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EDUCATIONAL ROBOTICS: A TOOL OF THE 21ST CENTURY

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Alex Nilson
EDUCATIONAL ROBOTICS: A TOOL OF THE 21ST CENTURY

When we think of the concept of robotics, complex electronic devices in industrial environments or any paper typical of futuristic movies often come to mind.

However, robotics is a much more complex discipline than that. This branch of mechanical engineering is aimed at the design, creation and manufacture of robots.

In turn, robotics has several sub-disciplines, and one of them is educational robotics.

The creation of this discipline is closely linked to the last two generations of society, which have grown hand in hand with technology and its advances, with generation Z already being considered as digital natives.

In order not only to have the digital teaching skills necessary in current education, but also to offer students knowledge in accordance with what is required by both society and the labor market, it is now more a need than an option to include this type methodologies in educational programs.

Goals of educational robotics

Like any discipline, the purpose is not to "innovate for innovation" or implement this educational methodology simply because others are doing it.

The objectives to be achieved when the educational robotics training is launched are;

  • Encourage the participation and proactivity of students
  • Preparing for the challenges of tomorrow
  • Enhance group cooperation and collaboration
  • Stimulate their eagerness to learn
  • Discover potential hidden or undeveloped talents
  • Involve students in their education
  • Streamline the educational process

What advantages does it bring?

Once the objectives it pursues have been seen, the next thing to define is the knowledge, concepts and learning obtained by using this discipline in the classroom.

Among the benefits that students can obtain, we can find the following;

  • Interest in the technological and scientific world: the first thing that students will achieve when they start working is to increase their curiosity and desire to increase their knowledge about an area that previous generations less familiar with technology and science may find less attractive.
  • Lateral thinking: the use of creativity and decision-making that goes beyond the established canons, is inherent in the development of society. For this reason, methodologies that break with traditional teaching, without losing quality in the process, are essential for the development of students' creative abilities and decisions.
  • Logical reasoning: although creativity is a fundamental element, so is logical, methodical, and rational thinking that contributes, for example, to carrying out a project from the beginning to the end.
  • They are an active part in their learning: In this methodology, the teacher is not limited to telling the student the lesson and he simply has to memorize it. Here, the student is the protagonist and participates from the first minute of their learning, being guided at all times by the teacher, but having a much more active role than in traditional methodologies.
  • Problem-based learning: one of the variants of educational innovation is PBL. This mechanics is used in robotics in education: throughout the entire process, the student will see situations or problems that must be solved, obtaining valuable experience and knowledge for the future in a totally practical way and lived in the first person.
  • 21st Century Skills Acquisition: In the last 30 years, there has been an unprecedented technology boom. Therefore, education, a fundamental pillar of society, must train future generations from the first stages in those areas, technologies and needs most in demand.
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Alex Nilson
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