Robotics Online

 

ACTIVITY TEAM

Name

Role

Andrew Fluck (UTAS)

University liaison & research coordination

Helen Bound (UTAS)

University liaison & research coordination

Rob Torok (Claremont College)

Delivery teacher, robotics expert, planning

Judy Travers (Director, CELO)

Planning, guiding project, overseeing outputs and achievement

Angela Cooke (SEO, CELO)

Planning, guiding project, with specific responsibility for online

Michael Kunta (Punchbowl)

Robotics expert, guiding project

Mark Smithies (Devonport)

Robotics expert, guiding project

UTas Research Assistant (TBA)

Data gathering and analysis for research component of project

Alignment with ASISTM Project (UTAS & DoE)

 

START/FINISH DATES

February 2007: Develop online environment, call for expressions of interest / student nominations

March 2007:

  • 5 March 2007 - Face to face workshop/s held

 - Pre-program tests for students

  • 12 March – online program delivery begins

July 2007 – Launceston Regional Robocop  semi-final/s held

                 - Post Program tests for students / interviews with focus groups & teachers/principals

August 2007

·          State Final held and project completed

·          Research paper finalised

 

ACTIVITY RATIONALE

Robotics is a transdisciplinary, project-based learning activity drawing on Maths, Science and Technology. It is motivating and engaging, using 21st century technologies. Robotics fosters resilience and perseverance, problem solving skills, communication skills, teamwork skills, independence, imagination and creativity.

 

This project will build capacity and expertise in robotics (benefiting Maths, Science and Technology) and online learning in teachers in rural schools, network the students and teachers in those schools, and provide a model that can be applied across disciplines and levels, while providing curriculum diversity, enrichment and extension.

 

The project will be underpinned by research to gain an understanding of:

 a) how this model of delivery and support allows gifted & talented students in regional & remote schools to learn robotics even when their local teachers have little knowledge in this cognitive area.

b) the extent to which  factors such as gender & school context are related to learning outcomes derived from robotics.

c) the impact of learning robotics upon future aspirations of participating students.

d) the degree to which this process can be instrumental in making robotics sustainable within the school and/or become adopted into mainstream classrooms.

e) how students’ motivation to learn and their skills in mathematics, science & technology change following their study of robotics.

 

ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION

A password protected secure online environment will be developed which will deliver skill building activities and challenges in the context of Robocup Junior. The online environment will also provide the communication tools to support philosophical discussions in relation to robotics and the future as well as social networking for all participants.

 

A robotics kit will be provided on a ratio of 1 kit per team. Schools may have up to two teams, consisting of between 2 and 4 students per team plus a reserve. Participants will be drawn from talented students in grades 5 to 8.

 

A support teacher will be required in each location to provide duty of care, support, encouragement and trouble shooting for participating students, as well as assisting the delivery teacher with feedback and some assessment of student participation, activity and needs and keeping up to date with new material within the online environment. The support teachers will also develop understandings and skills in relation to robotics in order to build sustainability of the program.

 

The students will follow the online course skill building activities to develop understandings in robotics. Over time they will start to develop their own ideas while working towards a competitive Robocup Junior entry. In this second phase they will be able to interact online with the course mentor to get specific advice relating to the team’s own project.

 

At least 50% of schools will be in rural or remote locations in northern and north-western Tasmania.

 

ACTIVITY DELIVERABLES AND OUTCOMES

  • project plan
  • an engaged cohort of students with  substantial skills and knowledge
  • a bank of teaching resources, activities, learning sequences and strategies
  • teacher professional development pack
  • a set of kits available for schools to borrow
  • participation in regional semi-finals
  • a model of online delivery to enhance student learning and engagement, broaden the expertise of staff and provide greater curriculum diversity for small, isolated and / or rural schools.
  • a body of research on:
    •  the impact of online learning in rural and isolated schools and its effectiveness in supporting Maths, Science and Technology in those schools; and
    • The learning outcomes of an online robotics program.

 

EVALUATION PROCESSES

Data gathering will be conducted using four instruments (drafts in appendix):

·        Student pre/post test on aspirations, gearing & programming [Q1-Q4]

·        Student focus group interviews (based on the groups of students selected to participate in each school). Due to the number of schools (max 26) and budget restrictions, some of these may be conducted face to face (10) and the others online. [S1-S6]

·        Teacher and/or Principal interviews. Same process applies. [T1-T4]

·        Project teacher journals of engagement and understanding of robotics: diarists will be asked to put down questions, concerns and achievements for their small groups of students.[J]

 

Research Questions & data sources

RQ1: In what ways does this model of delivery and support allow gifted & talented students in regional & remote schools to learn robotics even when their local teachers have little knowledge in this cognitive area?  [data from S2-3; T2; J]

RQ2: To what extent are factors such as gender & school context related to learning outcomes derived from robotics? [data from Q2-4; S1; T1]

RQ3: What impact did learning robotics have upon future aspirations of participating students?

[data from Q1;  T1]

RQ4: To what degree was this process instrumental in making robotics sustainable within the school and/or become adopted into mainstream classrooms? [data from S6; T3-4; J]

RQ5: How did students’ motivation to learn and their skills in mathematics, science & technology change following their study of robotics? [data from S4-5; T1]

 

DISSEMINATION (describe how the activity outcomes will be communicated)

·         Research paper/s

·         Workshops with teachers

·         Websites – UTas, DoE,

·         Robotics Tasmania

·         UTas pre-service teachers

·         Principal Education Officer Technology

·         Australia wide conferences including CONSTAT and ACEC

·         AAMT to the Australia-wide conferences – Hobart 6-9 July 2007 – where teachers / students could present findings

·         Student–led conferences that may be instigated next year where students present to teachers and other students in workshops/ as speakers