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Experiential Learning and Teacher Training through Designing Robots and Motion Behaviors

Igor M. Verner, Evgeny Korchnoy

Department of Education in Technology and Science, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel, 32000

Abstract

This paper considers educational practice in the Technion in which engineering students develop various robots and practice in teaching robotics to school pupils. The students and the pupils collaborate in the experiential learning process which integrates designing, producing and operating robot prototypes with learning engineering concepts. A number of robots built from construction kits through this collaboration are presented. Students' reflections on their learning practices are discussed.

1. Introduction

A robotics course at the introductory level of engineering education involves students in hands-on practice through which they can learn many engineering subjects and applications. The robotics course can be especially effective if it meets two goals: 1. Practical-technical -- designing and producing a working robot prototype capable of performing the given assignment through a project-team effort. 2. Instructional -- providing systematic learning of science and engineering subjects by all the students in the robotics course.

An experiential learning approach which organizes learning-by-doing processes so that the learner can acquire both practical skills and theoretical knowledge was proposed by Kolb1. Leifer2 showed that embedding the experiential learning process in designing a mechatronic system can provide the alliance of the technical and instructional goals of the robotics course.

An important impetus to educational robotics development was given by a conceptual framework of digital manipulatives3 which extended the traditional learning with manipulative materials. Accordingly, the computational and communications capabilities are embedded in mechanical parts of a construction kit. The students use the kit to create various devices and program their movements.

This paper presents an educational environment developed at the Department of Education in Technology and Science, in which Technion students and school pupils form a learning community coping with common robotics challenges. In this environment Technion students are involved in developing various robots, instructional materials, and assist in teaching a robotics course to middle school pupils. Our educational study applies the tiered approach4. It considers two different groups of learners (students and pupils) and their collaboration in order to develop effective strategies of robotics education as part of teacher training programs and middle school curricula.

Proceedings of the 2005 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright © 2005, American Society for Engineering Education

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Verner, I. (2005, June), Experiential Learning And Teacher Training Through Designing Robots And Motion Behaviors: A Tiered Approach Paper presented at 2005 Annual Conference, Portland, Oregon. 10.18260/1-2--14157