UKZ has inaugurated the STEM Laboratory

Aiming at the development of the Public University “Kadri Zeka” in the realization of its mission and the realization of strategic objectives, UKZ has managed to have the STEM Laboratory, which is supported by HERAS+, financed by the Austrian Development Cooperation (ADA) of Austria.

Prof. Assoc. Dr. Artan Dermaku, Rector of UKZ, in his speech said that the STEM Laboratory will strengthen the development of activities in the direction of new programs of UKZ, especially in the field of science and technology. The Rector said that in this process, students will be prepared with competencies for the needs of the market and the increasingly technologically advanced society. STEM education, the Rector said, is about applying creative thinking to STEM projects, sparking students’ imagination and creativity through technology.

Prof. Dr. Xhevdet Thaqi, Dean of the Faculty of Applied Sciences thanked the HERAS team for the support in creating the STEM laboratory. He said that the purpose of the STEM Laboratory is to enable the development of activities within the educational process in the Faculty of Applied Sciences (Mathematics, Informatics), the Faculty of Computer Sciences (Technology, Informatics) and the Faculty of Education (STEAM education) to address the practical needs of students and teachers regarding their professional skills in STEM fields.

According to Dean Thaqi, now with the STEM laboratory, Institutional accreditation and accreditation of the applied mathematics program and other study programs in the Faculty of Education and the Faculty of Computer Science, as well as the development of the Finance and Applied Accounting study program within the Faculty Economic will be easier.

Aqim Emurli, director of HERAS+, congratulating UKZ for the laboratory, said that we focus on cooperation with universities at the strategic level and in the clear vision of the institution, with the aim that the equipment is used in the development of scientific research and services for the community.

UKZ student Endrit Rexhepi presented the STEM laboratory equipment, how and what can be worked with them.

The STE(A)M laboratory will successfully contribute to the support of learning/teaching activities and research in the STEM fields, there will be encouragement and creativity and innovation among students, the promotion of group work and cooperation will be made, it will be possible to facilitate of using technology to support projects, it will be easier to develop and apply theoretical knowledge to practice and solve problems, adjust the schedule to accommodate a new way of teaching and learning, and also provide professional development for all staff in STEM practices and principles.

In the STEM lab, students can develop their science, engineering and math skills by using technology to create, collaborate and complete projects – learning and applying knowledge to find solutions to various problems.

STEM lab equipment can support the core curriculum by including science tools and math manipulatives during lessons. To further these engineering skills and develop design skills, students can use computer-aided design tools such as 3D Printer, Blender or Tinkercad to be creative and design 3D shapes.

These models can then be turned into physical prototypes with the help of a 3D printer, Coding, Robotics, etc., for students, or those who want to progress beyond the basics of design materials, a great technology to build problem-solving skills of problems. Using Shape Robotics, students can easily build their own robots using clickable technology and then develop their coding skills by making these robots move. Another great example of software that allows students to create virtual spaces is Co-Spaces.