Affecting attitudes in first-year computer science using syntaxfree robotics programming

Anderson, Monica; McKenzie, Andrew; Wellman, Briana Lowe; Brown, Mark; Vrbsky, Susan V.

doi:10.1145/2003616.2003635

Cited by 19 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…Robots have been used in both community outreach programs and academic institutions at all educational levels (M. Anderson et al, 2011), even in special needs education (Virnes et al, 2008). Robots, as physically manifested computing devices, inherently show students how the programs that they write can impact the real world.…”

Section: Robotics In Educationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, the Scribbler robot (Summet et al, 2009), the iRobot Create (Anderson et al, 2011), the Topobo robot (Virnes et al, 2008), or the Thymio (Riedo et al, 2013). One of the most widely used educational robots is the LEGO ® MINDSTORMS ® kit.…”

Section: Robots and Robotics Competitionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In order to improve learning of STEM subjects and to increase enrollment, educators have suggested that robotics be integrated into schools at many levels from middle school through college (Anderson et al, 2011). In particular, competitions like the FIRST ® LEGO ® League (FLL) competition are the primarily type of robotics activities in schools.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Effectiveness of Robotics Competitions on Students’ Learning of Computer Science

KALOTI-HALLAK¹,

Armoni²,

Ben‐Ari³

2015

IOI

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Abstract. This work investigates students' learning of computer science (CS) as part of a research project on students' learning of and attitudes toward STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) subjects during their participation in robotics activities. The population consisted of groups of middle-school students (ages 13-15 years) who participated in the FIRST ® LEGO ® League competition. The methodology used is both qualitative and quantitative using questionnaires, observations and interviews during the school year 2012-2013, and mainly group interviews during the school year 2013-2014. A representational model was used during the interviews to facilitate externalizing the students' understanding of STEM concepts. The analysis used the revised Bloom Taxonomy (BT) to study the students' meaningful learning. Two CS concepts were investigated: input-output and interfacing with sensors. The results showed that during their preparation for the competition, almost all the students demonstrated meaningful learning, although some students reached higher levels of the BT than others.

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Section: Robotics In Educationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Robots and Robotics Competitionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Effectiveness of Robotics Competitions on Students’ Learning of Computer Science

KALOTI-HALLAK¹,

Armoni²,

Ben‐Ari³

2015

IOI

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“…Robotics has an inherent appeal on both emotional and intellectual level that makes it attractive to a broad range of learners across multiple dimensions, such as age, gender, academic interest, or the chosen program of study. Robotics has become an increasingly popular topic to promote computing and use it as an engaging and motivational tool in introductory courses offered in middle and high schools, summer camps, as well as in CS 0 and CS I college-level courses [1,12]. This is very closely related to the increased availability of relatively cheap robotic platforms and kits, as well as inherent attractiveness of robotics and related technologies to the younger generation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mobile computing and robotics in one course

Kurkovsky

2013

Proceedings of the 18th ACM Conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education

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Robotic technology offers an excellent platform providing a hands-on learning environment for reinforcing theoretical topics in computer science, computer and electrical engineering, and mathematics. Robotics has been successfully used to promote student interest in computing and other STEM disciplines. However, students whose interest in computing may have been sparked or sustained by robots may be seeking more experience with robotics in the rest of the computing curriculum. This paper describes an effort to introduce robotics-related material into an existing upper-level course in mobile computing and discusses the rationale for such a pairing.

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“…Always exploring different ways 24,25 to minimise the early drop-out rate, the first author of this paper devised a LEGO Physics Lab. (3) Prior research 26 has been undertaken where a specific learning experience using robots was offered prior to the core components of the course. This study was designed to improve student's self-assessment of their abilities in a first-year computer science course and it was found that students that rate their programming skill as average in comparison to their peers were most positively impacted.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Race to improve student understanding of uncertainty: Using LEGO race cars in the physics lab

Parappilly

Hassam

Woodman

2018

American Journal of Physics

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Laboratories using LEGO race cars were developed for students in an introductory physics topic with a high early drop-out rate. In a 2014 pilot study, the labs were offered to improve students' confidence with experiments and laboratory skills, especially uncertainty propagation. This intervention was extended into the intro level physics topic the next year, for comparison and evaluation. Considering the pilot study, we subsequently adapted the delivery of the LEGO labs for a large Engineering Mechanics cohort. A qualitative survey of the students was taken to gain insight into their perception of the incorporation of LEGO race cars into physics labs. For Engineering, the findings show that LEGO physics was instrumental in teaching students the measurement and uncertainty, improving their lab reporting skills, and was a key factor in reducing the early attrition rate. This paper briefly recalls the results of the pilot study, and how variations in the delivery yielded better learning outcomes. A novel method is proposed for how LEGO race cars in a physics lab can help students increase their understanding of uncertainty and motivate them towards physics practicals.

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Affecting attitudes in first-year computer science using syntaxfree robotics programming

Cited by 19 publications

References 10 publications

The Effectiveness of Robotics Competitions on Students’ Learning of Computer Science

The Effectiveness of Robotics Competitions on Students’ Learning of Computer Science

Mobile computing and robotics in one course

Race to improve student understanding of uncertainty: Using LEGO race cars in the physics lab

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