The momentum that distance learning systems have taken over the past year has opened up the possibility of testing alternative models in order to explore the development of other skills. For example, the STEM model focuses on science, technology, engineering and mathematics, which are related areas mainly with a scientific or engineering profile.
Applying the aforementioned educational method, Pictoblox, a graphical programming tool designed for children, teaches through a playful and interactive mechanism on artificial intelligence, through the creation of their own games, animations, interactive projects and work with robots.
This initiative arose in India, with Stempedia, a Startup dedicated to technology in the educational field. In addition to developing the software mentioned above, they made available a series of online courses, offered for different age ranges, thus allowing to take advantage of the time at home while enhancing competences that have the projection to remain highly demanded in the future.
Without going too far, thanks to the development of artificial intelligence, technologies such as autonomous vehicles, virtual assistants and facial recognition have been promoted. Just as today we can see how these advances are emerging from their emergent stage, it is estimated that the next generations will coexist with fully consolidated advances in this category.
Understanding this panorama, Stempedia gave life to Pictoblox AI, its graphical programming tool enabled to work on projects with artificial intelligence and machine learning, which uses resources that promise an attractive experience for children, by basing its learning methodology on project implementation.
Unlike the traditional mechanisms applied to the study and development of AI, as it is a child-oriented initiative, Pictoblox AI can generate the first approaches to these technologies, through practical applications such as the creation of a face detector, the identification of celebrities in an image and the recognition of printed texts, among other attractive and stimulating activities.
Currently, Stempedia is working on adding new features to Pictoblox, such as the ability to learn about developing applications programmed in Python, both graphically and syntax-wise, to get into the direct work on code. Also, one of the plans of this Indian startup is the implementation of a space for the community of students and educators to share ideas and collaborate online.
The Pictoblox app is currently available for Windows, Mac and Linux. A mobile version will also be available in the near future.
Thanks to initiatives like this, which facilitate learning by doing for children, Stempedia has been listed as a pioneer in STEM Education. Since its origins in 2016, its products and services have gone through more than 40 countries, winning awards and support from organizations in India, the United States and the United Kingdom.
If, together with the technologies surrounding it, artificial intelligence has captured a significant level of interest in research and development today, its explosive penetration into our environment allows us to assume that in the future it will be even more present, strongly influencing areas such as the world of work, service delivery and social dynamics, to name a few general examples.
If you want to know more about Pictoblox, you can find additional information on the Stempedia website.
