Edutronics: Gamification for introducing kids to electronics

In this paper we present the Edutronics project, a new game-based equipment to introduce kids to Electronics by means of a fun learning environment based on learning by doing. The equipment has been developed as a graduation project by a group of Egyptian students, enrolled in a double degree program in ICT Engineering, organized by Uninettuno University (Italy) and Helwan University (Egypt). The equipment is composed by a hardware platform and a controlling software. The hardware platform consists of a didactic kit designed to allow to build electric circuits in a amusing and safe way. The controlling software has been developed as a mobile application and provides the students with exercises to be solved. Today's ubiquity of social networks is enabled through a Facebook profile in order to publish one's results. An Arduino board with Bluetooth shield connects the hardware to the software and is able to check the correctness of each exercise solutions. Such an equipment is targeted to young students of primary to high schools in order to introduce them to Electronics in a safe way and with an affordable cost for schools.