Our smart village

The Our smart village (A MI okos falunk) project, designed by two Hungarian school teachers, was implemented through the collaboration of two Hungarian primary schools, involving students from years 6 to 8. The main goal is to explore the social and economic challenges of aging rural settlements and to examine how artificial intelligence and the “smart village” concept can help improve quality of life in such small villages (the project title is a word pun: “MI” means both “Our” and “AI” in Hungarian). Throughout the project, students develop complex, sustainability- and innovation-focused solutions while enhancing their entrepreneurial skills and initiative. This comprehensive approach not only develops entrepreneurial competence - including creativity, initiative, resilience, and teamwork - but also nurtures a mindset attuned to innovation, lifelong learning, and social responsibility.

Key Activities and Student Experience

Students work together using digital tools such as Padlet, interactive whiteboards, laptops, tablets, and smartphones, sharing ideas, conducting research, and creating collaborative mind maps and timelines. Activities include mapping the local geographical and social situation, analysing best practices through videos, and engaging in creative project work such as model building, constructing in Minecraft, designing robots, and developing mobile applications. Students conduct independent research, argue their points, present their findings, and, as a project finale, create a joint video showcasing their results and experiences. Teamwork emphasises formative assessment, self- and peer evaluation, and continuous feedback.

Program Features and Pedagogical Principles

The project is based on collaborative student-centred active, experiential and project-based learning, with hands-on activities such as model building, digital design, and collaborative research. By allowing students to select project topics, methods, and outputs, the program fosters autonomy, initiative, and responsibility. These experiences are intentionally designed to mirror real-life entrepreneurial processes, including ideation, planning, teamwork, and presentation. The emphasis on collaborative and cooperative work is also significant; students work in mixed-age groups across schools, developing social and civic competencies, communication skills, and the ability to work toward shared goals. The project applies an interdisciplinary, integrated approach, encompassing multiple subjects such as Hungarian, Science, Geography, Visual and Digital culture and Civic knowledge.

Methodology and Structure The project consists of five interrelated phases guided by a Padlet, each of which can be implemented in 45 minutes. The first step involves problem identification and brainstorming on digital platforms. This is followed by mapping local characteristics and analysing best practices of the “smart village” concept, where students watched videos, conducted research, and argued for various solutions. During the creative project phase, students produce various outputs – models, digital (e.g. Minecraft) designs, robots, and apps. In the final phase, students present their results in a joint video and reflect on the learning process using self- and peer-assessment tools. The methodology allows for both individual and group work, active student participation, and creative use of digital technology. The project is adaptable for other age groups and subjects, supporting complex competence development and fostering an entrepreneurial mindset.