Building Technical Knowledge and Engagement in Robotics

Abstract

In this chapter the authors focus on the opportunities for youth to engage in technical design through participation in two different afterschool robotics programs - the Digital Youth Network (DYN) and Robot Diaries (RD). The programs each take a different approach to motivating and engaging participants with robotic technology and design. Through an analytic comparison of these two programs, the authors offer insight on the relationship between programmatic goals and participant experiences. Specifically, they describe how programmatic goals influenced the opportunities available for participants to engage with technology, increase their comfort level with technology, and build skills in adapting technology to facilitate individual and group–centered design goals. The chapter concludes by offering recommendations regarding programmatic structure (e.g., the role of audience, the importance of materials selection, instructor’s roles, and instructor knowledge-based resources) based on the desired participant outcomes.

Robotics camps, clubs, and competitions: Results from a US robotics project

“…Overall, the research results highlighted that despite the differences in goals, format, and curriculum, camps, competitions and clubs can all contribute to youth STEM learning and more positive STEM attitudes. Our research echoes other findings [25] showing that multiple formats can result in successful robotics programs, with positive impacts on youth.…”

A preliminary checklist of the ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of Andorra

“…The number of ant species collected represents more than one third of the number of species found in France (213 species, see Casevitz-Weulersse and Galkowski 2009) and about a quarter of the total number of species recorded in the Iberian Peninsula (299 species, Gómez 2012). When considered at the scale of the Pyrenees, Andorra contains about 88% of the ant species recorded in these mountains above an altitude of 1,000 m (about 85 species, Espadaler 1979, updated).…”

“…Its relief mainly consists of fluvial valleys and rugged mountains spreading on an altitude ranging from 840 to 2942 m. Andorra has a high mountain Mediterranean climate, characterized by cold temperatures in winter (mean monthly temperature in January -2°C) and mild temperatures in summer (mean monthly temperature in July 19 °C), although extreme peaks of -20 °C at Ransol and 39 °C at Les Escaldes have been registred (Vilà-Valentí and Martín-Vide 1997). Although the ant fauna of France (Casevitz-Weulersse and Galkowski 2009) and Spain (Gómez 2012) are now relatively well known, the ant fauna of Andorra did not so far raise the interest of ant taxonomists. Except for some studies published in the grey literature or some scattered data collected during occasional samplings by Santschi (1919), Röszler (1937), Collingwood and Yarrow (1969), or Espadaler (1997) and Espadaler et al (2008), there is little information available on the ant fauna of Andorra and no ant checklists for this country have been published to date.…”

Designing biomimetic robots: iterative development of an integrated technology design curriculum

“…Educational interventions that include activities such as designing, building, and programming robots have been shown to promote critical thinking skills (Atmatzidou & Demetriadis, 2016;Bers et al, 2014;Sullivan, 2008), understanding of complex systems (Barker & Ansorge, 2007;Sullivan, 2008), self-efficacy (Nugent et al, 2010) and positive attitudes towards science (Welch & Huffman, 2010). When students design and build robots, they create design representations (e.g., sketches and other tangible prototypes), collect feedback and iterate on their designs, engage in critique of their own and others' work (Gomez et al, 2012), and practice teamwork and collaboration (Gomez et al, 2012;Nourbakhsh et al, 2005). Programming, an important part of robotics work, engages students in computational thinking practices such as problem decomposition and algorithmic thinking (Grover & Pea, 2013).…”