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"educational robotics"
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Using Educational Robotics in Chemistry Education: A Systematic Review
Although the value of educational robotics (ER) is recognised in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines, limited research has been published that focusses on using ER to support and enhance chemistry education (CE). This article considers the existing body of scholarly knowledge related to the use of ER in CE published in scholarly literature by means of a systematic literature review. To structure the findings conceptually, a Robotics-Education-Chemistry Considerations (RECC) framework was developed and applied. The findings indicate that the use of ER in CE is understudied. ER is largely applied to enhance the operational and content aspects of traditional CE, rather than to exploit the affordances related to modern education theories and practices that using ER potentially offers to CE.
Journal Article
The effects of educational robotics in STEM education: a multilevel meta-analysis
Educational robotics, as emerging technologies, have been widely applied in the field of STEM education to enhance the instructional and learning quality. Although previous research has highlighted potentials of applying educational robotics in STEM education, there is a lack of empirical evidence to investigate and understand the overall effects of using educational robotics in STEM education as well as the critical factors that influence the effects. To fill this gap, this research conducted a multilevel meta-analysis to examine the overall effect size of using educational robotics in STEM education under K-16 education based on 30 effect sizes from 21 studies published between 2010 and 2022. Furthermore, we examined the possible moderator variables of robot-assisted STEM education, including discipline, educational level, instructor support, instructional strategy, interactive type, intervention duration, robotic type, and control group condition. Results showed that educational robotics had the moderate-sized effects on students’ STEM learning compared to the non-robotics condition. Specifically, educational robotics had moderate-sized effects on students’ learning performances and learning attitudes, and insignificant effects on the improvement of computational thinking. Furthermore, we examined the influence of moderator variables in robot-assisted STEM education. Results indicated that the moderator variable of discipline was significantly associated with the effects of educational robotics on STEM learning. Based on the findings, educational and technological implications were provided to guide future research and practice in the application of educational robotics in STEM education.
Journal Article
Fostering computational thinking through educational robotics: a model for creative computational problem solving
BackgroundEducational robotics (ER) is increasingly used in classrooms to implement activities aimed at fostering the development of students’ computational thinking (CT) skills. Though previous works have proposed different models and frameworks to describe the underlying concepts of CT, very few have discussed how ER activities should be implemented in classrooms to effectively foster CT skill development. Particularly, there is a lack of operational frameworks, supporting teachers in the design, implementation, and assessment of ER activities aimed at CT skill development. The current study therefore presents a model that allows teachers to identify relevant CT concepts for different phases of ER activities and aims at helping them to appropriately plan instructional interventions. As an experimental validation, the proposed model was used to design and analyze an ER activity aimed at overcoming a problem that is often observed in classrooms: the trial-and-error loop, i.e., an over-investment in programming with respect to other tasks related to problem-solving.ResultsTwo groups of primary school students participated in an ER activity using the educational robot Thymio. While one group completed the task without any imposed constraints, the other was subjected to an instructional intervention developed based on the proposed model. The results suggest that (i) a non-instructional approach for educational robotics activities (i.e., unlimited access to the programming interface) promotes a trial-and-error behavior; (ii) a scheduled blocking of the programming interface fosters cognitive processes related to problem understanding, idea generation, and solution formulation; (iii) progressively adjusting the blocking of the programming interface can help students in building a well-settled strategy to approach educational robotics problems and may represent an effective way to provide scaffolding.ConclusionsThe findings of this study provide initial evidence on the need for specific instructional interventions on ER activities, illustrating how teachers could use the proposed model to design ER activities aimed at CT skill development. However, future work should investigate whether teachers can effectively take advantage of the model for their teaching activities. Moreover, other intervention hypotheses have to be explored and tested in order to demonstrate a broader validity of the model.
Journal Article
The MRS UAV System: Pushing the Frontiers of Reproducible Research, Real-world Deployment, and Education with Autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
We present a multirotor Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) control and estimation system for supporting replicable research through realistic simulations and real-world experiments. We propose a unique multi-frame localization paradigm for estimating the states of a UAV in various frames of reference using multiple sensors simultaneously. The system enables complex missions in GNSS and GNSS-denied environments, including outdoor-indoor transitions and the execution of redundant estimators for backing up unreliable localization sources. Two feedback control designs are presented: one for precise and aggressive maneuvers, and the other for stable and smooth flight with a noisy state estimate. The proposed control and estimation pipeline are constructed without using the Euler/Tait-Bryan angle representation of orientation in 3D. Instead, we rely on rotation matrices and a novel heading-based convention to represent the one free rotational degree-of-freedom in 3D of a standard multirotor helicopter. We provide an actively maintained and well-documented open-source implementation, including realistic simulation of UAV, sensors, and localization systems. The proposed system is the product of years of applied research on multi-robot systems, aerial swarms, aerial manipulation, motion planning, and remote sensing. All our results have been supported by real-world system deployment that subsequently shaped the system into the form presented here. In addition, the system was utilized during the participation of our team from the Czech Technical University in Prague in the prestigious MBZIRC 2017 and 2020 robotics competitions, and also in the DARPA Subterranean challenge. Each time, our team was able to secure top places among the best competitors from all over the world.
