Planning a robotic competition

Abstract

AbstractEducation changes, and pupils and students require a more active role. Educational competitions could be an answer. This paper highlights the key points as these were revealed through setting up an event of an educational robotic competition from zero. It, also, presents statistics collected in different periods: before the competition, directly after it, and finally at a notable time after the competition (about 6 months). To collect the data, the completion of four different questionnaires, for every annual event, was asked separately, by the participants and the organizers. The paper provides empirical insights on setting up an educational competition. It also outlines the characteristics of the students taking part and underlines the results that the contents have on them. It suggests that teamwork and collaboration within the team is a prerequisite for a competition to have an impact on the educational process. Furthermore, robotic competitions raise the interest of students in robotics, programming, and STEM, while they develop social skills and create bonds between the participants. Moreover, it is a useful tool for educators.