Lucio Negrini

Lucio Negrini serves as Professor of Technologies in Education at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI), where he leads the Media and MINT Laboratory. His work bridges educational robotics, computational thinking, and teacher development, with significant contributions to Switzerland's national STEM education strategy through projects like the Swiss Robotic Camp and Roteco teacher community.

Negrini's academic foundation includes:

• Master's in Communication Sciences (University of Italian Switzerland)
• Master's and PhD in Educational Sciences (University of Fribourg and University of Konstanz)

His research pioneers the cognitive benefits of educational robotics, demonstrating how structured activities enhance children's attentional control and executive functions. He develops practical frameworks like FADE-CTP for computational thinking assessment, addressing critical gaps in European K-12 education. Current projects focus on sustainable teacher training models that transform educators into community leaders rather than isolated practitioners.

Recent publications reveal a strategic shift toward scalable national implementations, with 2022-2025 works emphasizing community-driven adoption over technical solutions. His systematic review exposed fragmented computational thinking assessment across Europe, while the Swiss Robotic Camp model proves robotics training can achieve nationwide reach through peer networks.

Key recognition includes:

• Optimus Agora Award 2018 from the Swiss National Science Foundation for community-based robotics research

Negrini secures continuous funding through SNSF awards and DECS-CERDD partnerships, directing resources toward practical school integration. His lab operates as a national hub where teachers co-develop solutions, with projects like Ticino's pandemic-era digitalization study informing evidence-based policy. The Roteco community exemplifies his philosophy: sustainable innovation emerges when practitioners lead adaptation rather than awaiting top-down mandates.

The Media and MINT Laboratory functions as Switzerland's epicenter for educational robotics, combining cognitive science research with classroom pragmatism. Through nationwide teacher networks and cross-cantonal collaborations, it transforms theoretical frameworks into actionable classroom strategies, particularly in computational thinking assessment and robotics-based cognitive development initiatives.