614.jpg 900w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2022/09/33483075158_05b701ef4e_k.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /> Read on for some astronomical facts from our latest impact report, and get ready to help young people in your community send their code into space. Myth 1: You have to be a rocket scientist to send things into space Not true! In the Astro Pi Challenge 2024/25, young people created over 17,800 computer programs that ran on board the International Space Station (ISS). Teams of young people aged between 8 and 19 took part in the challenge in a range of settings, including schools, Code Clubs, libraries, and community youth groups. They wrote short programs in Python, which were then sent to run on special Raspberry Pi computers, called Astro Pis, in the Columbus module of the ISS. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1417" height="797" src="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Astro-PI-IRvis.jpg" alt="The Astro Pi computers." class="wp-image-91911" style="width:726px;height:auto" srcset="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Astro-PI-IRvis.jpg 1417w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Astro-PI-IRvis-300x169.jpg 300w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Astro-PI-IRvis-500x281.jpg 500w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Astro-PI-IRvis-768x432.jpg 768w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Astro-PI-IRvis-800x450.jpg 800w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Astro-PI-IRvis-450x253.jpg 450w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Astro-PI-IRvis-900x506.jpg 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1417px) 100vw, 1417px" /> The Astro Pi computers up close. Since the first Astro Pis arrived on the ISS in 2015, over 160,000 young people have had their code run in space. To celebrate their achievements, they each received certificates with the exact time and location of the ISS when their programs ran. “We want our code to run in space! We are fascinated by discovery and the opportunity to contribute to a real science experiment on the ISS.” – Mission Space Lab mentor Myth 2: Only experienced programmers can write code for the International Space Station Not true! The Astro Pi Challenge is made up of two missions, Mission Zero and Mission Space Lab, and Mission Zero is perfect for young people who are new to text-based coding. With the help of step-by-step project instructions, young people write a short Python program to display personalised pixel art on board the ISS, using data from a sensor on one of the Astro Pi computers in their image. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2268" height="1276" src="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Copy-of-IMG_3828.jpg" alt="Young people writing Mission Zero programs." class="wp-image-91912" style="width:722px;height:auto" srcset="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Copy-of-IMG_3828.jpg 2268w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Copy-of-IMG_3828-300x169.jpg 300w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Copy-of-IMG_3828-500x281.jpg 500w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Copy-of-IMG_3828-768x432.jpg 768w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Copy-of-IMG_3828-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Copy-of-IMG_3828-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Copy-of-IMG_3828-800x450.jpg 800w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Copy-of-IMG_3828-450x253.jpg 450w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/Copy-of-IMG_3828-900x506.jpg 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2268px) 100vw, 2268px" /> In fact, Mission Zero mentors find that the low-stakes nature of the activity coupled with the real-world connection to space create an ideal learning environment. 83% of Mission Zero 2024/25 mentors told us that participation increased young people’s skills and confidence in computing and digital making, and 78% believed that young people were likely to participate in other computing or digital making challenges in the future. “They [young people] come from complicated environments and sometimes their confidence is very low. They don’t believe in themselves and this [Mission Zero] really empowers them.” – Mission Zero mentor Myth 3: Learning to write code for the ISS only involves technical skills Not true! Mission Zero engages young people in thinking creatively as they plan their artwork, and Mission Space Lab involves working in teams to write a computer program to solve a scientific task in space, combining teamwork, problem-solving, and knowledge from other scientific domains. While 100% of mentors whose teams successfully completed Mission Space Lab in 2024/25 agreed that participation improved young people’s skills in computing and digital making, 91% also confirmed that it increased young people’s confidence in these areas, and 91% told us that it increased young people’s understanding of STEM concepts. The impact likely goes beyond building skills. Mentors from both Astro Pi 2024/25 missions told us that the challenge made young people feel connected to a wider community of learners around the world, and the excitement of the challenge also extended to the mentors themselves, as well as other adults in their community. “Mission Zero is a way of connecting not only to a worldwide group of learners, but also to explorers, future scientists, and future astronauts. To see them as part of a larger community and not just an activity or assignment that they have to do in class.” – Mission Zero mentor <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="500" height="375" src="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/TheNinja_run2_timelapse-500x375.gif" alt="Images of Earth taken aboard the ISS by a Mission Space Lab team." class="wp-image-91922" srcset="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/TheNinja_run2_timelapse-500x375.gif 500w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/TheNinja_run2_timelapse-300x225.gif 300w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/11/TheNinja_run2_timelapse-450x338.gif 450w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" /> An image sequence captured by team TheNinja during their Mission Space Lab experiment Thank you to everyone who continues to make the Astro Pi Challenge a success. To find out more about the ways in which the challenge impacts young people, read the full Astro Pi 2024/25 impact report: Read the Astro Pi 2024/25 impact report (PDF) If you would like to find out more about how you and your creators can participate in this year’s European Astro Pi Challenge, read our launch blog post. The post Debunking myths about space science with Astro Pi impact evidence appeared first on Raspberry Pi Foundation.
