Hello! We have reached the end of the 2019-2020 edition of the UNICEF Samsung Marathon - Mobile Technologies in Schools; an initiative of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and Samsung, with the technical partnership of the Center for Studies and Research in Education, Culture and Community Action (CENPEC) and the Association for the Promotion of Brazilian Software Excellence (SOFTEX). The marathon aims to foster, in school communities, the development of prototypes of applications for mobile devices that contribute to the learning process of girls and boys from public schools throughout the country. For this purpose, students, teachers, programmers and designers benefited from pedagogical and programming mentoring throughout the creation and development process.
In this second edition, which took place between September 2019 and August 2020, more than 300 teams signed up. Nineteen teams from 11 Brazilian states were selected for the final phase of this edition. The applications that have been developed address the areas of knowledge, competencies and abilities provided for in the National Common Curricular Base (BNCC) for High School – Portuguese Language and its Technologies, Mathematics and its Technologies, Natural Sciences and their Technologies, Applied Human and Social Sciences – as well as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations.
High school and college students, designers, teachers and programmers who participated in this latest Marathon had an extra challenge: to overcome the physical distance imposed by the need for social isolation because of the new coronavirus.
However, something that initially posed a major challenge for the teams, soon became a new opportunity for learning and for using the digital tools. The group discussions and application testing, that at first would have taken place face to face, were successfully replaced by online meeting sessions.
We invite you to know all these projects and teams along the next pages. The results that have been achieved demonstrate the commitment of UNICEF, Samsung, and their partners to encourage the capacity building of future generations, so that they can reach their full potential through innovative educational solutions and pathways that can be adopted by schools throughout the country, as well as to promote the leading role of adolescents and young people.
Have a great read!
In 2020, 19 teams of public schools, from 11 Brazilian states, were selected in the second edition of the UNICEF Samsung Marathon - Mobile Technologies in Schools. High school and college students, programmers, designers and educational professionals designed applications in accordance with the topics established in the National Common Curricular Base (BNCC) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations; these apps will be used in the classrooms of public schools throughout the country.
Canindé de São Francisco, State of Sergipe
Natural Sciences and their Technologies and Applied Social and Human Sciences
In a recreational and didactic way, the application informs and encourages the discussion about misconceptions and prejudice related to sexuality, unintended pregnancy and disharmonious relationships. The students – through the use of popular songs – can have access to technical, scientific, biological, and psycho-affective information; gain knowledge to help them recognize and confront violence and gender inequality; and can also understand the concept of women’s empowerment. At the same time, they exercise ethical, responsible and preventive behavior.
Palhoça, State of Santa Catarina
Natural Sciences and their Technologies and Applied Social and Human Sciences
The application is an interactive game in Portuguese and in the Brazilian Sign Language (Libras) that is intended to provide the students with guidance on Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs). The player becomes a healthcare worker and has to take actions to prevent and treat diseases such as syphilis and AIDS. The scenario reveals a whole context of vulnerability: poverty and difficulties of access to healthcare services, information and education.
Teresina, State of Piauí
Natural Sciences and their Technologies and Applied Social and Human Sciences
Intuitive and fun, the application is a game in which the student experiences several historical periods to consolidate the contents of Chemistry, Physics, Biology and History learned in class. In the first level, which takes place during the Middle Ages, the contamination of a river by the Black Death leads to the sickening of the local population, who must, then, organize themselves to recover it. Scientists such as Darwin and Newton appear as tutors to guide the player. The app is accessible to people with color blindness.
Campo Grande, State of Mato Grosso do Sul
Natural Sciences and their Technologies and Mathematics and its Technologies
By using a QR Code, the students go into classes created by the teachers and, in this environment, they study, solve problems and consolidate the contents seen in class. At each challenge, they earn points and are ranked by the system. The teacher can use the time spent by each student to answer the questions and the individual scores to evaluate specific aspects. The application features a text-to-speech converter and a converter from text to the Brazilian Sign Language (Libras).
