Play and Learn

Abstract

From 2003 to 2011 I had the privilege of teaching robotics to students in different grade levels at several schools in Asia. The objective of my robotics classes was not only to teach robotics to students, but also to make students familiar with programming, mechanics, and electronics, and to help them learn scientific and technological subjects such as gears, electrical motors, levers, and mechanical advantages. During these years, I witnessed that robotics encouraged students’ autonomy and self-confidence. I also witnessed that robotics, with its hands-on and visual feature, allowed students to experience trial and error process and step-by-step led them to solve problems. For instance, I observed that robotics facilitated learning of programming by providing prompt and visual feedback; students could see how their robots acted and could investigate whether their programs work properly or not, so they were able to find their mistakes, revise their programs, and load new programs. Getting quick feedback was especially helpful for bashful students who always hesitated to ask questions because they did not like to show their lack of knowledge. A review of literature not only confirms my anecdotal experiences, but also shows that robotics attracts students to technological and scientific studies, leads students to fall in love with STEM, and facilitates learning of STEM disciplines (Attard, 2012; Bauerle & Gallagher, 2003; Jeschke, Kato, & Knipping, 2008). Along with reviewing the existing literature relating to the effects of robotics on learning STEM subjects, this chapter represents my own teaching experiences, as a robotics teacher, from which I draw incentive to continue teaching from this perspective and seek to inspire other educators. The