"What Contraption Are We Making?" Student Engagement With Multimodal Informational Texts via LEGO Robotics

• In Event: Moscone Center North Roundtable Session 14
  In Roundtable Session: Computational Thinking and Computer Science in Elementary School Contexts

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how students engaged with non-verbal, multimodal informational texts during an eight-week robotics program. Shaped by the theories of semiotics (Chandler, 2017) and constructionism (Papert, 1993), students interpreted visual, multimodal instructions to build and program LEGO® MINDSTORMS robots as well as conducted mini-research projects on a pre-determined topic. Findings showed students engaged with multimodal informational texts by actively communicating to comprehend the non-verbal, multimodal robot instructions and using basic vernacular to describe step-by-step components. Additionally, students accessed and employed multimodal sources to gather information for their chosen research topic. This study highlights how robotics can be a vehicle in providing students opportunities to, and purposes for, engaging with multimodal informational texts.

Authors

• Melissa J. Bedford, Eastern Washington University

• Sara Kersten Parrish, University of Nevada - Reno

• Lizeth Lizarraga