Learning science
the fun
& Creative way!

The COMnPLAY SCIENCE project aims to help Europe better understand the new ways in which non-formal and informal science learning is taking place through various coding, making, and play activities that young Europeans are nowadays increasingly engaged with, outside school and higher education science classrooms, beyond the formal boundaries of science education.

Focus

Non-formal and informal science learning through coding, making & playing

Coding

Teaching coding is currently gaining momentum accross the world to help young people develop technological fluency and deeper understanding of how the digital world is created, how it might be used to meet our need, how we might repair or modify it.

Making

The maker movement has dynamically entered the landscape of innovative education and non-formal and informal learning, offering an unprecedented opportunity for educator to advance a progressive educational agenda.

Playing

The elements of fun and playfulness harness children's sense of joy, wonder and natural curiosity, achieving high levels of engagement and learners personal investment in learning.

Key Results

Main outcomes stemming from the project

Research Instruments & Tools

A set of tools for learner-centered participatory research (documents to print, software to install) and an accompanying usage manual.

Inventory of Practices

Online public inventory of coding, making and play-based non-formal and informal learning practices, categorized and annotated in the light of the findings of the research.

Community

A European-wide community of stakeholders, including learners, educators, facilitators and policy makers from diverse fields.

COMnPLAYer app

An app which helps children discover and learn about science and enable them to have their say on what it actually means to them.

Τhe COMnPLAYer app

The project has created the COMnPLAYer app which helps children discover and learn about science and enable them to have their say on what it actually means to them. The app includes a series of entertaining stories featuring Steamo, the quirkiest AI Life Coach in the world! The stories build on the principles of science capital - what you do, who you know, what you know, and how you think. The stories link to quizzes which encourage users to reflect on their own science capital, and their responses will help COMnPLAY researchers to understand just how 'science-y' young people across Europe believe themselves to be.
- The app is available for Android on Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=at.comnplay.micro
- A web version is also available: https://comnplay.app.ovosplay.com/#/login

Social Media

Join the Community

Stakeholders (leaders, educators/facilitators and policy makers) from diverse fields and from accross Europe, so that all research conducted can be in close contact with real life conditions and applications of coding, making and play for non-formal and informal science learning.

Active Participation
Sharing
Networking