Collaborative Robotic Instruction: A Graph Teaching Experience

Collaborative Robotic Instruction: A Graph Teaching Experience. Mitnik, R., Recabarren, M., Nussbaum, M., & Soto, A. Computers and Education, 53(2):330-342, 2009.

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Graphing is a key skill in the study of Physics. Drawing and interpreting graphs play a key role in the understanding of science, while the lack of these has proved to be a handicap and a limiting factor in the learning of scientific concepts. It has been observed that despite the amount of previous graph-work- ing experience, students of all ages experience a series of difficulties when trying to comprehend graphs or when trying to relate them with physical concepts such as position, velocity and acceleration. Several computational tools have risen to improve the students’ understanding of kinematical graphs; however, these approaches fail to develop graph construction skills. On the other hand, Robots have opened new opportunities in learning. Nevertheless, most of their educational applications focus on Robotics related subjects, such as robot programming, robot construction, and artificial intelligence. This paper describes a robotic activity based on face-to-face computer supported collaborative learning. By means of a set of handhelds and a robot wirelessly interconnected, the aim of the activity is to develop graph construction and graph interpretation skills while also reinforcing kinematics concepts. Results show that students using the robotic activity achieve a significant increase in their graph interpreting skills. Moreover, when compared with a similar computer-simulated activity, it proved to be almost twice as effective. Finally, the robotic application proved to be a highly motivating activity for the students, fostering collaboration among them.

@Article{	  mitnik:etal:2009,
  author	= {R. Mitnik and M. Recabarren and M. Nussbaum and A. Soto},
  title		= {Collaborative Robotic Instruction: A Graph Teaching
		  Experience},
  journal	= {Computers and Education},
  volume	= {53},
  number	= {2},
  pages		= {330-342},
  year		= {2009},
  abstract	= {Graphing is a key skill in the study of Physics. Drawing
		  and interpreting graphs play a key role in the
		  understanding of science, while the lack of these has
		  proved to be a handicap and a limiting factor in the
		  learning of scientific concepts. It has been observed that
		  despite the amount of previous graph-work- ing experience,
		  students of all ages experience a series of difficulties
		  when trying to comprehend graphs or when trying to relate
		  them with physical concepts such as position, velocity and
		  acceleration. Several computational tools have risen to
		  improve the students’ understanding of kinematical
		  graphs; however, these approaches fail to develop graph
		  construction skills. On the other hand, Robots have opened
		  new opportunities in learning. Nevertheless, most of their
		  educational applications focus on Robotics related
		  subjects, such as robot programming, robot construction,
		  and artificial intelligence. This paper describes a robotic
		  activity based on face-to-face computer supported
		  collaborative learning. By means of a set of handhelds and
		  a robot wirelessly interconnected, the aim of the activity
		  is to develop graph construction and graph interpretation
		  skills while also reinforcing kinematics concepts. Results
		  show that students using the robotic activity achieve a
		  significant increase in their graph interpreting skills.
		  Moreover, when compared with a similar computer-simulated
		  activity, it proved to be almost twice as effective.
		  Finally, the robotic application proved to be a highly
		  motivating activity for the students, fostering
		  collaboration among them.},
  url		= {http://saturno.ing.puc.cl/media/papers_alvaro/Mitnik_2009_Computers-&amp;-Education.pdf}
}

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