Abstract:

In this article we discuss the development and implementation in the classroom of IFLAB: Development laboratory Platform as a tool designed to ease the acquisition and development of generic cognitive skills, such as problem solving, analysis, logic synthesis and some sorts of thinking as critical, creative, structured, divergent; required to learn in several fields of knowledge, through the development of algorithms that provide solutions to daily concerns, those which are treated in the classroom by teachers and students based on the active pedagogic model Project Based Learning(PBL).

PBL model and IFLAB have enabled young people in secondary school in Bogota (Colombia), to develop and to improve their cognitive skills, starting by focusing on solving problems in early stages and its implementation in latter stages. Allowing students to work together to find several solutions for the same problem.

The development of algorithms helps to improve structured thinking, which includes logic, reasoning, rules, evaluation, judgment, analysis and deductive methods. In the algorithm development process is also required to manage information, planning, communication and monitoring activities .

The conventional way of programming teaching focuses on the language syntax instead of the solution design, which is inadequate for basic and secondary school. Graphic languages resemble puzzles have been created to eliminate the need to learn a specific programming language. In fact Blocky, the google's version of openblocks MIT project, is the most popular of these languages.

IFLAB: Development laboratory Platform, is presented as an interactive tool, allowing students to address the new challenges as presented by the technological and globalized world. Furthermore, IFLAB promotes the physical implementation of proposed solution, considering the fact that in the real world is not enough to work with virtual or simulated solutions.

This platform distinguishes itself by its flexibility of use, since it is not restricted to a specific application, due to the possibility of connecting several kinds of sensors and actuators as the academic activity needs it. In principle, this platform has been used as acquisition and control system for laboratories of physics and robotics. Regarding its programming environment, IFLAB offers a solution based on a GUI block programming language, enabling the student to concentrate on the algorithm rather than in the programming language syntax.

Finally, IFLAB has been implemented in 20 Colombian schools for teaching technology, robotics and programming, establishing a suitable environment for teachers to implement PBL and promote problems detection and solving in their schools and its social environment.The process begins with an idea to solve a problem (in the community, institution, etc) where teachers and students, as a team, prepare a plan how to implement activities and assign responsibilities to achieve the goal.

For IFLAB's support implementation in the classroom, didactic sequences based on PBL and Gagné's taxonomy have been developed. Gagné provide nine degrees of learning that can help students and teachers to get involve in knowledge building, keeping the premise of the learner as the core of the process, motivation as the link between knowledge, teacher and student, and prior knowledge as the basis of school learning.

Keywords:

PBL, active pedagogy, technology teaching, skills, robotics.