Smart Labs Piano Scuola 4.0: a guide to designing the labs

These days, all Italian high schools (licei) and technical and vocational institutes are required to submit preliminary projects for the realisation of classrooms and labs equipped as innovative digital learning environments.

The chapter of the PNRR dedicated to Education, called Piano Scuola 4.0, has a budget of more than €1.5 billion to digitally innovate the entire upper secondary education system, with particular focus on strengthening Technical-Vocational Institutes, called to train the new generations of specialised technicians required by companies that have completed their 4.0 transition.

But what are these new digital, advanced and innovative learning environments?

What are the new training objectives and, above all, what are the technologies to be considered?

To answer these and many other related questions — for example those concerning the new curricula — we have decided to publish a series of thematic articles, intended as a guide for teachers and school principals in charge of building Scuola 4.0 projects, replicating the analogous initiative we successfully ran for the MIUR Atelier Creativi call in 2016.

Following that initiative, the guidelines we drafted and the pilot projects led directly by Chirale were adopted as the reference standards by INDIRE, the research body of MIUR.

Since then, the scenario has completely changed, both because of the evolution of technologies and markets, and because of the new investment models that, at European level, characterise the PNRR.

Over these years we have continued to build new experience in the training sector, and above all we have supported many companies in their Digital Transition journeys; we know very well the new demand for qualified professionals, without whom Italian companies will never reach their goals.

In this first article we will give a general overview of the problem and analyse the different possible design areas, in relation to the type of school, the educational orientation and the training objectives.

The Piano Scuola 4.0 already specifies in detail both the general objectives of the investment line called Smart Labs and the technologies to be considered when equipping the labs.

It is precisely the latter that usually create the most confusion in those who, for the first time, are setting out to design digital learning environments.

Let us therefore start exactly from the new technologies, some of which have suddenly come to the fore in recent days and are having an unexpected impact precisely on schools.

The drafters of the Piano Scuola 4.0 themselves probably did not imagine, while preparing the document, that a few months later ChatGPT, an Artificial Intelligence freely accessible to everyone, would be able to handle an exam task — for example an Italian essay or a coding exercise.

While the whole world debates whether and how to ban this kind of technology to prevent homework and class tests being delegated to a machine, we should think about how to make positive use of these tools, which will inevitably spread enormously across the world of work.

We are surely facing the new revolutionary innovation after the invention of the Personal Computer.

But let’s proceed in order.

The Piano Scuola 4.0 mentions several categories of technologies and tools that have long been adopted in education. Each category can be relevant both as a purely didactic tool, aimed at facilitating, supporting and reinforcing the teaching/learning processes, and as the very subject of the educational process, as a tool or technology used in the world of work.

The following is a first overview of the technologies to be considered when designing an innovative lab.

• Robotics and Automation

  Robotics has long been used as a pedagogical tool in lab-based teaching, with the aim of stimulating and developing logic and coding skills. In our case, it is useful to distinguish between Educational Robotics, corresponding to the previous meaning, and Industrial Robotics, which is one of the topics on which it is necessary to build skills increasingly demanded in the world of work.

  The technology that most characterises the current scenario is so-called Collaborative Robotics. It is a new generation of machines, called Cobots (Collaborative robots), designed to work alongside human operators, addressed to a very broad audience of companies — including micro and craft businesses — augmented by sensors and Artificial Intelligence software, capable of carrying out repetitive and even complex tasks.

  The cost of buying and installing cobots is increasingly low, and using them does not require special technical specialisations; this is why their market penetration will be very wide over the coming years.

• Artificial Intelligence

  This is undoubtedly the technology set to have the greatest impact on every sector.

  The skills to be built around Artificial Intelligence cover both coding and the ability to understand and implement machine-learning algorithms, as well as the ability to make effective use of the new tools that are becoming increasingly pervasive in the world of work.

  It is a transversal technology applicable to very different areas. While in the past technology and automation caused the disappearance of jobs related to manual and repetitive activities, the new tools based on machine-learning technologies are also putting at risk intellectual and creative professions that, until very recently, were thought to be safe from automation.

  Image-based diagnosis entrusted to computer vision is starting to be more effective than the diagnostic process entrusted exclusively to human beings. The new generative artificial intelligences are able to produce photographic-quality images, drawings, texts and entire newspaper articles, with quality comparable to that of mid-level designers and copywriters.

  We need to rethink the concept of creativity and foster the development of skills that define new professional profiles able to use these technologies according to the paradigm of Augmented Intelligence.

  The information- and source-research process, typical of many intellectual activities, can be redefined and enhanced by these new tools.

  Artificial Intelligence offers enormous opportunities in the pedagogical field but requires a major mindset shift on the part of teachers, students and parents.

• Cloud Computing

  This is a technology area already widely used in schools. The infrastructure of the new labs will need to take this paradigm of access to applications and IT tools into account even more than has been the case so far.

