Education

The EZONE UWA Student Hub had a budget of AU$80 million (around US$57 million) and took two years to complete

Architecture

Sustainable learning hub keeps cool with math-inspired petal facade

Hassell has designed UWA's new Faculty of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences building. The project is defined by a shading screen of metal "petals." It also boasts sustainable technology, such as solar power and an advanced monitoring system.

Echo has already begun construction and is due for completion in late 2021

Architecture

Under-construction college campus offers lessons in sustainability

UNStudio has announced that construction is underway on a new college campus building in the Netherlands. Once work is completed, students will be hitting the books in a flexible and energy-efficient space that integrates greenery on its facade.

The CrowPi2 is currently raising production funds on Kickstarter

Laptops

Pi-based laptop has a learning lab hidden inside

Developer of open source hardware and education products Elecrow has launched a Kickstarter to fund production of a chunky Raspberry Pi-based laptop with a STEAM learning lab hidden underneath the removable keyboard.

Switch on, feed in a plastic strand, turn the crank and create

3D Printing

3Doodler cranks out print and play learning package

3Doodler has launched a 3D printing pen specifically designed for pre-schoolers and above. The 3D Build & Play package comes with a low-heat drawing device, character and accessory molds and colorful backdrops to encourage learning through play.

With over 1.5 billion school students around the world currently at home, many are asking when schools will safely be able to reopen

Health & Wellbeing

COVID-19 school closures: How long can they last, and what comes next?

A new study offers one of the first investigations into how effective school closures are in slowing the spread of infectious disease outbreaks. The study also asks when, and how, schools can reopen considering this pandemic may last a year or two.

Presenting the same smell during learning and sleep can effectively improve memory performance according to new research

Health & Wellbeing

How linking odors to learning during sleep can help memories form

Scientists have understood for several years how linking learning to specific odor cues can enhance memory if the same smells are then presented during a specific sleep phase. New researcn has now verified the method in a cohort of school students.

Research suggests VR experiences may not be useful in some educational contexts

Virtual Reality

Virtual reality may prevent effective formation of visual memories

A study is suggesting VR may inhibit effective formation of visual memories, and in some contexts could result in poor educational results. The study hypothesizes the enhanced cognitive demands of VR potentially disrupt visual memory formation.

EduSense could allow instructors to adjust their performance on the fly, based on real-time feedback

Good Thinking

Computer vision system tracks instructors' performance

Being a college lecturer – or at least, being a good one – involves more than just speaking at a podium. You also have to engage the students, and a new dual-camera system is designed to assess just how well instructors are doing so.

Dubbed the "85 percent rule," research suggests a certain degree of failure is vital to efficient learning

Science

Failing 15 percent of the time leads to better learning outcomes

Whether it's coming to grips with a new game, or honing a skill, there's an ideal sweet spot for learning, between too easy and too hard. A new study is suggesting that the optimal learning zone involves failing around 15 percent of the time.

The Arcade Coder is made up of a tactile, programmable game console and an iOS app

Games

Arcade Coder challenges kids to design games

Tech Will Save Us has launched the Arcade Coder that's designed to give kids the power to create custom games they can play.

All of the Beatbox components are mounted to reinforced cardboard housing

Music

Rhythmo reveals build-it-yourself beat machine in a cardboard box

Cardboard is generally used as packaging, to house new instruments during transit for example. But we've seen a number of gear innovations actually built using cardboard over the years, and the latest to join the cardboard band is the Beatbox, a MIDI drum machine built into cardboard housing.

Middle schoolers can experiment with electromagnetism, thermodynamics, kinetics and kinematics courtesy of the Arduino Science Kit Physics Lab

Children

Arduino and Google get middle schoolers kitted out for science

Open source hardware and software company Arduino has teamed up with Google to develop and launch the Arduino Science Kit Physics Lab. Designed for students aged 11 to 14, the kit helps kids experiment with forces, motion, magnetism and conductivity.