Introduction
Theoretical framework
The importance of robotics
Becoming more technologically literate through robotic problems
Robotic direct manipulation environments as learning context
A conceptual framework for robotics
Learning objectives
Research questions and methodology
Lesson | Goals | Activities |
---|---|---|
1 | Part 1: Probe pupils’ initial perspectives on robotics | Interactive discourse between teacher and two pupils about robotics |
Part 2: Probe pupils’ initial understanding of the controlled system perspective | Analysis by the pupils of two apparently identical robots which, because of small mechanical, electronic or software differences, perform differently | |
2 | Develop skills and understanding to work with the iconic program language, its components (blocks, parameters, variables, and values) and the relation with the actions of the robot | Attempts of the pupils to develop a simple program, such as making a robot run in a square |
3 | Develop understanding of an element of the controlled system perspective | Pupils analyze pre-made programs simple linear programs and more complex conditional programs; they predict the performance of the robot and explain differences between prediction and actual performance |
4 | Probe whether pupils are able to develop a controlled system and whether they base their thinking on conditional reasoning containing an S-R-A loop | Problem solving task (design, build, and program a robot that is able to detect a white sheet of paper on a black surface, stop on the white and raise a flag). Develop a list of demands, sketch the robot, write the initial program, and build the robot |
5 | Probe whether pupils’ understanding of the functional perspective, the controlled system perspective and the S-R-A-loop is elaborated when pupils build and test robots | Testing the robot, focusing on deficiencies and optimizing the robot with respect to functional analysis, design, construction and program |
6 | Similar to lesson 5 | Similar to lesson 5 |
Results
Perspectives pupils use
Psychological perspective | Technological perspective | Function perspective | Controlled system perspective | Total | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
n
| % |
n
| % |
n
| % |
n
| % | ||
Gr 1 | 11 | 33.3 | 8 | 24.2 | 11 | 33.3 | 3 | 9.1 | 33 |
Gr 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 12 | 41.4 | 12 | 41.4 | 5 | 17.2 | 29 |
Gr 3 | 10 | 47.6 | 8 | 38.1 | 1 | 4.8 | 2 | 9.5 | 21 |
Gr 4 | 3 | 13.6 | 7 | 31.8 | 8 | 36.4 | 4 | 18.2 | 22 |
Gr 5 | 4 | 15.4 | 7 | 26.9 | 9 | 34.6 | 6 | 23.1 | 26 |
Gr 6 | 5 | 25.0 | 8 | 40.0 | 4 | 20.0 | 3 | 15.0 | 20 |
Total | 33 | 22.5 | 50 | 33.7 | 45 | 28.4 | 23 | 15.4 | 151 |
Pupil 2: They also made a soccer player robot but it kicked slantwise. They are now working on it [so] that he thinks as a real human.
Researcher: Why does the robot stop close to the object? Pupil 4: He saw that.
Pupil 1: If he [a scorpion-like robot] thinks he will be attacked then he starts doing that [hitting]. Pupil 2: When he touches something then he goes backwards. If he feels attacked he will sting like a real scorpion.
Researcher: Why does the robot move backwards? Pupil 6: He sees us with the sensor. Pupil 5: He sees us with his eyes. Pupil 6: No, these are feeling sensors.
Researcher: What are robots made of? Pupil 3: Steel, plastics, wires, copper wire. Researcher: What more? Pupil 3: Printed circuit boards.
Pupil 2: This is the sound sensor. Researcher: What is a sound sensor? Pupil 2: I think when he hears that he is too close to something that the program perceives this and that the robot then starts making a noise.
The function perspective
Researcher: Why do people build robots? Pupil 7: They make robots for competitions. Researcher: Do you know more? Pupil 8: Toys for pupils.
Researcher: Why do people make robots? Pupil 11: In order to make it easier. Researcher: To make what easier? Pupil 12: Also to speed things up.
Researcher: What makes a robot a good robot? Pupil 6: It must be able to talk…. Pupil 5: Good materials, so that it can move, something like rubber so that the legs can turn into all directions like humans… and have a nice skin.
Researcher: What are robots made for? Pupil 1: To work in factories, pick things up from the conveyor belt and put it on another one.
Researcher: What is most important [feature] of a robot? Pupil 1: Yes that it can do something, that it is useful for something. Pupil 2: That is does what is assigned.
Researcher: What are good robots? Pupil 11: Robots who do things that you would like them to do.
Researcher: What are robots, according to you? Pupil 9: Devices that can do things on their own. Pupil 10: By means of the stuff that is in it.
Researcher: Do you still know what the purpose of your robot is? Pupil 5: Yes, he must locate the island on the black floor. Pupil 5: Yes. Researcher: Here is an island [white sheet of paper] and a black floor. Pupil 5: And when he locates the island a flag has to fly on top.
Researcher: And how would the robot find the white island? Pupils 1 and 2: With the light sensor. Researcher: And how did you discover that there is a light sensor? Pupil 2: We thought about a light sensor, which would be able to search the floor for bright colors, because the floor here is brown. Pupil 1: And white is bright. Pupil 2: And you can see the bright white paper. But for a robot it is different. The robot should search for it because the robot cannot look. He must do as he is instructed.
The system perspective
Researcher: Do you still know what he had to be able to? Pupil 4: Yes bring up the flag, driving.
Researcher: How to drive? Pupil 4: Straight forward, backwards, left, right. Pupil 3: To see, to feel.
