Robotics Course Research Articles

A systematic review of educational robotics studies for the period 2010–2021

AbstractThe aim of this research is to systematically review the theses on educational robotics applications produced in Turkey between the years 2010–2021. The aim is to provide a broad perspective on current studies by revealing the existing situation in the literature. For this purpose, 124 postgraduate theses in the national thesis database were examined within the scope of the research. The theses were analysed using the content analysis method and the educational robotics publication classification form. According to the results of the research, most theses were carried out in 2019 and educational robotics was mostly studied in the master's theses. Experimental design with the quantitative method and the quasi‐experimental pre‐test post‐test control group was widely used as research methods. Research in the theses was mostly conducted in secondary schools. The implementations lasted between 1 and 2 months (6–8 weeks). The size of the study groups were 31–100 and the sample selection was appropriate for its purpose. Lego sets and Arduino sets were used the most in information technologies and software and science courses. The proposals sections of the theses suggest that future research should carry out studies with longer‐term implementations and larger sample groups. For practitioners, the theses suggest that robotics‐based activities should be added to the curriculum in every age group. They emphasize the need for a STEM‐based robotics course for teachers as an in‐service training course and that it would be beneficial to have robotics workshops in schools. The results obtained from the study are discussed in detail. The video abstracts for this article are available at https://youtu.be/rv9xiGxF4Uc and https://youtu.be/lXctWfpey5E.

Remote Laboratory as an Educational Tool in Robotics Experimental Course

A remote lab is a technology that allows participants to efficiently conduct experimental teaching where users can connect to lab equipment from anywhere without being in a specific physical location. The COVID-19 pandemic affects all areas of human activity. ​As a result, students did not receive face-to-face instruction, and access to the laboratory was limited or practically impossible, and access to laboratory facilities has been limited or nearly impossible. Especially in engineering education, students’ practical abilities cannot be developed comprehensively. In this paper, this paper built an online remote robotics experiment system using digital twin (DT) technology and IoT technology and adopted ADDIE (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation) teaching method. With these measures, students can design and debug robot programs at home, just like in the laboratory. This study sent questionnaires to 64 students, and 58 were returned. The results show that more than 80% of students believe that the remote labs for industrial robotics courses have improved the efficiency and quality of students' skills training as opposed to virtual simulation and watching videos on the computer.

Assessing the Impact of a Project-Based Learning Robotics Course with Integrating of STEM Education Using Content Analysis Method

The National Science Foundation (NSF) proposed in 1996 “Shaping the Future” report that “STEM” (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) is a set of education methods that focus on learners. The STEM education actively cultivates students’ independent thinking and creativity in the learning process. In recent years, the use of STEM education methods in teaching has become a trend in Taiwan’s education system. In this study, a content analysis method is used to analyze and observe the knowledge learned and the attitude toward STEM education for a total of 30 junior students, who have no background in robotics-related professional knowledge, after taking a semester of project-based learning (PBL) robotics general course from National Chiayi University, Taiwan. From the study results, it is found that by integrating STEM into the acquisition of robotics, students can use logical thinking, compile different programs, increase their understanding of technical operations, and finally create more methods to complete the project. On the other hand, through PBL, students can stimulate thinking in discussions with their peers, and achieve the effect of problem-solving and stress-less learning. The findings of the study also show that the PBL robotics course provides the learning aids which is beneficial in exercising STEM education learned by learners.

Communicating from a distance: medical student perspectives from a robotic bedside assist simulation

BackgroundTo safely engage medical students in robotic operations as bedside assists would require new curricula. We aimed to understand student perspectives on communication with a console surgeon during a bedside assist simulation as a step in the process of designing an effective bedside assist curriculum.MethodsSenior medical students were offered an introductory robotic surgery course. An Intuitive Surgical trainer reviewed robotic features, functionalities, and roles. Then, students participated in a simulation where they introduced an instrument through a laparoscopic port and advanced it into the field of view navigating around obstacles. A non-surgeon researcher conducted post-course focus groups (FGs) to explore participants’ perceptions about communication with the console surgeon during the simulation. Using FG transcriptions, two researchers conducted an inductive thematic analysis.ResultsThirteen students (46% female) participated in three FGs. The first theme, tension between hierarchy and patient safety, reflected students’ pressure to follow instructions quickly and obediently from their superior and trepidation about revealing knowledge gaps as barriers to communication. Students also recognized that patient safety as at risk with rote following of instructions in the face of their uncertainty. The second theme identified opportunities to enhance communication including shared vocabulary, effective team dynamics, and explicit expectations.ConclusionBarriers to effective communication between students and surgical faculty exist. Establishing a bedside assist curriculum that teaches relevant terminology, communicating specific expectations, and promoting a team culture that fosters open communication without judgment may safely expand the role for students in robotic cases.

The relation between computational thinking and logical thinking in the context of robotics education

Computational thinking is a popular student skill on a steep rise today. Nevertheless, the assessment of this skill is a matter of contention. This pilot study examines whether computational and logical thinking are related. Therefore, we investigated the effect of a robotics course concerning logical thinking and computational thinking on 14-year-old Dutch students. Thirty-five students were pre-tested to assess their logical thinking and post-tested for their logical thinking and their computational thinking. The intervention group (N = 11) followed a robotics course between the pre- and post-test. This study's results show a significant positive correlation between computational and logical thinking. This study, with small sample size, does not show the effect of the robotics course on either logical or computational thinking.

