BITS Pilani Students Collaborate with Goa Government’s Coding and Robotics Project

Students from BITS Pilani campuses in Goa and Hyderabad have participated in a summer internship program with the Goa government’s Project Management Unit (PMU), which is responsible for implementing coding and robotics curriculum in schools across the state. The coding and robotics curriculum has been integrated into the syllabus of more than 430 government and aided schools, benefiting around 65,000 students. A special advanced program has been introduced for students interested in coding and robotics, with over 7,700 students from Classes VI, VII, and VIII enrolling for this elective subject.

The internship program, which took place from May 30 to July 21, 2023, aimed to develop collaboration between the PMU and undergraduate students from BITS Pilani campuses. During the internship, students were exposed to the challenges associated with the current Information and Communication Technology (ICT) syllabus and had the opportunity to contribute to enhancing the curriculum structure. The PMU is working on innovations such as toy-based pedagogy, artificial intelligence-driven chatbot systems, and web-based applications to enhance the coding and robotics curriculum.

The successful collaboration resulted in constructive contributions from the interns, which will have a lasting impact on the curriculum’s development. The interns received certificates at the end of the program, fostering the potential for future collaborations. The PMU has also provided computer devices and wireless local network connectivity to participating schools, ensuring the effective implementation of the coding and robotics syllabus.