Design requirements for educational robotics activities for sustaining collaborative problem solving

Abstract

The objective of this study is to identify the instructional design requirements of Educational Robotics (ER) activities for sustaining collaborative problem solving (CPS) skills. In CPS activities, learners work in teams towards the analysis, the identification and the solution of a problem. PISA and most of the 21st century skills frameworks have promoted the importance of CPS for 21st century education. In this study, we aim to analyze ER opportunities for 21st century education, in general, and CPS skills, according to the PISA CPS framework. To achieve this, we first review the design requirements of the learning activities that have been identified in the literature as sustaining CPS. Afterwards, we identify the design requirements of ER activities that can sustain the development of CPS. Activities engaging learners in authentic ill-defined problems, with a certain level of complexity are identified as design requirements that have the possibility to promote CPS in ER activities.