Exploring Factors That Influence Computational Thinking Skills in Elementary Students’ Collaborative Robotics

Recently educational robotics has expanded into curriculum beyond traditional STEM fields, and which can also be used to foster computational thinking (CT) skills. Prior research has shown numerous interdisciplinary benefits related to CT, however, these influential factors have often been investigated with relatively few variables. This study investigated factors that may lead to 4th and 5th grade elementary school students’ development of computational thinking skills in collaborative robotics activities by hypothesizing a model which proposed that a problem solving inventory, intrinsic motivation, and enjoyment were the main predictors of computational thinking skills. The model was then tested by surveying students with several psychometric inventories where a revised model was then constructed. The study found significant relationships between perceived competence and enjoyment, and learning motivation, and intrinsic motivation. Another important finding was that problem solving was a significant predictor of computational thinking skills. Results were interpreted with reference to implications for possible means of improving learning outcomes when using collaborative robotics in an educational setting

Corpo, movimento e robotica educativa per gli studenti con Bisogni Educativi Speciali

In this paper, we present some topics to improve the use of Robotics in teaching, with a new approach of Embodied Cognitive Science (ECS) (Gomez Paloma, 2013) in order to facilitate learning of all students. The notion of simulation (Gallese, 2005b; 2009) has assumed a central role in the theories of the embodied cognition; in particular, it’s made reference to the motor simulation during the observation of objects or people performing an action, and the comprehension of a language. The learning experience with the robot is characterized as a relational experience that is essentially different fromthat with a computer or another electronic device. Attention for body and movement through Robotics stimulates development of basic skills and capacity for learning, as visuo- spatial, visuo-motory and social skills; these skills are very important for students, especially for students with Special Educational Needs.L’articolo presenta alcuni argomenti connessi all’utilizzo della robotica nell’insegnamento, attraverso la prospettiva dell’Embodied Cognitive Science (ECS) (Gomez Paloma, 2013), al fine di facilitare l’apprendimento di tutti glistudenti. La nozione di simulazione (Gallese, 2005b; 2009) ha assunto un ruolo centrale nelle teorie della cognizione incarnata; nell’articolo, si farà riferimento particolare al processo di simulazione motoria che si verifica durante l’osservazione di oggetti o persone che eseguono un’azione e la comprensione di una lingua. L’esperienza di apprendimento con il robot si caratterizza come un’esperienza relazionale che è sostanzialmente diversa dall’esperienza di apprendimento con un computer o con altro dispositivo elettronico. L’attenzione per il corpo e per il movimento attraverso la Robotica stimola i processi di imitazione e lo sviluppo delle competenze di base e delle abilità essenziali per l’apprendimento, quali le abilità visuo-spaziali, visuo-motorie, linguistiche, empatiche e sociali. Queste competenze sono molto importanti per tutti glistudenti, ma lo sono maggiormente per gli studenti con Bisogni Educativi Speciali

How Social Robots can Influence Motivation as Motivators in Learning:A Scoping Review

Earlier research has investigated how educational social robots can influence learner motivation and learning outcomes as motivators instead of learning materials. This paper presents a scoping literature review of this body of work, focusing on the educational strategies used, and describing the range of approaches used to influence motivation and learning through social robots, not as learning tools but as motivators. Nineteen advanced studies are identified and described according to the components of the ARCS model (a motivation model dominant in robotics research): Attention, Relevance, Confidence, and Satisfaction. We summarized the measures used for motivation in the studies and relate these measures to the four ARCS model components. Finally, we analyzed the studies from the perspectives of sample groups, study type, and domain or subject. Our analyses suggested that beyond focusing on persuasive (educational) strategies that educational social robots can use to keep learners' attention, researchers should also focus on the satisfaction component of motivation. Furthermore, future studies should examine long-term interactions, apply more rigor in using validated questionnaires, and combine qualitative and quantitative methods to understand not only the effects of these different approaches but also the reasons behind them.</p

A scoping review on the relationship between robotics in educational contexts and e-health

