Wireless Web Kids - Mobile Learning in Primary and Secondary Education

Wireless Web Kids (WW-kids) is an approved project with financial support of the Flemish government, Economics Department. The project started in December 2007 and runs till December 2010. Main purpose is to motivate children for studying sciences and technology. In Belgium there is a lack of students studying engineering, physics, chemistry, biology, technology and informatics. The project aims to enlarge the knowledge of children in primary and secondary education in the field of ICT in general, and new technologies as mobile devices for learning in particular. In the project students will learn and study with WEB 2.0 applications, using mobile devices. After the project children will have a clear inside how mobile devices can contribute to learning and working. The project is supported by companies and research units of the University of Hasselt. 1 Background of the project Due to the fact that not enough students choose for studying exact sciences and engineering, companies face a shortage of labour forces. The Flemish government wants to solve the problem by financing special projects from universities and their research units to work out special programs or projects that encourage students to choose for exact sciences and engineering. The project wants to popularize sciences. Nowadays exact sciences and technology have no special motivation anymore for younger people. Professions as information scientist are seen as boring, working lonely behind a desktop. In reality these professions have made a real change last years. Information scientists have also to have organizational and communicational skills. Through visiting companies, universities and research units and having contacts with workers and researchers the project hopes children get motivated for these professions. The project hopes for a positive influence in the study-choice of children and pupils in secondary, higher education and university studies.