Designing for every learner in every classroom
One of the things I love most about my role as Chief Learning Officer at the Raspberry Pi Foundation is hearing from teachers around the world. A teacher in Kenya told me how their students debugged their first programming projects on a shared laptop. In Scotland, another explained how our resources gave them the confidence… The post Designing for every learner in every classroom appeared first on Raspberry Pi Foundation.
One of the things I love most about my role as Chief Learning Officer at the Raspberry Pi Foundation is hearing from teachers around the world. A teacher in Kenya told me how their students debugged their first programming projects on a shared laptop. In Scotland, another explained how our resources gave them the confidence to teach computing for the very first time. These stories remind me daily why our work matters: every young person, no matter where they live, should have the chance to explore the power of computing. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="534" src="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/08/DSC_6563-800x534.jpg" alt="Young people use laptops to do their coding tasks." class="wp-image-91250" style="width:631px;height:auto" srcset="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/08/DSC_6563-800x534.jpg 800w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/08/DSC_6563-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/08/DSC_6563-500x334.jpg 500w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/08/DSC_6563-768x513.jpg 768w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/08/DSC_6563-450x301.jpg 450w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/08/DSC_6563-900x601.jpg 900w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/08/DSC_6563.jpg 1000w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /> But creating resources that work in such different contexts is not easy. How do we design materials that work in a wide range of learning environments, from a bustling city classroom to a rural school where internet access can vary? How do we make sure that every learner sees themselves reflected in the examples we choose? That’s where our teaching and learning design principles come in. What makes our approach different Over the past decade, we’ve learned a huge amount about what teachers and learners need from us. We’ve made mistakes, we’ve listened, and we’ve refined our practice again and again. The result is a set of design principles that guide the creation of everything we make, from full curricula to one-off projects. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="533" src="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/09/YP7_1955-1536x1024-1-800x533.jpg" alt="Four students at laptops in a school in India." class="wp-image-91402" style="width:711px;height:auto" srcset="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/09/YP7_1955-1536x1024-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/09/YP7_1955-1536x1024-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/09/YP7_1955-1536x1024-1-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/09/YP7_1955-1536x1024-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/09/YP7_1955-1536x1024-1-450x300.jpg 450w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/09/YP7_1955-1536x1024-1-900x600.jpg 900w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/09/YP7_1955-1536x1024-1.jpg 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /> These principles are practical and based on real classroom experience. They’re our way of making sure our resources are reliable, inspiring, and flexible, wherever and however teachers use them. Here’s what that looks like in action: High quality – You can trust our resources to be accurate and classroom-ready. We put every piece of content through rigorous checks because we understand how busy you are. Research-informed – Our choices are grounded in evidence, not guesswork. We blend academic studies with insight from teachers like you and our own evaluations to create approaches that genuinely work. Consistent – We design our materials to fit together, so learners can build skills step by step, without confusion or contradiction along the way. Inclusive by design – We think carefully about accessibility, representation, and language right from the start. When young people see themselves reflected in computing, they see it as a future they can be a part of. Adaptable – No two classrooms are the same. By making our resources editable and flexible, we give you the freedom to shape them for your learners. Read the full set of design principles (PDF) Why share these design principles now? For us, being transparent about our approach is about trust. Teachers make daily decisions about which resources to use, often with limited preparation time. By showing you the principles behind our work, we want to give you the confidence that our content is not only free and adaptable, but also designed with care, expertise, and your learners at the heart. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="534" src="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/06/IMG_2854-800x534.jpg" alt="Educators participate in a teacher training in Kenya." class="wp-image-90687" style="width:775px;height:auto" srcset="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/06/IMG_2854-800x534.jpg 800w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/06/IMG_2854-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/06/IMG_2854-500x334.jpg 500w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/06/IMG_2854-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/06/IMG_2854-450x300.jpg 450w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/06/IMG_2854-900x600.jpg 900w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2025/06/IMG_2854.jpg 1000w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /> Looking ahead The world of computing education is moving fast, from new programming software, to artificial intelligence tools. Our design principles give us a strong foundation to keep innovating while staying true to our mission of enabling young people to realise their full potential through the power of computing and digital technologies. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="619" src="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2021/02/BARROWHILL_CC4542HL031319-800x619.jpg" alt="A boy and teacher in a computing class" class="wp-image-67985" srcset="https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2021/02/BARROWHILL_CC4542HL031319-800x619.jpg 800w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2021/02/BARROWHILL_CC4542HL031319-300x232.jpg 300w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2021/02/BARROWHILL_CC4542HL031319-768x594.jpg 768w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2021/02/BARROWHILL_CC4542HL031319-500x387.jpg 500w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2021/02/BARROWHILL_CC4542HL031319-1536x1188.jpg 1536w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2021/02/BARROWHILL_CC4542HL031319-2048x1584.jpg 2048w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2021/02/BARROWHILL_CC4542HL031319-scaled-450x348.jpg 450w, https://www.raspberrypi.org/app/uploads/2021/02/BARROWHILL_CC4542HL031319-scaled-900x696.jpg 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /> And we’d love to hear from you! How do these principles resonate with your teaching? What helps you most in the classroom? Your feedback is what keeps making our work better. The post Designing for every learner in every classroom appeared first on Raspberry Pi Foundation.