Mid-South Instructional Technology Conference
Teaching, Learning, & Technology
Transforming the Learning Environment
April 4-6, 2004
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Dr. Sylvia Clark Pulliam Track 1 - Effective Technology-Based Learning Resources |
Abstract
We are using U.S. Board of Education robots, called BOE-bots, to help students learn to program in their first programming course. The robots come with a version of Basic similar to QBasic that we are using in class. Students use subprograms to control the BOE-bot's wheels and to respond to signals. The robots provide a little excitement in the course, without requiring sophisticated programming experience.
Description
We are using robots marketed by the U.S. Board of Education to help students learn to program in their first programming course. There is no programming or technical prerequisite for the course, so this is the first exposure to programming for many students. The robots, called BOE-bots, come with a version of Basic that is very much like the QBasic already used in class.
The robots provide an opportunity to incorporate most problem-solving techniques required for an introductory programming course. Students can use subprograms to control the BOE-bot's wheels and to respond to infrared signals and relative light or darkness. Loops are used to cycle the robot through a prescribed path. Decision-making is necessary to control robot activity and to respond to external stimuli. Arrays can be used to direct a series of actions (travel in a circle, change direction, go straight, etc.). Program logic must also handle interruptions, as when an obstacle is encountered. Input must be processed and the results output, although the means are different from traditional programming environments.
The BOE-bots provide an opportunity to generate a little excitement in a course, without requiring extensive or sophisticated programming. As specifications become more complicated, the programming skills will need to be more sophisticated, as well.
Since we are currently only half way through the first semester to use the robots, we do not yet have any firm conclusions to report, but students are clearly interested in working with the robots. We will be well into our second semester using the robots by the time of the conference and should have some preliminary results to report. We will compare the classes using the robots to classes without robots to learn whether they increase student interest, mastery of programming, and retention in the discipline. Results will not be scientific, as there will be other variables as well, most notably a difference in classroom instructor, and we will not yet be able to evaluate retention.