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Description

The rapid digital transformation in education has exacerbated persistent gaps in accessibility, inclusion, and engagement, particularly within STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) disciplines. A critical disconnect exists between the ubiquitous use of digital tools and the comprehension of their underlying principles. This research addresses this gap by developing and studying innovative, hands-on pedagogical strategies designed to democratize technological knowledge. Our project is centered on the design, implementation, and analysis of "The Island of Automatic Sounds" (LISA.26), an artistic sound installation conceived as an interactive "musical island." This environment enables children and families to explore and cocreate music through bodily interaction, play, and collaboration. The installation features a multisensory architecture comprising pressure sensors, accelerometers, telemeters, and microphones. The electronic devices are embedded in commercial materials and customised textiles, which are specifically designed for the installation and driven by lowcost microcontrollers. A central computer streams sensor data to a multichannel audio system. The sound engine, operating in Ableton Live via MIDI control, is distributed across distinct zones of the island (e.g., a melodic bridge, a volcano, musical diamond, and others). This design allows actions in one module to affect others in real-time, fostering a collective and spatially situated musical performance. Functioning as an ACTS (Art, Science, Technology, and Society) space, LISA.26 transforms abstract electronic concepts into tangible, ludic experiences. Participants engage directly by building, programming, and integrating sensors into a modular system that triggers sound and light, thereby bridging artistic expression with technical learning. This model aligns with embodied, constructivist approaches, where interactive systems integrate movement, perception, and audiovisual feedback to promote flow states and meaningful learning. The project contributes a novel educational paradigm for public and school spaces, supporting project-based learning, open exploration of sonic materials, and the coassessment of creative practices. It incorporates a participatory and intercultural perspective, integrating learner-relevant repertoires and positioning students as active co-creators. Here, digital technology serves not as an end in itself, but as a mediator for critical thinking, creativity, and cultural agency. Initial results from a Do-It-With-Others workshop revealed a three-stage engagement process: an initial phase of chaotic exploration and ice-breaking, a subsequent stage of controlled, tutorial-guided interaction, and a final stage focused on the conscious co-creation of emergent musical compositions.

DOI

10.5281/zenodo.17478797

ISBN

978-86-6022-746-3

Publication Date

9-11-2025

Publisher

University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Technical Sciences, Serbia.

City

Novi Sad, Serbia

Keywords

Digital Education, Interactive Installation, Co-creation, Sound, STEM Education, Multimodal Learning, Ableton, Arduino, MIDI, childhood.

Comments

2nd International Conference on Trends and Challenges in Digital Education (DETC 2025), Novi Sad, Serbia, 7–9 de noviembre de 2025. Comunicación presentada por Javier Fernández de Gorostiza Luengo, David Antonio Rosas Espín, Alberto Ramos Serrano y José Luis Olazagoitia Rodríguez, UDIT. La contribución figura en el Book of Abstracts oficial del congreso, p. 40, con afiliación University of Design, Innovation and Technology, Spain. DOI del Book of Abstracts: 10.5281/zenodo.17478797. ISBN: 978-86-6022-746-3.

LISA: The Island of Automatic Sounds. A Multisensory Environment for Sonic Art Co-Creation [Ponencia] 2nd International Conference on Trends and Challenges in Digital Education (DETC 2025)

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