Teaching robotics and robotics in teaching

Robotics in education is an exciting field that has the potential to revolutionize the way our children learn. By introducing robots into the classroom, educators can provide students with engaging, hands-on learning experiences that stimulate their curiosity, creativity, and problem-solving skills. Robotics offers a unique opportunity to develop 21st century skills such as collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and creativity. It allows students to learn in a safe environment with no risk of failure, and fosters an environment of experimentation and exploration.

Robotics can also be used to enhance subject-matter learning, enabling students to write code and program robots to solve problems. This opens up possibilities for developing skills such as design thinking, algorithmic thinking, and computational thinking. Robotics also has potential to promote STEM education, as students can learn about topics such as engineering and computer science through the use of robots.

In addition, robotics can help to develop social and emotional skills. Through the use of robots, students can learn to collaborate, work in teams, and develop leadership skills. Robotics also encourages students to develop empathy and to think critically about the world around them.

Overall, robotics in education is an important tool for preparing students for the future. By introducing robots into the classroom, educators can create engaging and interactive learning experiences that teach students valuable skills. Robotics can also be used to enhance subject-matter learning, promote STEM education, and develop social and emotional skills.”

Robotics and Education

Robotics in education has been gaining a great deal of attention in recent years. This is due to its potential to create engaging learning experiences that help to facilitate deeper understanding of complex topics. Robotics provides an opportunity to engage in hands-on learning that encourages students to explore, tinker and construct their own learning. This approach aligns with both constructivism and constructionism, two educational theories that emphasize the need for students to build their own knowledge and understanding through exploration and collaboration.

In this context, robotics acts as a conduit for students to explore and understand the world around them. The work of Seymour Papert, a renowned MIT professor, has been influential in this field. Papert was an early advocate for the use of robotics in education, and his work led to the development of the popular children’s robotic toy, the Logo Turtle. Papert recognized the potential of robotics to engage students and foster meaningful learning experiences.

Similarly, the work of Resnick at the MIT Media Lab was influential in the development of innovative robotic programming tools such as Scratch and LEGO Mindstorms. These tools have become popular in teaching children robotics and programming. By providing children with the ability to control and program robots, these tools provide a powerful means for students to explore the possibilities of robotics and to develop a deeper understanding of its principles.

Overall, robotics in education offers an exciting opportunity to foster meaningful and engaging learning experiences. Through robotics, students have the opportunity to explore the world around them, to tinker and construct their own learning, and to develop a deeper understanding of complex topics.”

Definition of the robots in education

Slangen:
Definition of the robot must be based on the main operation that robot performs:

  • zaznavanje (angl. Sensing),
  • sklepanje (angl. Reasoning) &
  • delovanje (angl. Acting).

This operation is constantly executing in a.k.a. S-R-A loop.

Slo. nat. curriculum:Robotics in Engineering

  • almost exact interpretation of S-R-A loop Krmiljenje s povratnim delovanje (angl. feedback control regulation)

  • including learning objective: …kjer učenci ugotovijo potrebe po krmiljenju s povratnim delovanjem in izpostavijo pomanjkljivosti, če takega krmiljenja ni.

(angl. where students identify the need for feedback control and point out shortcomings in the absence of such control)

  • misconception: Playing with robots or using a robot is robotics.

  • Robots are meant to be user friendly.

Robotics in Schools

  • very popular in last decade

We can find robots in learning process as:

  1. Robotics curses:
    • Electronics
    • Computer Science
    • Engineering
  2. motivation for learning other disciplines:
    • Science
    • Technology
    • Engineering
    • Math

Important educational impacts

LEARNING by DOING

… learning as “BUILDING KNOWLEDGE STRUCTURES” through progressive internalization of actions… this HAPPENS especially felicitously in a context where the LEARNER is consciously engaged in CONSTRUCTING A PUBLIC ENTITY, whether it’s a sand castle on the beach or a theory of the universe. (Papert, S. (1980). Mindstorms. Children, Computers and Powerful Ideas. New York: Basic books.)

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Applying knowledge and skills learned into a public entity make us proud of ourself. We have something to show to people that matters to us (friends, parents, classmates).

CREATIVITY

There is not an only one solution to the problem. Kids can explore their ideas and put it to the test.

LEARNING from MISTAKES

Kids are ALLOWED to LEARN from MISTAKES!?! In general, MISTAKES has very bad reputation in school sistem. To degree, that kids are often afraid to give an answer so as not to make a mistake (-> they stop trying). However, Robotics is so complicated field that mistakes can not be avoided. Thus, MISTAKES are very common thing in this learning proces of robotics.

CRITICAL THINKING

Critical thinking is ability to do analysis of facts and form objective judgments based on reasonable arguments.

SELF-ASSESSMENT

Kids are able to see if they fulfill the intended task or not. They can asses their own performance based on results of intended tasks. <!– It is quite difficult to asses ourself if we are well qualified in some topic. Remember: Dunning-Kruger effect: Confidence(Competence) q->

ICT LITERACY

European commission is warning for several years now that EU has large lack in computer science and ICT professionals. Only 55% of computer science and ICT jobs in EU are filled with relevant experts.

How to teach robotics?

  • Is learning robotics difficult?
    • No and Yes
HOW DO WE THINK?
HOW DO WE CONSTRUCT OUR KNOWLEDGE?

Piaget (ConstructiVisem):
Children must be actively engaged to encounter the experiences necessary to build and adapt their schema.

We need to set up these experiences for our learners.

Papert (ConstructioNism):
Constructionism—the N word as opposed to the V word — shares contructivism’s view of learning as “building knowledge structures” through progressive internalization of actions… It then adds the idea that this happens especially felicitously in a context where the learner is consciously engaged in constructing a public entity, whether it’s a sand castle on the beach or a theory of the universe ( Papert, 1991, p.1)

Učne prakse

KIRSCHNER

Active learning, Project lerning, Research based learning … so le učne situacije s pomanjkljivimi navodili.

DEREK MULER

Effects of science vidos

Tehnologije v učnih procesih

  • Tomas Edison:

      New Your Times (1922) I believe that the motion picture is destined to revolutionize our educational system and that in a few years it will supplant largely, if not entirely, the use of textbooks.

  • dr. Michel Resnick:

      Beyond the balck boxes.

  Rethinking Learning in the Digital Age Because education is associated with information and computers are associated with information, the two seem to make a perfect marriage.

  • dr. Derek Muller This will revolutionize education

!!! question: Kako uporabljamo pametne table?

!!! note: Kot grafoskop.

Learning equipment

Katero učno opremo naj uporabim?

!!! question: Ali smo si zastavili pravo vprašanje?

Kaj moramo učence naučiti?

  • what are our learning objectives?
    • electronics (sensors)
    • computer science (IO units, programming)
    • mechanical engineering (gears, construction)
  • Then we can choose a proper equipment…
ELECTRONICS
  • sensors
    • voltage dividers
    • Ohm’s Law, Kirshhoff Rules -
COMPUTER SCIENCE
  • basic programming
  • Should we learn hard or easy programming language
    • easy programming language -> closer to human understanding of code
      • skratch
      • javascript
      • python
    • hard programming language -> closer to the hardware
      • c++
      • assembler

More easy the language is - less you will learn about the language.
… Migration form python to other languages is far less common then migration from c to other languages.
… If your gola is to be quick in “getting job done” use easy language, if your goal are to learn and uderstand how the computer works always begin to learn hard programming language first. (by Rob Muhlestein)

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
  • translation of the movements
    • rotation to linear motion
  • gear reduction
  • torque, forces