Journal Article
Exploring the potentials of educational robotics in the development of computational thinking: A summary of current research and practical proposal for future work
Educational robotics are increasingly appearing in educational settings, being considered a useful supporting tool for the development of cognitive skills, including Computational Thinking (CT), for students of all ages. Meanwhile, there is an overwhelming argument that CT will be a fundamental skill needed for all individuals by the middle of the twenty-first century and thus, should be cultivated in the early school years, as part of the child’s analytical thinking and as a principal component of Science-Technology-Engineering-Mathematics (STEM) education. This study reviews published literature at the intersection of CT and educational robotics, particularly focused on the use of educational robotics for advancing students’ CT skills in K-12. The reviewed articles reveal initial evidence suggesting that educational robotics can foster students’ cognitive and social skills. The paper discusses specific areas for further inquiry by learning researchers and learning practitioners. Such inquiry should start from a widely agreed definition of CT and validated measurement instruments for its assessment. A practical framework for the development of CT via robotics is next in demand, so as instructional designers and educators can implement it consistently and at scale.
Journal Article
Systematic Review of Research Trends in Robotics Education for Young Children
This study conducted a systematic and thematic review on existing literature in robotics education using robotics kits (not social robots) for young children (Pre-K and kindergarten through 5th grade). This study investigated: (1) the definition of robotics education; (2) thematic patterns of key findings; and (3) theoretical and methodological traits. The results of the review present a limitation of previous research in that it has focused on robotics education only as an instrumental means to support other subjects or STEM education. This study identifies that the findings of the existing research are weighted toward outcome-focused research. Lastly, this study addresses the fact that most of the existing studies used constructivist and constructionist frameworks not only to design and implement robotics curricula but also to analyze young children’s engagement in robotics education. Relying on the findings of the review, this study suggests clarifying and specifying robotics-intensified knowledge, skills, and attitudes in defining robotics education in connection to computer science education. In addition, this study concludes that research agendas need to be diversified and the diversity of research participants needs to be broadened. To do this, this study suggests employing social and cultural theoretical frameworks and critical analytical lenses by considering children’s historical, cultural, social, and institutional contexts in understanding young children’s engagement in robotics education.
Journal Article
LARS: A Light-Augmented Reality System for Collective Robotic Interaction
Collective robotics systems hold great potential for future education and public engagement; however, only a few are utilized in these contexts. One reason is the lack of accessible tools to convey their complex, embodied interactions. In this work, we introduce the Light-Augmented Reality System (LARS), an open-source, marker-free, cross-platform tool designed to support experimentation, education, and outreach in collective robotics. LARS employs Extended Reality (XR) to project dynamic visual objects into the physical environment. This enables indirect robot–robot communication through stigmergy while preserving the physical and sensing constraints of the real robots, and enhances robot–human interaction by making otherwise hidden information visible. The system is low-cost, easy to deploy, and platform-independent without requiring hardware modifications. By projecting visible information in real time, LARS facilitates reproducible experiments and bridges the gap between abstract collective dynamics and observable behavior. We demonstrate that LARS can serve both as a research tool and as a means to motivate students and the broader public to engage with collective robotics. Its accessibility and flexibility make it an effective platform for illustrating complex multi-robot interactions, promoting hands-on learning, and expanding public understanding of collective, embodied intelligence.
Journal Article
Computational Thinking and Educational Robotics Integrated into Project-Based Learning
In the context of the science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics disciplines in education, subjects tend to use contextualized activities or projects. Educational robotics and computational thinking both have the potential to become subjects in their own right, though not all educational programs yet offer these. Despite the use of technology and programming platforms being widespread, it is not common practice to integrate computational thinking and educational robotics into the official curriculum in secondary education. That is why this paper continues an initial project of integrating computational thinking and educational robotics into a secondary school in Barcelona, Spain. This study presents a project-based learning approach where the main focus is the development of skills related to science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics and the acquisition of computational thinking knowledge in the second year of pupils’ studies using a block-based programming environment. The study develops several sessions in the context of project-based learning, with students using the block-programming platform ScratchTM. During these sessions and in small-group workshops, students will expand their knowledge of computational thinking and develop 21st-century skills. We demonstrate the superior improvement of these concepts and skills compared to other educational methodologies.
Journal Article
Educational Robotics for Developing Computational Thinking in Young Learners: A Systematic Review
Educational robotics has been adopted to create interactive and engaging learning environments to develop computational thinking (CT) in K-12 learners. This study systematically examined 22 peer-reviewed empirical research articles on the use of educational robotics to develop CT in young learners (pre-kindergarten to 6th grade) published between 2012 and 2021. The findings revealed that using robotics activities to develop CT has mostly been studied in the formal education settings with the duration of robotics curricular activities ranging from 80 minutes to 24 hours. The five CT skills studied most often include Sequencing, Conditionals, Loops, Debugging, and Algorithmic Thinking. The different versions of LEGO Mindstorms are the most frequently adopted robotic kits in the examined studies. The most frequently adopted learning and instructional strategies in the robotics activities include collaborative learning, project-based learning, and embodied learning. This paper identified and discussed developmentally appropriated CT skills, robotics kits, and pedagogical approaches suitable for supporting CT development in young learners. The findings can guide educators and instructional designers for future robotics activity design and development endeavors. This paper also identified gaps in the current research and recommended directions for advancing research in adopting robotics to develop CT in young learners.
Journal Article