Object-oriented programming (OOP) abstract concepts are often difficult to understand for students, since it is not easy to
find the equivalence of such concepts in daily life. In this paper we will study if an interdisciplinary approach based on an
introduction to robotics and robot programming helps the student in acquiring theOOPconcepts. For our experiments, we
selected a sample of thirty individuals among students with an adequate knowledge of procedural programming. This
sample was divided into two groups of fifteen students each: for the first one we used a standard introductory approach to
C#, whereas for the second one we developed an experimental course that included a demonstration program that
illustrated OOP basic concepts using the features of a specific type of commercial ball-shaped robot with sensing, wireless
communication and output capabilities. After the courses, both groups were evaluated by completing a multiple-choice
exam and aC#programming exercise. Our results show that the student group that attended the course including the robot
demo showed a higher interest level (i.e. they felt more motivated) than those students that attended the standard
introductory C# course. Furthermore, the students from the experimental group also achieved an overall better mark
