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Robotics for Learning

Teaching Robotics is about empowering students to create and configure robotics devices and program computers to nurture in students the skill sets necessary to play an active role in society. The robot in Figure 1 focuses on the design of scaffolds and physical assembly methods, coupled with a computer logic program to make that makes it move or behave in a very precise (remote controlled or autonomous) manner. This enables students to investigate, explore and refine the program to affect the robots. The Robotics approach takes into account the increasing popularity of Computer Science and the learning by doing (Schank, Berman, & Macpherson, 1999) approach to solve complex problems and use computers meaningfully in learning (Barron & Darling-Hammond, 2008; Jonassen, Howland, Marra, & Crismond, 2008). In Singapore, teachers and students in Woodlands Ring Secondary and Rulang Primary have incorporated robotics to varying extents into formal and informal curricula. In addition, other less expensive robotics tools can be used, depending on the curriculum or different requirements at international competitions. The two main pedagogical learning approaches that have taken root in Robotics are learning- by-doing and constructionism (Papert & Harel, 1991).