Abstract:

This presentation is an amalgamation of two separate initiatives that I have been leading for the past three years. One programme involved bringing together pupils from schools drawing most of their student body from families in the two lower socio-economic quintiles and introducing them to a series of Masterclass Maths activities including "the special number Pi" and "the Bridges of Konigsberg". These activities have been specifically developed to provide "stretch and challenge". The students chosen by their schools to participate in this programme have been identified as "gifted and talented" in maths. However, most programmes for gifted and talented students tend to favour those from the higher socio-economic quintiles. This initiative is designed to address this imbalance.

The second initiative is that of introducing pupils to robotics via a series of activities that culminates in a Robotics' Challenge Day held at one of the participating schools. The schools involved in the programme include state/controlled secondary, state/controlled grammar, co-educational and single gender, maintained secondary and special needs. No allowance is made for disability and all participating pupils compete equally. The challenge had run for five years but due to the Covid-19 pandemic had to be postponed in 2020.

However, this provided the opportunity to reassess the two initiatives and determine if they could be linked to increase pupils' willingness to become involved in maths learning.

This paper suggests how it may be possible to increase students' involvement in maths learning while also experiencing using robots. These suggestions are based on four sessions held face-to-face in schools during easing of lockdown in spring term 2021.

Each team is comprised of five students and each team is provided with a robot. There are two types of robot: a "Clawbot" which has a claw (for lifting) and is controlled wirelessly by a hand-held controller and a "Battlebot" which is controlled by hand movements (the operator wears a "glove" which contains an accelerometer and a transmitter while the robot has a receiver and a processor).

The students are presented with a set of mathematical questions which are tailored to their age and ability. Questions might be square or cube roots, the solving of algebraic equations, angles or other aspects of geometry. The variety of questions is as large as the field of mathematics.

When a group with a Clawbot has solved the problem, they must find the answer which is written on one of fifty balls scattered on the floor of the classroom. One of the team must now operate the robot to collect the ball with the correct answer and deposit it into a receptacle. Then they return to the next question. The "winning" team is the one that has deposited the most correct answers in to the receptacle at the end of a given time period.

The teams with the "Battlebots" answer similar questions but must score a goal with the ball on which is written the correct answer to the question.
In addition to answering maths questions, participating students also learn how to control robots and how to work in teams. Discussion at the end of the session focusses on applications of robotics and pathways into the field of robotics.

Keywords:

Robotics, socio-economic quintiles, Clawbot, Battlebot, accelerometer.