Spotlight on Digital Media And Learning

7.20.11 | With props to Isaac Asimov.

1) A robot must help everyone, not just mechanical geniuses.

Though national competitions and Maker Faires have made robotics a hot educational tool at certain levels of education, robots can still be seen as toys for younger kids.

The famed brick-building company Lego debuted Mindstorms a decade ago to help teach programming and a variety of STEM concepts, but it has just recently introduced new programs for elementary-age children, which, according to Audrey Watters at ReadWriteWeb, might be just the type of early intervention that would get more girls and minorities involved in what is still seen as traditionally male endeavors.

(While we’re on the subject, take a look at the Chicago Knights in action for a look at a dynamic robotics team that doesn’t match stereotypes.)

2) A robot must obey its creator.

Elementary school students can use Lego’s WeDo set to build 12 different robots, each of which teaches a distinct programming/building concept. While the fear might be that the building will be a tedious, arduous process that will turn off kids, Lego makes it a dynamic process, writes Watters:

This set uses the familiar, basic Lego bricks, as well as various gears, cams, and axles, and comes with a motor and two sensors—a tilt sensor and a motion sensor—along with a USB hub. [...]

But this is Lego we’re talking about, and although every Lego kit comes with the designs for various models, the fun really begins when you start to design and build your own creations. The activities around the WeDo encourage just that thing—and not just with the building of models but with the programming component as well.

All of this makes WeDo seem a lot less “robotics” and a lot more, well, “Lego.” The comfort level most of us have around Lego could be key to getting more students (and teachers) interested in science, technology, and engineering.

3) A robot must help make the world a better place.

Legos—they’re not just for battle bots anymore. Check out the company’s Green City Challenge kit, which encourages students to build robots that do environmental good.