USING ROBOTICS ON SCIENCE CURRICULA — PROCEEDING FROM COMPUTER CURRICULUM IN SECONDARY SCHOOL CHIN-YI YANG, LI-REN CHIEN, AND YI-TING YANG JJMIND\WRO2007_EDUCATION_V2.DOC JJMIND\WRO2007_EDUCATION_V2.DOC Rresenter : Ph.D. (ABD) Li-Ren Chien Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering, National Chung Cheng University

Origin  Why we started to integrate a robotics track into the computer science curriculum in secondary school?  Bill Gates (America Science, January 2007) The leader of the PC revolution predicts that the next hot field will be robotics  High relativity (Jennifer S.K., “Teaching Robotics From a Computer Science Perspective”, 2003)Teaching Robotics From a Computer Science Perspective computer science grew out of mathematics and electronic engineering, robotics is emerging from computer science, applied mathematics, and mechanical engineering.

Origin (Cont.)  Why we started to integrate a robotics track into the computer science curriculum in secondary school?  No Space in regular schedule for robotics track Most robotics track was formed with student association in secondary school in Taiwan.  New space in regular introductory computer science curriculum Some topics of introductory computers science was taught in elementary school.  Conclusion: Integrating a robotics track into the computer science curriculum in secondary school

Base of The New Curriculum  David J. “An International View of Robotics”, (International Conference on Engineering Education, U.K, August 2002)An International View of Robotics  Motivation Factors Eight Motivation factors for four groups (Jr, Hi, Stud, Eng)  Progress in Subjects Seventeen fields for four grous(Jr, Hi, Stud, Eng) via two types of training (Progress in theory, Progress in practice)  Views of Teachers and Students Learning outcomes of fourteen subject areas by teacher and student via theory and practice

Base of The New Curriculum(Cont.)  Uwe Gerecke, “Educational Robotics in a Systems Design Masters Program”Educational Robotics in a Systems Design Masters Program (Proceedings of the The 3rd IEEE International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies, 2003)  …with six different platforms which can be classified into three categories:  introductory-based, project-based, and research-based courses 1. Introductory level, schools. (introductory-based) 2. Undergraduate level. (project-based) 3. Advanced robots for research. (research-based)

Our View of the New Program  Students are divided into four groups: 1. juniors in computer science curriculum (JCS) 2. seniors in computer science curriculum (SCS) 3. junior students’ recreation (JSR) 4. senior students’ recreation (SSR)  Courses for the three different categories  introductory-based  project-based  research-based  All are determined by the ability level of each class of students.  The purpose is to provide for the most challenging and appropriate course work possible

Goal of the New Program  The development of a comprehensive course for seventh and tenth year in robotics that emphasizes multidisciplinary teamwork by encompassing many of the diverse fields of science in a secondary school.  All the students (Junior and Senior) at Hsin Kuo High School are required to take the computer science courses with robotics.  The original goal in computer science should be kept.

Goal of the New Program(Cont.)  Programming language education is integrated into the course work.  During the tenth year, the focus of course work is in AI with Robotics.  We are developing an event-based sensors and actuators robot API with three variables values consist of inputs-outputs (IO), bricks and hosts from a computer science perspective.

Taking place  This is the program taking place at Hsin Kuo High School, Tainan, Taiwan, October,  In the Robotics lab studio there are  thirty notebook computers  and thirty sets of LEGO MINDSTORMS. On average, two students have a notebook and a set of LEGO MINDSTORMS in the CS with robotics class.  There were two hours for pure CS courses for seventh and tenth grade level students a week for one year, (as is required by directives from the Republic of China Education Ministry. )  There are two instructors in the CS with Robotics curriculum;  one with a degree in computer science  the other with a degree in Robotics. The class is team taught.

Conclusion and Future Works  In this program, we focus on the integration of CS with Robotics.  This includes the evaluation of the course outlines through a number of means, including all feedback, suggestions, and research into the subject matter.  Next year the staff at the high school expects to make a number of alterations to the syllabus.  Next step we will invite more teachers mastering in Physical Sciences and Mathematics into the teaching and course development.

Thank you for your attention