Session T2E ROBOTICS LEARNING AS A TOOL FOR INTEGRATING SCIENCETECHNOLOGY CURRICULUM IN K-12 SCHOOLS Eli Kolberg1 and Nahum Orlev 2 Abstract − Technology literacy for all on one hand and continuous demand for skilled technology engineers and workers on the other hand, poses a challenge to education systems worldwide. Recent years show efforts to integrate technology into all levels of the school curriculum. The work presented here introduces one possible approach to familiarize 5 th to 6 th grade pupils with high level technology using a mobile robot as the principal tool in the curriculum. Children construct an open ended, autonomous robot while working in teams (6 per team). Each team is divided into sub-groups that represent the various skills needed for the construction and operation of the robot. They use a flow-chart software as their programming frame. At first, the teams are given simple missions, and as they progress, they are challenged with open-ended, more complex assignments. Each weekly session lasts about three hours of which a third is devoted to knowledge expansion and the rest for testing and construction. During the test phase, pupils perform experiments for deducing device properties (sensor, motor, control method, etc.). They add the device of their choice to their mobile robot system. As a typical open-ended problem, the team explores possible solutions to each problem. Then they are expected to define their solutions and implement Them. At the end of the year there is a contest between robots built by the various teams, to accomplish a predefined task.
INTRODUCTION Technology’s rapid advancement in recent years had a great impact on the undergoing reform in technology education affecting its status, goals and teaching/learning strategies [1,2]. There is general acceptance that an advanced technology curriculum is needed in all levels of K-12 education. The curriculum designed to teach technology, calls, to a great extent, for a variety of social, economic, historiccultural and psychological considerations in addition to pedagogical factors [3]. Traditional vocational science education focuses on single discipline studies. At the same time, most of the technological curricula is embedded in the science curriculum. However, modern technology is system oriented and integrates several disciplines. The embodied technological fragments are used to illustrate application of science methods and provide the acquisition of related craft 1 2
skills. Technology educators believe that these curricula should be complemented by systematic technology studies that are accessible to any interested pupil [4,5]. It is becoming apparent that there is a clear need for alternate framework, curriculum, teaching/learning and evaluation methods. This paper presents one possible approach to integrate technology in 5th and 6th grades in order to promote an understanding of technology as part of science and to provide an insight into the engineering profession using a mobile robot as the principal tool of the curriculum.
COURSE FRAMEWORK Several alternatives for course framework were examined. 1. Adapting a vocational course. This was not chosen for the following reasons: a) focus on a single discipline b) pupils have different academic backgrounds, and c) lack of sufficient hands on laboratory work. 2. Adapting a science course was not accepted because a) labs were single subject oriented. b) labs were designed for short experiments. c) It was cumbersome to add new equipment to labs. And d) in many cases lab technicians were unwilling to experiment with new interdisciplinary subjects. 3. Operating an extracurricular course. The reasons for rejecting such a course were: a) as it is not obligatory, pupils can leave the course at any point and by doing so they shake the frame of the multi-mission team. b) pupils will not get any accreditation for the course. c) technology equipment is expensive and parents will have to carry the financial burden. d) It was hard to bring the learning centers to commit for an extended period of time. Therefore a new framework was adopted. It was chosen to create an extracurricular course but have both, the local schools as well as the local municipality’s department of education, approve the course as a part of the pupils’ curriculum. Once this framework was established, teams were presented with an identical challenge and encouraged to build a multi functional autonomous robot. Each team will participate in a contest that will take place at the end of the year compering the functionality and creativity of each team. In a weekly session of three hours, a team of six pupils, designs, constructs and assembles a complete robot, which is a working solution to the contest task. A dedicated flowchart software helps the team to program the robot. At first,
Eli Kolberg , Tel-Aviv University, Visiting Lecturer, Ministry of Education, Tel-Aviv, Israel
[email protected] Nahum Orlev, Tel-Aviv University, Visiting Lecturer, Technion- Israel, Visiting Lecturer jenayo@internet -zahav.net.il
0-7803-6669-7/01/$10.00 © 2001 IEEE October 10 - 13, 2001 Reno, NV 31 st ASEE/IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference T2E-12
Session T2E the teams get simple missions. As they progress, new challenges, open-ended assignments are introduced, that are related to the contest missions.
