engleski

Using Lego Mindstorms Robots in Science Education

Nowadays children are born with computers and Lego bricks. Children are familiar with them and do not have any fear of using them separately or together. Therefore, computers and Lego represent perfect learning platforms. Children learn mathematics and computer science together with physics, biology, astronomy or earth science. In this paper we present several approaches how to use Lego Mindstorms set in the science education. If children make and program a robot that can draw a wave on a paper, they can learn about amplitude, periods and frequencies. If they create a robot with ultrasonic sensor, they learn about bats and dolphins and how they sense the world around them. Using different sensors children can experience how to collect and analyze scientific information. In this paper, we propose an arrangement of a lesson for learning science and programming robots in the same time. Each lesson starts with building a robot, a vehicle or a machine for an experiment, with or without building instructions. Using drag and drop software, children core a program for the robot. They observe, measure and calculate using the robot. Lesson ends with the conclusion about programming and about the learned science facts. In our workshops, children are working in pairs. Each group gets worksheets with questions and instructions, so each group can independently discover the laws of nature or other interesting science facts. Teachers are there to help and to put emphasis on important terms. Our observations from the workshops, as well as children reactions, are given in the paper.

Lego Mindstorms ; sensor ; robot ; science education ; STEM

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