Children’s and Youth Scientific University: classes of the «Carousel of Directions» group – we work in a mixed format

During March, students in grades 6-7 attended online and offline classes of the «Carousel of Directions» group of the Children’s and Youth Scientific University of NU «Zaporizhzhia Polytechnic».

In the class «Perpetual Motion: Dreams and Reality», the children went on an exciting journey through the world of fiction and science to consider the well-known concept of a perpetual motion machine. Together with the senior lecturer of the Department of Internal Combustion Engines Nataliia Ryaboshapka, they revealed the secrets of this amazing idea, examined its roots and found out why it has captured the imagination of scientists and science fiction writers for centuries.

Under the guidance of Associate Professor of the Department of Automobiles Andriy Shcherbina, the students examined the topic «The First Cars of Mankind», learned that people from ancient times not only dreamed of fabulous vehicles like a hut on chicken legs, a stove that drives itself or a carpet that flies itself, but also created the first prototypes of cars that were supposed to work under the influence of both natural phenomena and physical, mechanical and chemical processes. The children were impressed by cars that worked on the power of the wind, compressed springs, steam, electricity and gasoline.

Dmytro Shyrokorad, Associate Professor of the Department of Systems Analysis and Computational Mathematics, told the students about the basic concepts of machine learning and the basic principles of neural networks during the lesson «Fundamentals of Neural Networks». Under the guidance of Dmytro, the children trained a neural network and developed a program based on it that models the ability of a chameleon to change its color according to the color of the environment. And they even created a model that distinguishes human emotions.

At the offline class in the direction of «Information Technologies» students of the Faculty of Information Security and Electronic Communications under the leadership of the Dean Nataliia Furmanova organized a master class «Introduction to 3D Modeling in the Blender Environment», where students created an interesting three-dimensional model of a toy and worked with a system of textures and particles. The second master class «Basics of Programming and Installation Based on Arduino» was dedicated to assembling and programming a traffic light on an Arduino board.

We are grateful for the organization of the classes to the Director of the Children’s and Youth Scientific University, Olena Nazarova; for the motivation of students to the pedagogical activity of the Dean of the Faculty of Information Security and Electronic Communications, Nataliia Furmanova; for initiative and creative approach to teachers of Zaporizhzhia Polytechnic Institute Nataliia Ryaboshapka, Andriy Shcherbina, Dmytro Shyrokorad, students Oleksiy Romanchenko, Vladyslav Achkasov, Illia Polozkov and all children for active participation and interest.

We look forward to the next meetings!