1. Agency in educational robotics settings: a new design approach
Ilkka Jormanainen
Department of Computer Science
University of Joensuu, Finland

2. In this presentation… Background
Introduction to educational robotics
A new design approach for educational robotics settings
Agency in the domain
Empirical Modelling (EM)
EM approach for designing learning settings

3. Educational robotics Small-scale robotic kits
Interactive, autonomous artefacts for learning and teaching
Relatively cheap price
Example: Lego Mindstorms Robotics Invention System
Developed at mid-1980’s at MIT
Widely used in different educational contexts

4. Educational robotics Pedagogical background Examples of usage
Constructionism
Learning by doing (and playing)
Project-based working
Group-oriented working methods
Examples of usage
Kids’ Club, special education
Distributed systems, networking, embedded systems

5. Educational robotics Teaching with educational robotics
Groups of 3-4 student
A given topic or project
Project-based working
Iterative cycle of planning, building, programming, testing and evaluating

6. Problems Several problems can be indicated
Settings do not fit to curricula very well
Teacher might have difficulties to follow all groups
Teachers have to have special knowledge
Technical skills
Engineering and programming

7. Empirical Modelling
Characteristics of a model is described with three key concepts:
Observable
Dependency
Agent
Model is a pattern of these
Usage of the models by set of definitions
state-as-experience
Analogy to spreadsheet

8. Our approach Pedagogical agents embodied to the educational robotics
Empirical Modelling
Pedagogical and technical design environments with EM tools
Result: agent-enhanced simulation of the learning setting

9. Our approach Student group Working process Modelling process Teacher
Interaction
Agents’ actions

10. Conclusions
Efficient usage of educational robotics requires new kind of teaching settings
EM could help to model and follow the process when using robotics
The work is in the initial phase
Frameworks for the work
Collaboration between universities at Joensuu, Massey and Warwick (UK)

11. Thank you!
Questions?
Comments?