Abstract:

This article introduces a part of the research in the field of educational robotics implemented in the Czech Republic. The aim of the research was to explore how elementary school pupils solve some simple tasks. Within the research a set of fifteen simple tasks designed for LEGO Mindstorms EV3 was given to pupils from two classes of the sixth school year of elementary school. The tasks were focused exclusively on the movement of robot in space without using the sensors and other modules. The task solving required the use of abstract thinking. Each pupil worked on tasks individually and used only the assembled robot and laptop with specific software. During solving the set of tasks, the process of creating the programme directly on the laptop desktop as well as the behaviour and reactions of the pupils were recorded by the webcam. In the classroom there was placed even one static camera which recorded the process of verifying the correct problem solving. Both records enabled to evaluate what solving process was used by the pupils and how successful they were. Furthermore, the records helped us to find out what tasks were the most difficult and most time consuming for the pupils and on the contrary, what tasks were the least problematic ones.

From the gained results is evident that pupils are able to work with the block-oriented programming environment without any prior knowledge even though a plenty of pupils expressed their fear and distrust at the beginning of testing. It is enough to tell the pupils short introductory instructions including the basic control of robot and principles of programming. The simple tasks which don’t require the usage of higher amount of programming blocks but only the correct choice and change of parameters are solved by the pupils ordinarily without any difficulties. The most commonly appeared mistake in solving was adding some redundant programming blocks which caused the undesired robot behaviour.

Keywords:

Robotic kit, LEGO, elementary school, programming, research.