COURSE CURRICULUM Course curriculum is based on a system approach and projects base learning. It includes basic science topics such as physics (Ohm and Kirchoff’s laws, magnetic, simple mechanics), biology (sensing, information transfer in humans), geography, technology studies of electronics, computer data analysis tools, and control. In parallel, creative thinking, cooperation within team skills is enhanced and special topics in tool application and safety are introduced. A typical experiment introduces testing equipment and demonstrates the mechanical forces and moments produced by an electric motor. Other experiments measure IR analog distance sensor’s output when changing distances. Using MS Excel software, the pupils plot the output voltage of a sensor as a function of the distance to an object. In the same way they measure encoder performance, microphone frequency, UV detector, IR black/white line detector and many other sensors that they choose to use. Several experiments with dc motors are also part of this curriculum. Pupils derive a graph of torque as a function of speed and load, a dc motor basic characteristic curve and define the appropriate motors for the tasks. They define the geometric size and shape of their robot using their interpretation of the assigned task, their understanding on material properties and their vision on esthetics. The Internet is used for finding sensors, construction materials as well as a communication tool. Programming, testing and debugging is the final stage before the contest.
reorganize 40% of the groups, which means that more care should be taken for selecting group members. 5. The groups came with different solution to the open ended problems. 6. The products can be very complicated ones as final projects, but the emphasis is on creativity, problem solving and decisions making, strict time limits, teamwork, hi-tech and constructive research. As this activity is not yet finished, We can neither draw final conclusions nor publish research findings at this stage.
REFERENCES [1] Verner, I.,M., Waks, S., and Kolberg, E., “Upgrading Technology Towards the Status of a High School Matriculation Subject: A Case Study”, Journal of technology Education, Vol. 9, No. 1, 1997. [2] Lau, K., W., Tan, H., K., Erwin, B., T., and Petrovic, P., “Creative learning in School with LEGO Programmable Robotics Products”, Proc. IEEE Frontiers in Education Conf., Puerto Rico, 1999, pp. 12d426 ÷ 12d4-31. [3] Waks, S., “Curriculum Design: From an Art Towards a Science”, Tempus Publ., Oxford, 1995. [4] LaPorte, J., E., and Sanders, M., E., “Integrating Technology, Science and Mathematics Education” in Martin, G., E., (Ed.), Foundations of Technology Education: Forty-Fourth Yearbook of the Council on Technology Teacher Education, 1995, pp. 179-219, Lake Forest, IL: Glencoe [5] De Vries, M., J., ”Technology Education: Beyond the ‘Technology is Applied Science’ Paradigm”, Journal of Technology Education, Vol. 8, No. 1, 1996, pp. 7-15.
LEARNING STRATEGY The learning strategy is compatible with the framework of an optional course, in which pupils meet technology for the first time. It is based on streamline learning through “hands on” activities, concentrating on studies of modern technology basics and design activities. The course attracts pupils towards technology issues and provides the opportunities to apply and evaluate knowledge and methods acquired in mathematics and sciences.
PRELIMINARY CONCLUSIONS As this is a work in progress description, and the activity is made for the first time, we can only draw some preliminary conclusions. 1. There is definitely great excitement of the kids participating in this activity. 2. Each group is doing its robot faster than we expected according to the time schedule. 3. We recommend for a team of at least two teachers: a usual teacher for these ages and a technical teacher (university teacher preferred). 4. We had to 0-7803-6669-7/01/$10.00 © 2001 IEEE October 10 - 13, 2001 Reno, NV 31 st ASEE/IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference T2E-13
