Robotics and Science Inquiry: The Affordances of Sensors for Learning About Data

• In Event: 51.028 - Teaching and Learning Engineering in K–12 Contexts

Abstract

Given the ubiquity of computers and computation in daily life, computational thinking has become an increasingly important area of educational research. While strides have been made in computational thinking research in computer science learning environments, there is still a need for research related to how computational thinking connects to learning across the disciplines. Here, we present an observational case study that examines how interactions with robotics sensors in a two-week physics/robotics curriculum allowed a focal group of three middle-school aged students to develop both computational thinking and scientific reasoning skills. Our findings indicate that interactions with the sensors allowed students to develop both conditional reasoning and inferential reasoning skills. Our study demonstrates how robotics can support learning in science.

Authors

• Florence R. Sullivan, University of Massachusetts - Amherst

• Ali Soken, University of Massachusetts - Amherst

• ozkan yildiz, University of Massachusetts - Amherst