Gamified Coding: Toy Robots and Playful Learning in Early Education

Abstract

This paper explores the activity of coding with smart toy robots Dash and Botley as a part of playful learning in the Finnish early education context. The findings of our study demonstrate how coding with the two toy robots was approached, conducted and played by Finnish preschoolers aged 5-6 years. The main conclusion of the study is that preschoolers used the toy robots with affordances related to coding mainly in developing gamified play around them by designing tracks for the toys, programming the toys to solve obstacle paths, and competing in player-generated contests of dexterity, speed and physically mobile play.

Robot programming versus block play in early childhood education: Effects on computational thinking, sequencing ability, and self‐regulation

“…In addition to cognitive ability, robot programming also promotes positive changes in learning attitudes such as motivation, confidence and interest. For example, the gamified design of robot programming could enhance students' motivation and interest, which successfully influence children to play again (Heljakka et al., 2019). Furthermore, introducing robotics and programming in early childhood serves to stimulate girls' interest and motivation in engineering fields before stereotype threat makes this more difficult in later years (Sullivan & Bers, 2019).…”

Robots and Robotics Kits for Early Childhood and First School Age

“…Botley: The Botley toy robot from Learning Resources (https://www.learningresources.com/shop/collections/botley), belongs to the category of non-connected, and thus screen-free smart toys (see Figure 18). Its programming happens with the help of a remote controller provided with the robot toy character [39]. The toy robot beside the basic coding sequences such as Forward, Loop, Right (45º), Left (45º), support also advanced coding concepts such as If/Then logic and loop.…”

Educational Robotics: Platforms, Competitions and Expected Learning Outcomes

“…It has an object detection sensor at the front and a line-following the sensor at the bottom. It can help students follow and remember their program's sequence by using the forty coding cards that mirror each step in their program [130].…”

“…Their compatible interface app uses drag and drops code blocks that fit together like puzzle pieces. Cue has the same sensors as Dash, but it can be programmed either with a drag-and-drop block interface using Block or Wonder app or with text coding using JavaScript editor [130].…”