  In addition to the classical use of the many sharing and collaboration tools, Cloud Computing makes it possible to access cutting-edge technologies, such as Quantum Computing or High-Performance Computing for Machine Learning (access to TPU – Tensor Process Unit systems).

• Cybersecurity

  This is a very topical and increasingly important issue.

  System security is an element that must necessarily be considered when designing the lab infrastructure, but it must also be one of the topics on which to focus pedagogical effort.

  The pervasiveness of computers and telecommunication technologies requires that everyone, regardless of their social role, be aware of and competent on cybersecurity topics.

  Trainers face a delicate and critical discipline. While, on one hand, implementing prevention and risk-mitigation policies requires the right knowledge, the spread of that same knowledge increases the likelihood of malicious use.

  It is a problem typical of our modern world for which there are consolidated best practices that must also be applied in the school context.

• Internet of Things

  The pervasiveness of microcontrollers and the widespread availability of Internet connectivity have favoured the development of this paradigm; our daily life is populated by objects that collect and exchange information, sometimes in ways that are not entirely transparent or controlled.

  The Internet of Things becomes important in the Digital Transition of companies in its meaning of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT).

  The distribution of devices in the environment (local, industrial, urban, geographical, …) — able to collect information and parameters via sensors and possibly perform control actions on machines and plants — is an increasingly common setup in many contexts, from environmental monitoring to industrial-plant control.

  Traditionally associated with Cloud Computing, IoT has evolved towards Edge Computing and Tiny Machine Learning configurations. In both cases, data processing happens on peripheral devices, lightening the volume of data sent to central systems.

  Geographically distributed systems can leverage new-generation communication protocols such as LoRaWAN, more sustainable and economical than traditional mobile-network connectivity.

  Skills on data communications and IoT systems are now fundamental in an increasingly interconnected world.

• Making, Modelling and 3D/4D Printing

  3D printing technologies entered schools starting in 2014, following the wave of media popularity of the maker movement.

  The pedagogical value of 3D printing has been amply demonstrated and was the main driver that brought lab-based teaching, based on the Learn By Doing paradigm, back to the spotlight.

  At a general level, the spread of 3D printing has influenced the language of industrial design.

  Today, we are facing a technology in full maturity. Important progress has been made in printing technologies and in the development of new materials.

  When designing a training lab it is necessary to pay particular attention to this technology, avoiding products and solutions that are by now dated and tied to the maker model.

  3D Printing should be seen as one of the technologies for low-volume production and rapid prototyping, alongside the other digital fabrication tools — such as laser cutting, CNC milling and UV printing — which today are equally important both in education and in industry.

• Augmented and Virtual Reality

  The development of GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) hardware, driven by the demand for ever-higher performance in real-time graphic rendering, machine learning and cryptocurrency mining, has enabled the development of virtual reality and augmented reality headsets that are ergonomic, functional and comfortable for most people.

  Today’s real-time graphic rendering platforms allow the development of immersive applications at affordable cost.

  Education and entertainment are the two sectors most affected.

  In recent years, augmented reality has started to prevail over virtual reality and most of the best applications, both in education and in industry, can by now be defined as mixed reality.

  It is a transversal, indispensable technology for any interactive learning environment, both for its intrinsic effectiveness in the pedagogical field and for the growing importance this technology is gaining in industry.

• Digital Economy and Blockchain

  Blockchain technology has had its moment of greatest media attention in recent years. In 2023, disillusionment seems to prevail, especially toward the cryptocurrency sector, strongly tied to this technology.

  In reality, this is a correct rebalancing of expectations. There is, however, no doubt that Blockchain technology will be an important ingredient, especially in the so-called digital economy.

  The Metaverse — another topic that has experienced an unjustified period of hyper media attention — is starting to take shape as a natural extension of the Web. The growth of transactions taking place over the Internet continues to be a constant trend.

  Stimulating the development of skills in the broader concept of digital economy should be one of the training objectives to be considered.

As you can see from this simple list of technological areas, the scenario for designing learning environments is far more complex and articulated than the model used in the design and implementation of fab lab-style labs, which has been considered the “golden standard” for educational labs from 2015 onwards.

Compared to back then, the world of business has radically changed: the offshoring phenomenon is over and the so-called reshoring phase has begun — that is, the relocation of production to the home country; supply chains, which during the pandemic showed all their weakness, have been redefined; the Digital Transition is fully under way, and automation, for the first time, also affects micro businesses and craft activities.

The skills required to enter the world of work are increasingly tied to digital. All this has a major impact on the design of new school environments dedicated to learning.

The new labs will need to be supported by a stronger presence of ICT technologies.

All reference technologies require significant data-processing capacity. Equipment in terms of computers (both personal and server), the internal communications infrastructure (LAN) and ultra-broadband Internet access are the first points to focus on.

In 2016, it was possible to equip innovative labs by leveraging desktop digital fabrication machines and the Fab Lab model, with very limited use of personal computers and ADSL Internet access — often required only during configuration and equipment-update phases.

Today, whatever the lab’s vocation, an ICT infrastructure marked by high processing capacity and ultra-fast Internet access is a necessary condition for ensuring its real effectiveness.

