FietsSTEM voor Scholen (BikeSTEM for Schools)
Mobility and traffic safety are issues everyone faces each day, and everyone has an opinion on. They are also popular themes in class. Developing skills on Geographical Information Systems (GIS) is also in the school syllabus, but is not easy to accomplish.
The Network for Sustainable Mobility Research (UGents) combines mobility and GIS in educational material for the last two years of secondary school. 1.200 pupils are recruited as citizen scientists, that map their school environment and give feedback on bicycle safety.
The educational material is easy to use and consists of three lesson periods:
Lesson 1 - Pupils digitalise their route from home to school via the project's web platform and answer questions on bicycle safety.
Lesson 2 - Pupils analyse data entries by their class and school in GIS and design maps.
Lesson 3 - (Optional) Pupils discuss the 'Cycling barometer' of their class and their school, en write proposals to improve bicycle safety in their school environment.
In the second and third trimester of the 2019-2020 school year, the project is starting in various school.
