Shaw-IAU Workshops by the OAE

The FRESCO project co-designs playful resources for children, targeting ages up to 12 years within an international community. It focuses on creative learning (specifically Game Based Learning and Playful Learning) in STEAM, Astronomy and Astrophysics.
We have started focussing on specific actions, namely the building of a community and evaluating participants’ perceptions of their personal experience of co-design and co-development, and their views on the value and effectiveness of such processes. To assess these aspects, we have designed an evaluation system using documentation (online activity recording and observation) and questionnaires, carried on throughout the whole process, to collect also pre-post evidence about the occurring changes regarding our research questions.

About Stefania Varano

Stefania Varano is First Technologist of the Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF), Italy.
She completed a MA in Astronomy, a PhD in Science, Cognition and Technology, a Certificate for high school education, and a Master's degree in Science Communication.
She is PI of the INAF working group UNIVERS@LL for equity in astronomy outreach and education, curator of the Visitor Center of the INAF-Institute of Radio Astronomy, member of the Italian Center of the Office of Astronomy for Education, member of the Management Committee of the Game Science Research Center, journalist.
She studies, designs, and experiments with formal, informal, non-formal, playful, and equal education activities using astronomy.