Once an adequate infrastructure is in place, we can move on to the actual design phase.

Here, we will provide a general overview of the design methodology, indicating which phases and macro-activities to follow.

Each of the points will be analysed and treated in the following articles we plan to publish over the coming weeks.

• Identification of general training objectives

  The Piano Scuola 4.0 covers both licei and Technical-Vocational Institutes. The aims of these two categories of schools differ, and these differences must shape the lab’s design.

  It is no coincidence that the financial allocations for Technical-Vocational Institutes are larger than those for licei.

  The reform of the Technical-Vocational Institute system is one of the central pillars of the PNRR. These are schools intended to train the new generation of technicians who will enter the labour market right away, responding to the strong demand for vertical specialist skills generated by the widespread digitalisation of companies.

  In this case, the Smart Lab will need to resemble an applied and industrial research lab and provide industrial-grade tools and equipment.

  In the case of licei, the goal is to train students who will go on to university and to professions that may include scientific research and intellectual work.

  In this case, the lab will need to provide equipment and tools more oriented to scientific research and study.

  In many cases the technologies used will be the same, but the choice of configurations will need to reflect the differences between the curricula characterising the respective educational offers.

  In some cases there may be a presence of different technologies. For example, access to the new quantum computers — still not powerful enough to be of practical interest to companies — offers, for the first time in history, the possibility of conducting quantum-mechanics experiments without owning a particle accelerator or major lab equipment. This is an important opportunity for liceo students that should be considered when designing the services offered by the new labs.

• Analysis of the local area and of the specific vocation of the Training Institute

  Every school has its own local area of reference. Especially in the case of Technical-Vocational schools, the local entrepreneurial fabric should be the main reference for designing the curricula and, consequently, the innovative learning environments.

  It must also be considered that the lab can host events and initiatives carried out in collaboration with local companies.

  The presence of industrial districts and the specific historical vocation of each school should be the starting point on which to base the lab’s design.

• Identification of training objectives, reference curricula and teaching staff competences

  As a learning environment, the lab must be a pedagogical tool aimed at the kind of training objective being pursued and must be usable by the teaching staff.

  The lab project must be part of a wider project to reshape the educational offer.

  The competences of the teaching staff and their ability to use the technologies and tools the lab will be equipped with must be duly considered, providing if necessary a training plan for the teachers themselves, to be carried out using the lab itself, with the support of external experts.

• Selection of technologies and equipment

  The choice of technologies, machines, equipment and tools should always be correlated with the objectives and the general plan of the educational offer identified in the previous phase.

  One of the most frequent mistakes in designing school labs is the choice of machines, instruments or lab equipment which are advanced and innovative in themselves but unrelated to the actual educational offer — requested by teachers enthusiastic about new technologies, with an early adopter profile, who see in opportunities such as the Piano Scuola 4.0 investments the chance to personally experiment with innovations that have great media attention, without assessing their real usefulness in the specific context.

  This is a costly mistake that diverts important resources that should be allocated in ways more useful to pursuing the educational objectives.

• Sizing of tools and design of the lab layout

  This is the final design phase of the lab.

  Once curricula, educational objectives and the external and internal context of reference are clear, on the basis of environmental, logistical and budget constraints, we can move on to sizing the various tools, selecting products, machines and equipment from the market offer, choosing models and configurations based on the identified requirements.

  In this phase, the layout of the spaces is drawn and the technical drawings and any renderings that will guide the subsequent phase of refurbishing the spaces and equipping the lab are produced.

  Using immersive AR and VR technologies in this phase can be very effective for previewing and simulating the lab.

  If suitable tools are available in this phase, the creation of a 3D virtual model of the lab can already be an activity to carry out together with students, experimenting with a paradigm that is becoming increasingly common in industry: the definition of the digital twin of a structure or plant.

• Definition of supply specifications and procurement management

  The budget allocated to each School by Piano Scuola 4.0 allows procurement procedures that do not require European tenders. However, the process must be managed in full compliance with the Italian Public Procurement Code.

  This phase is particularly critical because we need to reconcile the contracting authority’s quality needs with the cost-efficiency criteria envisaged by the procurement code.

  Our recommendation is to use restricted procedures, carefully designing the splitting of the contract into lots that make it easy to identify a shortlist of reliable suppliers specialised in their respective fields.

  The support of an independent consulting firm such as ours can be fundamental in this phase. The absence of distribution and reseller agreements and a focus solely on research, training, design and consulting activities guarantee independence both from the various technology vendors and from the many distributors and resellers operating in Italy.

• Setup, testing and commissioning

  This is the final, executive phase of the project, during which supplies must be carefully verified and validated, the lab will be set up and the first pilot projects will be started, possibly preceded by training programmes for the teaching staff.

  In this phase too, the support of a consulting company independent of the suppliers can be a decisive element to handle any disputes and ensure a smooth commissioning of the lab.

In the next articles, we will dive deeper into the points just outlined.

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