Science and Technology Day at the Technical University of Crete

More than 3,000 visitors —children, students, and their families— attended on 2nd of November 2024 the Science & Technology Day at the Technical University of Crete, where they experienced hands-on demonstrations of cutting-edge research and technological innovations. Participants interacted with scientists and students, explored how scientific discoveries impact our daily lives, and were inspired by new ideas and future possibilities. As the University’s largest outreach event, the Science & Technology Day offers an immersive educational experience that brings together Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) to promote critical thinking, problem-solving, and innovation.

As part of the Science & Technology Day, the MAESTRO-AI project showcased the preliminary results of educational experiments, exploring the use of AI in programming education. Conducted during lab sessions with university students, the experiments involved guided interactions with ChatGPT—acting as a virtual tutor. The experiments demonstrated the potential of AI to enhance learning in large classrooms and reflects MAESTRO-AI’s mission to innovate teaching through responsible AI integration in STEM education. Presented feedback highlighted the AI’s usefulness in providing immediate, personalized support, while also noting the importance of maintaining a balanced role for human instructors.

Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or Fundacja Rozwoju Systemu Edukacji. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.