Abstract
New technologies have offered great alternatives for education. In this context, we place robotics and programming as innovative and versatile tools that adapt to active methodologies. With the arrival of COVID-19 and lockdowns, physical resources were kept out of use, and the virtual lectures did not propose to incorporate these elements in a meaningful way. This recent situation raises as an objective of study the need to evaluate if robotics and programming are content that can be taught virtually in these circumstances, without physical resources and without face-to-face lectures. To do this, a mixed methodology consisting of questionnaires and interviews has been incorporated, aimed at primary education teachers, families, and primary education grade students. The results suggest that the virtualization of robotics and programming is a feasible and beneficial alternative for students, which allows the development of digital skills, while it is enhanced with the use of audiovisual materials and online resources. Even though face-to-face classes have other benefits not offered by virtualization, and teacher training needs to be up to the task to face this situation, it is a matter of time to respond to these situations and to guarantee a high-quality distance education.
Highlights
Published: 27 July 2021Robotics and educational programming are related to multiple capacities of students such as the development of logical and linguistic abilities of children, in addition to providing a real scenario to apply curricular concepts [1,2]
We have carried out methodological triangulation because we use qualitative and quantitative sources and various methods in the same investigation to raise information contrasting the results, analyzing coincidences and differences, and having a broad perspective of educational robotics
When organizing the results obtained from the questionnaires, we have categorized the responses into four different sections that provide us with information about robotics and programming as an educational medium and the possibility of working virtually: First, we have started by analyzing the benefits of educational robotics for the future of students when used as a tool in the classroom
Summary
Robotics and educational programming are related to multiple capacities of students such as the development of logical and linguistic abilities of children, in addition to providing a real scenario to apply curricular concepts [1,2]. In this sense, the introduction of Robotics has become an innovative and strategic element at the same time. It is versatile when it comes to using active learning methodologies (project-based learning, problem solving, gamification, cooperative learning, among others). As proposed by Demo et al [3], inquiry-based learning paths and problem-based learning are valid approaches to manage learning through robotics
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