Belo Horizonte, State of Minas Gerais
Natural Sciences and their Technologies
The application aims to improve the knowledge regarding the most common diseases and helps the students to retain the Biology content in a fun way. In the “study mode”, the user has access to the theory in an objective and concise way: through lists of symptoms, prevention and treatment. On the other hand, in the “interactive mode”, the students consolidate the contents in a participative way, interacting in real time with each other. The teachers can, for example, stimulate competitions and team games.
State of Alagoas
Applied Social and Human Sciences and Language and its Technologies
While the students study and practice the grammar of the English language, they become familiar with the culture and customs of the inhabitants of English-speaking countries. The application - with its soft and intuitive design - fosters empathy, constructive communication, mutual respect and appreciation of the diversity of individuals and social groups and their particular knowledge, identities and cultures, without prejudices of any kind. The contents are divided into four countries, representing four continents: England, Australia, the United States and South Africa. The students explore the content and practice multiple-choice exercises or answer open-ended questions.
Manaus, State of Amazonas
Natural Sciences and their Technologies and Mathematics and its Technologies
In an innovative way, the application enables the students to solve Mathematics and Physics problems by immersing themselves in the content and with futuristic technology. All the student has to do is add the proposed numerical values in the question and an augmented reality scenario will show up right in front of her/him. This way, she/he “goes inside the problem to be solved”. The user can see in front of her/him, for example, the cars accelerating or slowing down on a track. It is accessible to users with color blindness.
Rio de Janeiro, State of Rio de Janeiro
Applied Social and Human Sciences and Natural Sciences and their Technologies
The application is a video game that introduces the students to the concepts of sustainable farming and solidarity economy and encourages a healthy lifestyle. The user raises animals, grows plants and harvests what is necessary to survive, she/he also trades with other farmers and must take care of her/his health through a balanced diet and physical activities to be successful in the game. The application - aiming to reach the largest possible number of students - works on several types of devices, from the most basic to the most modern ones. It has the Brazilian Sign Language (Libras) interpretation feature and screen reading.
João Pessoa, State of Paraíba
Natural Sciences and their Technologies and Mathematics and its Technologies
Designed to make up for the lack of physical laboratories in public schools, the application enables students to do simulations and practical experiments using their smartphones. It has guides that summarize the theoretical concepts and guide the user in carrying out practical experiments. Thus, the students have in their hands a “pocket laboratory” where he can learn about the application of some of the substances used in daily life. It has Portuguese subtitles for the people with hearing loss.
Belo Horizonte, State of Minas Gerais
Natural Sciences and their Technologies and Applied Social and Human Sciences
Intuitive and easy to use, the application introduces students to the concepts of sustainable development and energy sources and their environmental impacts. In “SustenCity”, the player has to manage the energy generation of a city, installing and removing power plants, provided that he has done a previous socio-environmental assessment. The game encourages the students to act personally and collectively with responsibility. It has the option of activating and deactivating music and sounds, screen reading, support for color blind people and it does not use flashing lights or sudden color changes.
Belo Horizonte, State of Minas Gerais
Natural Sciences and their Technologies and Applied Social and Human Sciences
The intention of the application is to promote the integration between several High School subjects using a fun and interactive game: the user has to assess the installation of power plants in a location according to several factors and environmental impacts. As a result, the application presents the student with the main forms of energy generation available today, their advantages and disadvantages. The application is divided into: content screens (pages with information about the topics), game screens (where the student interacts with the topics and makes decisions) and settings screens (accessibility options for color blind people and people with motor disabilities).
Manaus, State of Amazonas
Natural Sciences and their Technologies
Understanding a city as a living organism is the objective of this application that simulates a municipality as if it were a human body. The students are invited to solve problems and their attitudes influence the health of this body, making it more or less healthy. It engages and motivates students through curiosity and debates, and it reminds them that the decisions made by the individual reflect on the collective. It has screen reading and a good color contrast options.
Belo Horizonte, State of Minas Gerais
Applied Social and Human Sciences and Language and its Technologies
The application is, in fact, a role-playing game (RPG) in which the player is inserted in the 1812 England, the times of the Luddites. As she/he progresses, the student receives information regarding the processes of production and circulation, and also she/he identifies, analyzes and discusses historical, geographical, political, economic, social and environmental circumstances. The app is of great assistance in the teaching of History, Geography and Sociology, and promotes the students’ engagement concerning the contents. It is accessible for color blind people and has visual representation of sounds.
