A significant number of students at the Qianhai Innovation Education Group's Yueliangwan Primary School have cultivated a strong fascination with intelligent autonomous vehicles.
During after-class sessions, students from the intelligent autonomous vehicle club are often seen working with smart self-driving cars of different shapes and functions. Some test the cars while others discuss how to improve their functionality, Shenzhen Evening News reported.
Working on an autonomous vehicle involves a combination of software and hardware knowledge. It is part of the creative education initiative in STEM, which stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
"The students will collaborate in groups to develop their ideas and create initial design drawings. They will then create a 3D model after learning to use the SolidWorks software," explained Hua Jiayang, director of the tech innovation and information technology support department at the school.
"We will provide students with the necessary parts based on their designs, including aluminum alloy tubes, adapters, sensors, and wheel-hub motors, using either 3D printing or purchasing. We will also guide them through the hands-on assembly process."
The intelligent unmanned vehicle club is one of seven tech clubs at the school, each with 20 to 30 students involved. The clubs offer a variety of events and courses during after-class sessions every Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. The school's principal, Feng Wentong, said that tech innovation education aims to lay a solid foundation for students interested in pursuing scientific research.
Over the past 10 years, Shenzhen has implemented 28 measures to promote tech innovation education in primary and secondary schools. The city has released China's first guideline for maker education courses, established maker labs, and integrated maker education with various subjects. Shenzhen has so far built 200 maker labs, 250 outstanding tech societies, and designated eight schools as bases for scientific and tech innovation education.