{"id":37595,"date":"2020-01-10T10:02:08","date_gmt":"2020-01-10T15:02:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/research.uga.edu\/news\/?p=37595"},"modified":"2021-07-20T08:19:44","modified_gmt":"2021-07-20T12:19:44","slug":"teaching-students-coding-and-engineering-principles-using-robots","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/research.uga.edu\/news\/teaching-students-coding-and-engineering-principles-using-robots\/","title":{"rendered":"Teaching students coding and engineering principles using robots"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Heath Laird and Hudson Reivitis are laser focused.<\/p>\n

There are just two more days to finish programming a robot and perfecting its route before the competition on Wednesday, but the bot is taking a corner a bit too fast to stay on the right path.<\/p>\n

They add a couple tenths of a second into the robot\u2019s code and race off to test it again. With a couple little tweaks, their chances of winning are looking good.<\/p>\n

And then it\u2019s off to science class\u2014in Bramlett Elementary.<\/p>\n

Heath and Hudson are in Todd Smith\u2019s robotics class, a course aimed at teaching fourth and fifth graders how to code and build a functional robot while learning about history, math and science.<\/p>\n

The curriculum for the course was developed by a team of University of Georgia researchers, led by College of Education professor Ike Choi<\/a>. Choi had purchased a robotics kit for his son, and as Daniel drove the robot into the hallway of the River\u2019s Crossing Building on UGA\u2019s campus, he caught the attention of College of Education associate professor John Mativo, a mechanical engineer, and professor Roger Hill, a math and science education expert. Seeing how enthralled Choi\u2019s son was with the toy, the educators started brainstorming ways to incorporate robotics and programming lessons into the elementary school curriculum.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe core question we had in developing the curriculum was how can we help children solve realistic problems by integrating science, math, technology and engineering?\u201d said Choi, who also directs the Research and Innovation in Learning, or RAIL, lab.<\/p>\n

Enter Theodore Kopcha, an associate professor in the College of Education whose research focuses on integrating technology and STEM-based projects into K-12 curricula.<\/p>\n

They settled on a six-unit lesson plan with a student workbook. First, students would brainstorm and analyze ways for scientists to study dangerous environments. The robot they build will need to grab three samples from a volcano and then make it back to where it came from. In the second lesson, they\u2019ll actually assemble their robots from a box of parts. The third through fifth steps focus on programming and optimizing their robots to navigate the tricky terrain. And finally, students will test their robots on a grid that represents the paths and obstacles the robot would face on its mission. Students will then reflect on and share their learning experiences.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_raw_html el_class=”container”]JTNDaWZyYW1lJTIwd2lkdGglM0QlMjIxMDAlMjUlMjIlMjBoZWlnaHQlM0QlMjI3MDAlMjIlMjBzcmMlM0QlMjJodHRwcyUzQSUyRiUyRnd3dy55b3V0dWJlLmNvbSUyRmVtYmVkJTJGWEwwdlJndW5kU1UlM0ZyZWwlM0QwJTIyJTIwdGl0bGUlM0QlMjJZb3VUdWJlJTIwdmlkZW8lMjBwbGF5ZXIlMjIlMjBmcmFtZWJvcmRlciUzRCUyMjAlMjIlMjBhbGxvdyUzRCUyMmFjY2VsZXJvbWV0ZXIlM0IlMjBhdXRvcGxheSUzQiUyMGNsaXBib2FyZC13cml0ZSUzQiUyMGVuY3J5cHRlZC1tZWRpYSUzQiUyMGd5cm9zY29wZSUzQiUyMHBpY3R1cmUtaW4tcGljdHVyZSUyMiUyMGFsbG93ZnVsbHNjcmVlbiUzRSUzQyUyRmlmcmFtZSUzRQ==[\/vc_raw_html][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text el_class=”text-container”]Once the workbook was developed, the researchers invited a group of teachers to learn about and implement the curriculum in their classrooms. One of those teachers was Todd Smith. A UGA grad himself, Smith was eager to give it a go and start incorporating the program into his coursework. Although there were some kinks to work out, the curriculum was a hit.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy first impression of the program was that it would be too complex and difficult for elementary students due to the fine motor skills needed for the building of the robot and the somewhat complex math that is needed at times,\u201d Smith said. \u201cAs it turns out, many students like the building of the robot more than the other areas of the curriculum.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat I really like about the curriculum is the fact that it requires students to look ahead and predict what they will need to do in order to make their programs successful. This allows students to become better problem solvers not only in academic areas, but also in everyday life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Students across Africa, South Korea, China and beyond are also learning how to build and program robots thanks to Choi\u2019s curriculum and the workshops he and his colleagues have held across the globe.<\/p>\n

Since grabbing samples for a scientific study from a volcano isn\u2019t a universally understood concept, the researchers built the curriculum so it could be adapted to both cultural norms and a variety of learning standards.<\/p>\n

Students in Africa needed to program the robots to deliver much-needed water to villages. Honduran students need to optimize the delivery of a sugar cane harvest.<\/p>\n

In Smith\u2019s class, students have conducted missions on volcanoes, through battlegrounds in the Middle East and soon will explore tectonic plates through the activity.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe most important thing when we disseminated the curriculum was that it was designed in a way that was flexible enough to customize the content,\u201d Choi said. \u201cHelping blind people navigate a city, gathering soil samples for a scientific study\u2014there are so many possibilities. Robotics is one of the most important industries for the future. Our next generation must be well-versed in the area of robotics and the possibilities it presents.\u201d<\/p>\n

For students like Heath and Hudson, learning to code and build something has sparked an interest in a career field they\u2019d never really thought of before. And though their robot got off to a rocky start, the boys\u2019 hard work and attention to detail paid off. In their class competition, Heath and Hudson tied for second place.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_section css=”.vc_custom_1567710408463{background-color: #e4ddc7 !important;}” el_class=”fw-polygon”][vc_row equal_height=”yes” bg_type=”bg_color”][vc_column width=”1\/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1567710326062{margin-top: 0px !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;}” el_class=”polygon-wrapper”][vc_raw_html el_class=”polygon” css=”.vc_custom_1623426462434{background-image: url(https:\/\/research.uga.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2021\/06\/IkeChoiFeatured2.jpg?id=37598) !important;}”]JTNDJTIxLS1sZWF2ZSUyMHRoaXMlMjBlbXB0eS0tJTNF[\/vc_raw_html][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″ el_class=”polygon-content”][vc_column_text el_class=”testimonial”]\u201cThe most important thing when we disseminated the curriculum was that it was designed in a way that was flexible enough to customize the content … Robotics is one of the most important industries for the future.\u201d<\/strong><\/em>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text el_class=”credit”]<\/p>\n

\u2013 Ikseon Choi, Director RAIL<\/p>\n

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Ikseon Choi<\/h3>\n

Director, RAIL
\nProfessor, College of Education<\/p>\n

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