Vitória da Conquista, State of Bahia
Applied Social and Human Sciences and Language and its Technologies
With the application “Agora”, the students can experience debates, the exercise of argumentation, defend points of view and make decisions. The users have to manage a city together by making collective decisions in a variety of situations. Each round, they must provide arguments, discuss and decide whether to approve or reject a request, and each decision affects the city. The application has a color filter for color blind people and a zoom option for people with reduced vision.
Teresina, State of Piauí
Natural Sciences and their Technologies and Language and its Technologies
The intention of this application is, not only to motivate the students to play sports and make Physical Education classes more dynamic, but also to facilitate the learning of topics such as muscle tissues and other knowledge about the human body. Through the app, the Physical Education teachers can carry out specific monitoring of the performance of their students. It has a module for students and another one for teachers. It also has two accessibility features: screen reading and font size increase, for people with low visual acuity.
Paranavaí, State of Paraná
Applied Social and Human Sciences and Mathematics and its Technologies
The application links the knowledge of Mathematics with the Applied Social and Human Sciences, with the help of a special tutor, the mascot Thalles, who guides the user and presents stories of personalities with hearing impairments. The intention is that the tool is, not only accessible, but also that it places the person with hearing loss in a leading position.
Manaus, State of Amazonas
Natural Sciences and their Technologies and Language and its Technologies
In an innovative and creative way, the application proposes the learning of Physics through poetry. The gamified environment awakens the familiarity in approaching the contents using music, visual elements, a scoring system and a progressive increase in the level of difficulty with each challenge that is overcome. The app encourages the debate around scientific topics in and outside the classroom.
Belo Horizonte, State of Minas Gerais
Natural Sciences and their Technologies
The goal of this application is to include Chemistry in the students’ daily lives, in a natural and fun way. The users are guided - with the aid of maps and GPS - to collect atoms that appear according to the following classification: common, rare, epic, legendary and synthetic. When the periodic table is accessed, it is possible to check the atoms that have already been explored. The app has friendly colors for people with autism and it also has filters for color blind people. The “debug” mode works without having to go out on the street.
Belo Horizonte, State of Minas Gerais
Applied Social and Human Sciences and Natural Sciences and their Technologies
The application seeks to facilitate the understanding of chemical formulas, the concept of hydrocarbons present in nature, and the interaction of students with teachers. The students become able to build and visualize the formulas of the main compounds, receiving information about their characteristics and properties. It works offline, facilitating the access to the students, and it has a screen reader and font size adjustment for people with visual impairments.
As you could see, the 19 applications that were developed, aligned with the National Common Curricular Base (BNCC) and with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations, brought a great diversity of topics and approaches. The UNICEF Samsung Marathon seeks proposals that encourage collaborative work and offer creative and playful solutions to sensitive areas of society.
Projects that contribute to learning materials related to the debate on sexuality, the fostering of gender equality, prevention of diseases and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) came from the States of Sergipe, Santa Catarina and Minas Gerais. The teams from the States of Alagoas, Amazonas, Paraíba and Bahia created proposals that foster the interest in subjects such as Physics, Chemistry, History, Geography, Mathematics and the English and Portuguese Languages.
In addition, the concern with digital accessibility for people with hearing and visual impairments came from the States of Mato Grosso do Sul and Paraná. The students from the State of Piauí, on the other hand, developed a project to encourage the practice of sports and those from the State of Rio de Janeiro, devised a tool to promote sustainable farming.
We need to encourage and incentive new forms of learning. It is refreshing to acknowledge the creativity, capacity and potential of these adolescents and young students. It is through them that we become aware of the importance of listening to them and engaging them in Education and in the design of proposals that contribute to actions that impact our present and future. In the current moment of society, more than ever, these applications contribute to the learning and interactivity between students and educators.
UNICEF, Samsung and their partners in the Marathon believe that the mobile technologies created and developed by these 19 teams, from the most diverse regions of the country, help guarantee the right to learn for each child and adolescent.