Researcher: How did you discover what exactly the sensor is? Pupil 1: That [points at the well-functioning robot] was just doing fine. And if you disconnect that one thing [wire and sensor] and then let him drive to look if it is still working. And then if it did work it was not the sensor. Researcher: By disconnecting the wire you discovered that it was the sensor that was responsible for stopping. Pupil 1: [connects the wire again] When we let him drive again it should work again. [performs this test] Pupil 1: Yes, it works again.
Pupil 7: Maybe the light sensor should be between the wheels? Researcher: Why? Pupil 7: Because now it is in the front. Researcher: Why is that a disadvantage? Pupil 8: In this way it stops too early. He stops when he sees [the island]. Pupil 7: But he has not yet arrived on the island.
[Pupils are programming the raising of the flag with a “move” icon in the program] Researcher: How can I ensure that the correct motor is chosen? Pupil 5: Here, port A, B or C. Researcher: What is it? Pupil 6: Yes, one motor is connected to port A. Pupil 5: Because the real motors [points at the wheels] are connected to B and C.
[Analyzing a bug in the program] Pupil 6: Try this part first until it functions well, and then include the next part, and if that functions you include the last part.
The controlled system perspective
Pupil 4: He [a toy insect robot] walked just like that and then it felt with the antennas that it had to move backwards.
Researcher: Why do the robots act differently? Is it because of their names [robot dog 1 & robot dog 2]? Pupil 1: It can be that you put something different in this one. Pupil 2: Yes, differently programmed.
Researcher: What are programs? Pupil 1: How he walks and talks, and the sounds he makes, you can change all of that, when you wish you can also delete that.
[The robot has to ride a square. However, the corners are larger than 90 degrees. The parameter setting is 0.5 s] Pupil 3: Rotation time is 0.5, maybe we can …. I am going to try if it succeeds with 4. Pupil 4: I try 0.6? Pupil 3: Wait a moment. Researcher: 4? Pupil 3: 0.4. Pupil 4: He is now riding lopsided. He is still increasingly lopsided. It must be bigger than 0.6.
Pupil 3: Here we have to click how long he moves. Pupil 4: “Control C”, what does that mean? Pupil 3: Length of duration is 1, do we have to give him longer? Pupil 4: One-second. Pupil 3: And power must also be more. Pupil 4: Rotation. Pupil 3: Next action is here. Pupil 3: Degrees unlimited.
Researcher: The first block makes the robot turn, what does the second block do? Pupil 9: Lets him move too … Researcher: The second block makes him? Pupil 10: Move straight forward, and the third block must make him turn again. Researcher: The fourth block? Pupil 9: Wait, we are not there yet, these have to be correct first. Pupil 10: This one has to go to the right. Pupil 9: No, the other side. Researcher: Why the other side? Pupil 9: Because this one is already there. The next one has to move straight forward.
Researcher: He has turned only half a circle and how many times does he have to turn? Pupil 7: Two. Pupil 8: You must use the iteration and then set it at two. Pupil 7: Or do we set it at 200, then he turns a hundred squares?
Researcher: Why does the robot stop now? Pupil 3: Because it is [value of the parameter “time”] 15 s. That is how long he has to run. And then this ultrasonic block and the halt sign have absolutely nothing to do with that because it stops after 15 s. Pupil 4: Then we must increase it [parameter time]. Researcher: Look for other solutions. Pupil 3: No, we have to change this [parameter time] to “unlimited”. Researcher: What is “unlimited”? Pupil 3: That it goes on running and then the ultrasonic says “stop now”. Otherwise you run against the wall. Pupil 4: Oh yes.
Researcher: Does the robot stop with the sensor? Pupil 3: I removed the sensor.
[The pupils try to use a sensor block but without the desired effect] Pupil 8: Maybe we have to know how many seconds it takes. Pupil 7: I think it is not more than 60 s. Pupil 8: Otherwise you have to count. Pupil 7: But it also depends on the distance from the starting position.
Pupil 4: We must change the starting position. [Pupil 3: moves the robot closer to the island].
The sense-reason-act loop
Researcher: What does this robot do? Pupil 4: In some way he can see. Pupil 3: He stops when this is in between. Researcher: Between what? Pupil 4: He is running squares and when you, for example, at some point you put a paper sheet in front of the robot it stops.
Pupil 4: Do you think this robot will stop? Pupil 3: No, there is no ultrasonic block in the program. Researcher: What is the ultrasonic block for? Both pupils: The ultrasonic block makes the robot stop.
Researcher: If that ultrasonic sensor detects a wall at 20 cm, what happens? Pupil 4: It stops, it should stop. Researcher: It should stop but does it stop? Pupil 4: No. Pupil 3: Here is a stop block. Researcher: All right, put it in the program and let us see what happens.
Pupil 3: He runs first. Pupil 4: He follows the blocks. Researcher: What does he do in the blocks? Pupil 4: He follows them. Pupil 3: He is doing the same all the time [iteration] until something is in front of the robot and then he arrives in a different block [iteration] and then he runs [for] 3 s. Pupil 4: Backwards. Pupil 3: And then everything starts again. Then he will drive again until an object is detected, then he runs backwards [for] 3 s.
Researcher: He stops if the distance is more than 30 cm? Pupil 4: That is it, I think. Pupil 3: No, then he always stops. No, we have to put him at “less than”.