School children in Kristiansand finally got a chance to see the dream machines they themselves have invented and drawn sketches to – built with the help of engineering students at the University of Agder (UiA) and vocational students in Kristiansand and Grimstad.
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Tuesday this week the dream machines were finally unveiled at Kristiansand public library. The machines were developed over several months through the course MyMachine where university students, vocational students and primary school children together develop machines based on children’s dreams – such as mitten throwers, garbage collection machines, automatic trampolines and more.
Since the start of the semester last autumn, engineering students from various educational programmes have worked intensively on a three-part process. From the idea phase with children through concept development and construction of the machines, they have put theory into practice and experienced the importance of teamwork, process and different types of skills. The children dream up the machines and draw sketches, the engineering students design and develop, and the vocational students build them.
Read more about the global MyMachine programme (in Norwegian)
"The goal is for the students to retain knowledge that will make them attractive to employers and to give them skills in teamwork and process management across subject disciplines and educational levels", says Idunn Sem, who is course manager for MyMachine at UiA. She has followed the students from the start of the semester and guided them through the different project phases. Now she is pleased that the exhibition is finally ready.
"The students have worked hard, been focused and done their bit during this busy time. I am pleased with the result, but most pleased that they now have skills and tools that will prove important for them when they enter the labour market", she says.
Before the opening of the exhibition a breakfast seminar was held at the library. Keyword for the seminar was "competence". UiA and Fluks – Centre for Young Art together with the Kristiansand region chamber of commerce invited businesses and partners to a session on tomorrow’s competencies.
Both local and international speakers participated, and of those who spoke on behalf of MyMachine was former business leader and current senior advisor at UiA, Dag Nordbø. He is also MyMachine ambassador in Norway.
"There is no doubt that the MyMachine project work is important. Engineering students are given a unique opportunity to understand complex problems in a completely new way, because they take part in the process from start to finish", he said.
Nordbø knows business well and has been through both ups and downs.
"I know that when working with skilled workers and process development, the students acquire invaluable skills. This is the expertise business demands and a labour market in change needs", he added.
Even though the skills the students acquire are important to Ingunn Sem and her team at the faculty of fine arts, the exhibition opening day is still the most fun.
"It makes you so proud to see the children running around excited to see the dream machine they helped sketch finally built and ready. To see them jumping on the trampoline machine, try the mitten shooter or use the garbage collector to suck up garbage is amazing", Idunn says.
In addition to expectant and happy children, the vocational students who built the machines were also present, together with the engineering students and others.
During the breakfast seminar, vocational teacher Asle Øygarden from Dahlske upper secondary school shared his experiences from the collaboration over the last three years.
"Teamwork between skilled worker and engineer is necessary already during training, and it proves that the MyMachine project is important. My students aren’t simply given a task at school, they get an order from someone who manages a process and from someone who wants a product. They get skills they need for employment", he claimed with the full support of UiA students who told about a busy year with a lot of work.
Idunn Sem and MyMachine are grateful.
"Even though we have had challenges with funding and confusion about who gets the bill for the skills our engineers acquire, this is first and foremost a day where I feel much gratitude. Gratitude for the good partners we have had, for the students I get to supervise and for projects where self-development is at the centre."
This year’s MyMachine exhibition is open from 19 to 31 March at Kristiansand public library.
SEE THE VIDEO FROM THE DAY HERE!
MYMACHINE NORWAY