1. with Kim Chandler and Steve Coxon
LEGO WeDo
with Kim Chandler and Steve Coxon

2. Description
LEGO WeDo provides an opportunity for students ages 6-9 to create working robots using LEGO bricks, motors, and sensors.
Students write programs to tell their robot what to do.
For example, students may create an alligator whose mouth closes when a motion sensor detects a finger.

3. WeDo instructions

4. Features
The LEGO WeDo not only includes the usual bricks, but also has gears, rubber bands, string, sensors, and motors.
This allows for inclusion of simple machines, mobility, engineering, and creative problem solving.
Students write programs using an easy-to-learn, drag-and-drop block programming language.
Programming is a great opportunity for students to develop logical thinking and problem solving skills.

5. WeDo programming screen shot

6. Available research
Coxon (2009): A potential way to provide appropriate challenge for the spatially gifted
Coxon (2010): Students involved in the year’s science theme can become active researchers, turning it into a tangible and meaningful inquiry experience that can then be shared with a real world audience.
Melchior, Cutter, and Cohen (2004): 94% or more of all students participating in FIRST LEGO League had increases in interest in STEM, programming skills, problem-solving skills, teamwork skills, and leadership skills.
Waks and Merdler (2003): designing, building, and programming a LEGO robot pushes students’ spatial reasoning and creative problem solving abilities.
Petre and Price (2004): Effective understanding of programming and engineering principles.
Geeter, Golder, and Nordin (2002): Middle school students competing in FLL gained a better understanding of engineering; improved creative thinking, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills; and increased self-confidence levels, interest, and involvement in science and math.
Williams, Ma, Prejean, Ford, and Lai (2007): Physics content knowledge was improved in a study of robotics in a middle school summer program.

7. Educational applications
Force, Motion, and Energy, including simple machines (SOLs: 1.2, 3.2, 4.2, 4.5)
Scientific Investigation, Reasoning, and Logic, including measurement and the scientific method (SOLs K.1, 1.1, 2.1, 3.1, 4.1)
Senses (SOL K.2)
Ecosystems (SOLs K.6, 1.4, 1.7, 2.4, 2.5, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 3.9, 3.10, )
Engineering and spatial skill building
Logic of computer programming (e.g., repeat loops)

8. Affordances
Great tutorials to learn how to build and program with WeDo.
Engaging because it is real world. Kids consider it playing, learning as they play.
Actually hands-on: You can touch it.
The building component: three-dimensional.
Challenges spatial abilities, which are correlated with STEM success.
Interdisciplinary: Integrating several subjects to resolve the problems.
Incorporated REAL WORLD problem solving and having work in pairs including problem solving.
This is the type of activity that adult scientists do.
Appeals to kids who are into gaming so they can see behind the scenes
Introduces kids to the logic of computer programming
The skills can be transferred.
-CRIN class

9. Constraints Cost Hard to align it to the curriculum
Very difficult... learning curve
Needs more direct instruction and guided practice
Could ONLY be done in the classroom
Organization of all of the pieces
Classroom management
Teacher needs to have some kind of knowledge of programming.
-CRIN class