Robotics for Educators: Gamification in the classroom!
Course Fee
€480 (Fully Funded)
Accommodation & Other
Up to €160 per day (Fully Funded)
Course Description
Robotics is increasingly being considered as the fourth “R” of learning, “Reading, wRriting and aRithmetic” that modern-day students must understand to succeed in a highly competitive, technology-driven world. Robotics integrates all STEM fields in a way no other subject can cover.
It is the fundamental tool used by modern classrooms to teach entertainingly and interactively: science, technology, engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Through this course, you will get acquainted with some of the most used Robotics Platforms available for today’s classroom.
The course includes four major Robotics platforms: The Edison robot, the Lego Boost kit, the Lego EV3 kit and Arduino. We will be diving into all these platforms with hands-on building and coding. We will expand on ways teachers can incorporate it into their curriculum, and we will be creating lesson plans for different disciplines. Additionally, we will be presenting platforms that include material that a teacher can utilise and enrol the students, which will earn badges improving the course’s gamification aspect upon completion of a given task or exercise.
Topics Include
• Robotics with Edison Robot.
• Meet the award-winning “Coding and Robotics” platform for teachers and students.
• Robotics with Lego Boost.
• Meet the “CodeSkills4Robotics” platform for teachers and students.
• Robotics with Lego Mindstorms EV3.
• Arduino circuit board
• Arduino Car Robot
• Meet the “Robot4All” platform for teachers and students.
Aims in relation to the development of your organisation
- The School will gain expert teachers in the fields of Robotics.
- The School will gain access to a multiplatform set of STEM material that can be incorporated into the current curriculum.
Course Schedule
* The course can be modified according to the preferences of the attendees
Monday
Introduction to the course and get-to-know your trainers and fellow participants with networking activities. Practical issue arrangements and weekly schedule timetable. Presentation and registration by all participants to the “Emphasys Key Action 1 lifetime support platform“. This innovative platform will grant you access to all the material and supporting documentation of the course as well as a discussion forum for communication with all participants and trainers.
We will start with a short introduction to Robotics, followed by hands-on experience with the Edison robot and how it reads commands through barcodes and explore the various sensors and material you can use in your classroom to teach different concepts. We will present you with a supportive platform, example scenarios, and good practice projects made with the Edison robot.
Tuesday
We will be using the Lego BOOST kit, creating models with motors and sensors, and then bring creations to life through simple, icon-based coding commands. A platform that will support you in the classroom will become available to you, including teaching material and good practice examples.
Wednesday
We will continue with the Lego Mindstorms EV3 robotic platform. We will learn ways to embed robotics to cross-curricular STEM courses and methods to engage students by presenting the resources to design, build and program their creations while developing essential skills such as creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and communication.
Thursday
Introduction to the Arduino open-source platform. We will learn to program and control an Arduino robot car with simple C++ coding and block-based coding commands.
We will examine topics such as controlling the robot through infrared, avoiding obstacles and line tracking. You will learn how to load programs in each mode and command the car to run as instructed.
Furthermore, we will see methods to connect what we learned with your school’s curriculum.
Finally, the Robot4All project and platform will be presented with available teaching material on Arduino.
Friday
We will guide you through creating and presenting your first lesson plan utilising robotics and receiving constructive feedback.
We will discuss the main Robotics competitions across Europe. We will consider ways on how to prepare your students for various robotic tasks in a competitive environment.
Saturday
Change of venue to a coastal city of Cyprus (Larnaca or Famagusta). Recap and conclusion of the course. Course evaluation, recommendations, outcomes and further steps – remote support through the Emphasys Key Action 1 platform. Award of certificates to the attendees. Arrangements and assistance for airport transportation.
Other Activities
- Visit a primary school in Nicosia
- Visit a gymnasium/high school in Nicosia
Available Dates
*The above dates can be flexible, whereas new ones can also be provided to accommodate the needs or availability of participants.
