Up to 9,000 primary school students are taking part in a virtual Hour of Code with Microsoft as part of Computer Science Education Week.
Students from all over the island of Ireland have been involved in the event, which is an annual campaign held across the world by Code.org and runs from December 7th to 13th.
This year's event was held virtually on Microsoft Teams to take account of the pandemic restrictions, with more than 100 Microsoft employees delivering the sessions. For the first time, it was extended to students in Northern Ireland, and also recorded participants from every Gaeltacht region.
The Hour of Code Unplugged sessions are designed to enable students to develop coding and computational thinking skills without the need for a device. Participants must come up with their own creative technology solutions with sustainability in mind.
"Over the course of 2020, the team at Microsoft Ireland has been finding new ways to engage with students and teachers across the country so they can continue to participate in digital skills experiences. Our virtual DreamSpace experience has brought STEAM education alive while DreamSpace TV has provided a new resource for STEAM learning," said Cathriona Hallahan, managing director of Microsoft Ireland.
“Through Hour of Code, we’ve engaged 44,000 students over the last seven years and by taking a virtual approach to this year’s campaign, we can help ensure that even more young people - irrespective of their background or location - have the tools and skills to help shape our digital world.”
There are also interactive sessions available online for those who have devices. The tutorial is available in both English and Irish.
