STEM Education Institute Tuesday Seminar
“Learning Through Building and Programming: Thinking and Reasoning with Robotics”
Florence R. Sullivan
Program in Educational Technology, University of Massachusetts.
Building and programming a robot is a rich constructionist learning activity. Indeed, solving a robotics problem requires two mutually constitutive processes: designing a structure (vehicle or machine) and programming the structure to perform a task. Students of robotics are, therefore, engaged in both technological design and computer programming activities. This presentation will offer empirical findings regarding the types of thinking and reasoning activities students engage in and the learning outcomes afforded by a robotics curriculum. Special attention will be given to how the affordances of the robotics environment in conjunction with a pedagogical approach emphasizing open-ended, extended inquiry prompts the utilization of science literacy-based thinking and process skills and leads to increased systems understanding.