Theater meets robot – toward inclusive STEAM education

Abstract

Science, technology, engineering and math education has been expanded by the inclusion of the arts as an integral area. As such, STEAM education is posed to be gender inclusive and accessible for all levels of technical abilities. In this paper, we present our work on the inclusion of the arts into robotics education through the theater robotics concept. A description of the processes involved to develop a multidisciplinary theater robotics project are presented here alongside highlighted benefits that can be expected in terms of fostering students’ 21st century skills. The lessons learned from our theater robotics ventures will be leveraged in the Horizon 2020 eCraft2Learn research and innovation project, where we expect to achieve a smooth integration of technical and humanities subjects and skills, paving the way toward a motivating and inclusive education for all students in different STEAM contexts.