Engineering by Design: Using Robotics Kits for Engineering Design Challenges

On 17 October 2026, secondary school teachers of Computer Science and Technology took part in a two-hour workshop on engineering design at the University of Thessaly, Department of Digital Systems, in Larissa, Greece. The training was supported by a Science on Stage Germany Engineering Grant and took place as part of the 12th International Conference for the Promotion of Educational Innovation, held in Larissa from 16 to 18 October 2026 and organised by the Scientific Association for the Promotion of Educational Innovation (E.E.P.E.K.).

Organised and delivered by Aristeidis Paliouras of the 3rd Vocational Laboratory Centre of Eastern Attica, the workshop focused on the engineering design process and used the new robotics kits now available in Greek schools as a rapid-prototyping tool.

After an introduction to the engineering design cycle, participants worked in teams on a hands-on engineering challenge. They defined the problem, its constraints and measurable success criteria, then designed, built, tested and improved a robot solution.

The workshop closed with a discussion on assessing the design process, documenting design decisions and linking the activity to real engineering careers, as well as ideas for using these challenges in class.