In recent years, due to technological advancement, research has been directed to the development and analysis of resources and tools related to educational robotics with particular attention to the field of special needs and training actions aimed at learners, teachers, professionals, and families. The use of robotics in all levels of education can support the development of logical and computational thinking, interaction, communication, and socialization, and the acquisition of particularly complex work practices, for example, in the medical field. The adoption of successful educational robotics training practices can be a potential tool to support rehabilitation interventions for disabilities and comprehensive training for students or future professionals in healthcare. A scoping review was conducted on the main topics “education” AND “robotics” with three specific focuses on complementary themes in educational research about ER: (1) teaching and computational thinking, (2) training in the health sector, and (3) education and special needs. The authors systematically searched two online databases, Scopus and Web of Science, up to April 2022. A total of 164 articles were evaluated, and 59 articles were analyzed, in a particular way N = 33 related to computational thinking, N = 15 related to e-health, and N = 11 related to special needs. The following four questions guided our research: (1) What are the educational and experimental experiences conducted through robotics in transdisciplinary fields? (2) What tools and resources are most used in such experiments (educational robotics kit, humanoid robots, telepresence robots etc.)? (3) What are the constitutive elements of the experiments and studies involving robotics and health in educational contexts? and (4) What are those explicitly related to students with special needs? In this study, part of the research project “Robotics and E-health: new Challenges for Education” (RECE) activated at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia. RECE aims to investigate the training, educational, cognitive, and legal processes induced by the increasing diffusion of educational robotics and telemedicine in clinical and surgical contexts

A STUDY OF UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITIES IN AN INFORMAL STEM EXPERIENCE

According to labor market data, there is core cognitive knowledge, skills, and abilities associated with STEM education that are in demand in not just STEM fields, but all areas of the workforce (Carnevale, Smith, & Melton, 2011; Rothwell, 2013). During the period from 2005 until 2015, STEM professions grew by 24.4% (Noonan, 2017). During this time, populations such as minorities continued to show a gap in their representation in STEM (Noonan, 2017). To effectively examine how to increase the rate of URM student success in STEM, more research is needed on the factors that might contribute to minority STEM interest, self-efficacy, and increase in career interests (Teitjen-Smith, Masters, & Smith 2009). This study aims to determine how underrepresented populations having access to an informal STEM learning experience impacts interest, self-efficacy, and career intentions in STEM using Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT). Through a case study design, the experiences of underrepresented adolescents who participated in a 2018 summer STEM robotics camp were examined through structured interviews. What follows represents a qualitative analysis of themes regarding how informal STEM learning experiences can impact underrepresented participants’ STEM interest, STEM self-efficacy, and STEM career interest

European perceptions of autonomous and robotized cars

open3noThis article explores users’ attitudes, perceptions, views, and emotions toward car automation and robotization, two processes increasingly affecting society in different ways––namely, the rise of autonomous and robotized cars (and vehicles in general) and the increasing level of robotization of current cars. To address these questions, we investigated the feeling of trust and comfort toward driverless cars among Europeans using two Eurobarometer surveys. Making use of two representative samples of the European population, we aimed to explore citizens’ attitudes and opinions about automation and digitization. The two surveys involved, respectively, 27,801 and 27,901 participants from all EU-28 countries. Furthermore, we investigated, in Northern Italy, the perception of robotization of cars and other technologies of everyday use, as well as the attitudes and opinions of children and preteens (n = 740), and adolescents (n = 801)— relevant social groups not covered in the Eurobarometer surveys.openFortunati, L., Lugano, G., Manganelli, A.M.Fortunati, L.; Lugano, G.; Manganelli, A. M

European Perceptions of Autonomous and Robotized Cars

This article explores users\u2019 attitudes, perceptions, views, and emotions toward car automation and robotization, two processes increasingly affecting society in different ways\u2013\u2013namely, the rise of autonomous and robotized cars (and vehicles in general) and the increasing level of robotization of current cars. To address these questions, we investigated the feeling of trust and comfort toward driverless cars among Europeans using two Eurobarometer surveys. Making use of two representative samples of the European population, we aimed to explore citizens\u2019 attitudes and opinions about automation and digitization. The two surveys involved, respectively, 27,801 and 27,901 participants from all EU-28 countries. Furthermore, we investigated, in Northern Italy, the perception of robotization of cars and other technologies of everyday use, as well as the attitudes and opinions of children and preteens (n = 740), and adolescents (n = 801)\u2014 relevant social groups not covered in the Eurobarometer surveys