This demo showcases the Library of Inspiration, an initiative making STEM learning more accessible, engaging, and inclusive, particularly for underrepresented children. Freely available, take-home technology kits distributed via school libraries, enable young learners to explore coding, robotics, audio, and VR. Co-designed with children, teachers, and librarians, the kits are tailored to be relevant and engaging. Attendees will participate in a live demonstration, aligning with themes of equity, diversity, inclusion, and social justice. Our demo highlights hands-on STEM engagement, child-centered co-design, scalability, and community impact. It contributes to IDC's key themes by emphasizing socially-just technology design, participatory research with children, and scalable educational initiatives. By transforming school libraries into digital inclusion hubs, this initiative ensures children can develop future-ready skills. Attendees can explore, discuss, and reflect on how playful, co-designed, self-directed STEM learning can foster innovation. We hope to inspire educators, researchers, and designers to develop more equitable, learner-driven approaches to technology education

Loneliness among university students is a widespread problem, affecting mental health and academic performance. While AI-driven chatbots offer digital companionship, their lack of embodiment may limit their ability to foster meaningful connections. In contrast, social robots, a form of embodied artificial intelligence (EAI), offer physical presence and non-verbal interaction. This study examines how social (lack of a broad social network) and emotional loneliness (lack of close emotional bonds) influence students' attitudes towards AI and robots, considering gender and cultural background. A cross-sectional online survey (N = 250) was analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). Results show that social loneliness reduces negativity towards robots, but does not increase preference for their companionship, while emotional loneliness increases scepticism towards AI, but does not significantly affect attitudes towards robots. Gender moderates these effects, with emotionally lonely women expressing greater negativity towards robots and socially lonely women expressing greater openness. Cultural background does not moderate these relationships, but individualistic participants show less positivity towards AI and robots. Frequent interaction with AI and robots correlates with more positive attitudes, suggesting that familiarity promotes acceptance. These findings provide insights into how loneliness and demographics shape attitudes towards AI and inform the development of EAI interventions for student well-being.

Students have experienced incredible shifts in the in their learning environments, brought about by the response of universities to the ever-changing public health mandates driven by waves and stages of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19). Initially, these shifts in learning (mode of course delivery, course availability, etc.) were considered emergency responses. However, as the pandemic presses on, students have had to repeatedly adapt to the continuously evolving educational landscape as this global health crisis forced an "unprecedented global shift within higher education in the ways that we communicate with and educate students". This working group builds upon foundations and structure created by a 2021 ITICSE Working Group exploring the effects of COVID-19 on teaching and learning from a faculty perspective. That Working Group identified the incorporation of some pandemic-induced changes into future teaching practices. In this Working Group, we explore existing literature regarding the student experience in response to the evolving teaching practices catalyzed by COVID-19). Traditionally, computing is a subject full of experiential learning opportunities, rich with in-person labs and exercises. We explore how the changes within the COVID-affected academic landscape have altered that student experience. The current group of computing students will have had experiences under both typical (i.e. pre-pandemic) and COVID-affected teaching practices. It is, therefore, timely that we understand how each has impacted how they perceive their learning environment and educational experience. In turn, identifying those practices that have most benefited the student learning experience will help computing faculty improve their practices going forward.

This Research to Practice Full Paper presents empirical work exploring the transition experiences of transfer students into computing degrees in Scotland. Students on this journey face transitional barriers as they adapt to the change in culture, come to terms with their altered student identity, and overcome academic and social integration issues. The study discussed employed the graphical research method of photo-elicitation to gather and document perceptions of thirteen students during the first stage of their higher education journey, as they prepare to make the transition from community college into a university. A further ten participants shared their experience of transition during the first few weeks at university through photovoice and in-depth IPA interviews, providing insight into the usually unseen aspects of transition, moving home, adjusting to a long commute, experiencing loneliness and anxiety, benefiting from peer support and friendship. Through graphical research methods and interpretative phenomenological analysis, the participants have infomred the research through their narrative, their photographs, and their discussion to form a representation of the phenomenon under examination. Findings are shared which identified this as a “journey that motivated”, one that made “university possible” and one that combined two “different worlds”. This study found that the students' perceptions and experiences of transition were diverse and highlight the need to understand the key aspects of adjustment. This paper presents a theoretical framework adapted from the Model of Organizational influence on the development of Learner Identity [1], that can be applied across institutions for all students in transition. Grounded in the literature, the framework demonstrates the student perspectives before the transition and experience following the transition. This framework provides a mechanism for improving the transition for computing and engineering students moving into university study and makes a valuable contribution to computing education.

This paper describes a study investigating whether apprenticeship computing degrees in Scotland are attracting additional entrants who will become IT professionals and fill a skills need. Government policy reports, from around the world, set out plans to address computing skills shortages by introducing additional education or training programmes [23]. In the UK, this is put forward as a key goal of the new higher level apprenticeships, including Graduate Apprenticeships in Scotland and Degree Apprenticeships in the rest of the UK. These are promoted as bridging the skills gap by involving employers in curriculum design and widening access to people who would not want to study towards a traditional degree, because of the financial burden or time out of employment. New graduate apprentices at three Scottish universities were encouraged to complete a short survey, asking about their route into the degree, including their aspirations, motivations, and previous experience. Most respondents had begun an IT career before they started the apprenticeship and were upskilling and gaining an internationally recognised qualification. A third could be considered new to IT, including those coming straight from school and those moving into IT mid-career. The apprentices' primary motivation was to gain skills. They chose the apprenticeship, rather than a traditional degree, because of the integration of work experience, followed by financial reasons: graduate apprentices earn salaries and can avoid student debt. These apprenticeships create a new route to a computing degree-level qualification. We consider their potential in addressing digital skills shortages.

This Research Full paper presents empirical work focused on the transition experiences of transfer students into computing degrees in Scotland and seeks to understand the complex formation of identity from the student perspective. Drawing on [3]'s work around the traditional concepts of identity, this paper examines the notion of student identity in a transitional context. How students identify in the STEM subject area may impact upon their achievement and provides long-term benefits right through to their graduate career [24]. The concepts of transition and identity are explored in an innovative way using graphical research methods which include students as agents for change. The participatory methodology photovoice (PV) adopted saw participants use cameras to generate data, thereby directly involving the participants in the research process. The photographs are then used to support critical reflection amongst the participants and provide the researcher with `direct entry into their point of view' [2]. This paper examines the transfer students' journey during transition, exploring their expression of identity through participatory methods using cameras to capture impressions and feelings. Initial findings are shared, including advice on using participatory methods to examine the student voice and experience.

Eccles et al.'s `Expectancy-Value Model of Achievement Motivation' (2000) states that `an individual's choice, persistence, and performance can be explained by their beliefs about how well they will do on the activity and the extent to which they value the activity' [1]. This paper employs Eccles et al.'s theoretical framework to identify performance barriers and facilitators for Scottish college students who have just opted to articulate to Higher Education (HE). Using this model to understand student ability beliefs and motivations at the beginning of the articulation process identifies potential performance challenges and informs strategies to improve the transition experience from Further to Higher Education. At three Scottish colleges focus groups were conducted with students who have selected an articulation route to HE. Discussion focused around a number of theoretical strands inherent to the Expectancy-Value Model, such as ability beliefs and motivation components. These components were used to determine student potential to perform and persist with HE. Research conclusions suggest that the sample of college students has largely positive ability beliefs and possesses an optimistic perception of success in HE but identify a number of challenges. Research outcomes inform approaches to enhance the transition experience of college students to Higher Education.