How Do We Engage Remote Students in Robotics Learning? Make It Virtual

Purpose & objective

The U.S. faces a shortage of degreed STEM workers – more than half of high school students reportedly have no interest in pursuing STEM careers, in part because they don’t feel academically prepared [1]. While many students crave engaging, real-world experiences, they report limited access to authentic STEM opportunities in school [2]. And amidst the backdrop of a global pandemic, access to hands-on STEM learning opportunities has become even more inaccessible to many students due to the adoption of remote and hybrid learning models.

Education professionals are aware of these problems but often lack the necessary money, time, and expertise to solve them [3]. Across 15 years of developing learning games, Filament Games has interviewed hundreds of education professionals, both formally and informally. Irrespective of role, we have observed a remarkably consistent trend: the education community aspires to create more opportunities for students to have authentic STEM experiences – in classrooms, after school clubs, and at home. Schools with the requisite funding and staff resources often accomplish this by purchasing hands-on (physical) programmable robotics kits – however, the fact remains that robotics kits are expensive (upwards of $358 per student), instructional engineering/CS expertise is often in short supply, and these kits remain largely out of reach to students currently enrolled in distance learning.

In her presentation, Filament Games' Jennifer Javornik will offer an in-depth look at one potential solution to the STEM accessibility gap: digital robotics. Jennifer will equip attendees with a robust understanding of the advantages of virtual robotics over traditional physical robotics kits, in doing so illustrating how these programs can help open up the world of robotics and engineering to learners in at-home and hybrid classrooms.

Outline

In her presentation, Jennifer will explore how digital robotics can help make hands-on STEAM learning accessible to more learners than ever before – in particular, remote and hybrid students – by offering the following affordances over traditional physical robotics kits:

- Affordability. Because there are no material parts, digital robotics can deliver a comparable – and potentially superior – robotics experience for a fraction of the cost of a physical robotics kit. Digital components (blocks, gears, motors, etc.) are inexhaustible, cost nothing to replace after use, and don’t take up space. And the possibility of community features reduces the need (and cost) to transport students from school to school for events because users can compete and collaborate remotely.

- Scalability. Digital robotics can automatically scaffold learners, allowing them to be self-directed and autonomous. This reduces the amount of human capital and subject matter expertise required per student, which is particularly valuable for disciplines like engineering as districts have historically struggled to attract qualified experts in these fields. In this way, digital robotics can help districts scale their engineering education capacity without scaling their teaching staff.

- Accessibility. While expert guidance certainly enhances the digital robotics experience, everything students need to succeed – from getting started to mastering the learning objectives – can be built directly into the software. This reduces the burden placed on the facilitator – both in terms of logistics and expertise – and frees them up to add value to the learning experience as they see fit.

Throughout her presentation, Jennifer will actively engage in dialogue with audience members who already embrace robotics programs in their schools, as well as educators who’s schools do not currently offer robotics or engineering programs. Jennifer will harness these opportunities for dialogue in order to better tailor her presentation to fit the needs of her audience.

Supporting research

References:
1) Cohen, C., Patterson, D., Kovarik, D., & Chowning, J. (2013). Fostering STEM Career Awareness: Emerging Opportunities for Teachers. Washington State Kappan. Accessed 10/1/2020 from https://nwabr.org/sites/default/files/pagefiles/PDK%20STEM%20Career%20Awareness.pdf

2) Amgen Inspires. (2016). Students on stem: More hands-on, real-world experiences. Amgen Foundation. Accessed 10/1/2020 from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED568384.pdf

3) Leachman, M., Masterson, K., Figueroa, E. (2017). A Punishing Decade for School Funding. Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Accessed 10/1/2020 from https://www.cbpp.org/research/state-budget-and-tax/a-punishing-decade-for-school-funding