Let's play! A hybrid seminar exploring music, making, engineering and environmental sustainability in schools
Wednesday 14 May (3.30-5.30pm)
Nicolas Gold, Ross Purves and Evangelos Himonides, University College London
A hybrid seminar jointly hosted by the UCL Science Education Special Interest Group and the UCL Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability Education:
In person attendees in Room 938, Institute of Education, 20 Bedford Way, WC1 0AL
Online attendees, please hold the date and look out for an EventBrite signup link to follow, or get in touch directly with Ross Purves (r.purves@ucl.ac.uk)
Session schedule:
3:30: informal play with construction system for in person attendees
4:00: formal presentations for all attendees
4:45: online demo for online audience in one room; in person demo for those onsite in the other room.
5:30: close
This hybrid in-person and online session will introduce a new environmentally sustainable construction platform designed to support creative, interdisciplinary learning at the intersection of music, making, and software engineering. Building on eight years of classroom‑based research using LEGO®, robotics sensors, and Raspberry Pi computers to design and program hybrid acoustic–digital musical instruments, our team has recently developed a fully recyclable, low‑cost alternative made from recycled cardboard, eco‑friendly adhesives, and open‑source electronics. Tested thoroughly via a recent five‑week primary school project, the system enables pupils to design robust structures, integrate sensors, and trigger synthesised sound through programmable workflows—while modelling principles of circular design and sustainable fabrication.
Participants attending in person will have generous time to enjoy experimenting with the new platform, explore its construction possibilities, interact with the electronic components, and consider opportunities for embedding sustainability, engineering design, and creative STEM/STEAM practice across primary and secondary curricula. Online attendees will have a dedicated, interactive demo of the system on camera – with the opportunity to discuss and ask questions.
All attendees are warmly invited to share expert feedback to help refine the system's educational, scientific, and sustainability applications; an optional anonymous questionnaire will be available for those wishing to contribute.
There will also be an opportunity to hear about the UCL Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability Education's recently launched music professional development modules for primary and secondary school teachers, which share similarly interdisciplinary approaches to creative engagement with environmental sustainability.