Increasing the attractiveness of surgical disciplines for students: Implications of a robot-assisted hands-on training course for medical education.

BackgroundStructured implementation of robot-assisted surgery in the field of medical education is lacking. We assessed students' interest in robot-assisted surgery and tested if the implementation of a hands-on robotic course into the curriculum could increase the interest to join a surgical discipline in general and especially in female students, since women are clearly underrepresented in surgical disciplines.MethodsAfter a prostate cancer focused seminar, 100 students were 1:1 randomized into two groups. Group B: Baseline characteristics and professional interest were assessed prior and after a hands-on robotic course, using a da Vinci® console with simulator (da Vinci® Surgical training, Intuitive Surgical Inc., USA). Group A served as post-interventional consistency control group, received the questionnaire only once after the hands-on training.ResultsThe male to female ratio of students was 54% and 46%. The interest to turn into urology/surgery, categorized as yes”, “no”, “maybe” changed from 18 to 16%, 36 to 30% and 46 to 54% respectively after the hands-on robotic course (p < 0.001). Also, the positive attitude towards the surgical field significantly increased (20 vs. 48%; p < 0.001). Comparing male and female students, virtually identical proportions (23 vs. 23%) opted for joining urology or surgery as a discipline, whereas rejection (45 vs. 25%) and perchance (32 vs. 50%) of that notion differed between genders (p = 0.12).ConclusionOur results demonstrate great demand for implementing robotic training into medical education for an up-to-date curriculum. Although the decision process on career choice is widely multifactorial, stereotypes associated with surgical disciplines should be eliminated. This could have a particularly positive effect on the recruitment of female medical students since women are clearly underrepresented in surgical disciplines although currently and with increasing proportions, more female students are enrolled in medical schools then male.

A Free Simulation Environment Based on ROS for Teaching Autonomous Vehicle Navigation Algorithms

In recent years, engineering degree programs have become fundamental to the teaching of robotics and incorporate many fundamental STEM concepts. Some authors have proposed different platforms for teaching different topics related to robotics, but most of these platforms are not practical for classroom use. In the case of teaching autonomous navigation algorithms, the absence of platforms in classrooms limits learning because students are unable to perform practice activities or cannot evaluate and compare different navigation algorithms. The main contribution of this study is the implementation of a free platform for teaching autonomous-driving algorithms based on the Robot Operating System without the use of a physical robot. The authors present a case study using this platform as a teaching tool for instruction in two undergraduate robotic courses. Students evaluated the platform quantitatively and qualitatively. Our study demonstrates that professors and students can carry out different tests and compare different navigation algorithms to analyze their performance under the same conditions in class. In addition, the proposed platform provides realistic representations of environments and data visualizations. The results claim that the use of simulations helps students better understand the theoretical concepts, motivates them to pay attention, and increases their confidence.

Implementation of learning by design in a synchronized online environment to teach educational robotics to inservice teachers.

Teaching educational robotics is of growing interest in K-12 settings. Yet, immense efforts are needed to move the field forward by framing the teaching of robotics with pedagogically sound theories as well as appropriate instructional design models and strategies. To meet this need, the authors designed and implemented an online educational robotics course for inservice teachers who had little or no prior experience in teaching robotics, by applying instructional design factors as well as teaching and facilitation strategies derived from the learning by design (LBD) framework. Action research employing mixed methods was carried out to examine the effects of instructional design factors implemented in the online educational robotics course. An online survey indicated that the participating teachers increased their self-efficacy in robotics, use of problem-solving and collaboration strategies, and confidence in robotics knowledge and teaching. In addition, by the end of the course, the participating teachers demonstrated sufficient robotics content knowledge. As revealed in their reflective essays, they also developed learning strategies, such as case-based reasoning, sketches, trial and error, and evaluating capacity while completing the robotics open-ended project. Further, they realized the constraints of learning educational robotics online and the benefits of collaboration. This study sheds light on the design components of a robotics course grounded in LBD that are effective for preparing teachers in an online environment to implement robotics in their classrooms.

Primary school teachers’ and students’ views about robotic coding course

Coding, which is among the 21st century skills, has been included in the curriculum of many countries in recent years from preschool to high school. Primary school teachers are very important in the teaching of coding. In this context, this study aims to reveal the coding education that primary school students receive and the contribution of this course to them from the perspective of classroom teachers and primary school students. In this study, the qualitative method and phenomenological design were used in the study. The study group consists of 8 classroom teachers and 16 primary school students in the city center of Amasya. Easily accessible sampling was used to constitute the study group. In order to obtain the data, a quasi-structured interview form consisting of six questions for teachers and one question for students was prepared. Nvivo 9 program was used to analyze the data. Content analysis has been done as previously created code and themes are used. According to the results of the research, Robotics and Coding course contributes to children's mental development and metacognitive skills such as creative and reflective thinking and improves their problem-solving skills. In addition, it was concluded that Robotics and Coding course should be given to students at an early age, so it should be included in primary school programs.

Can Educational Robots Improve Student Creativity: A Meta-analysis based on 48 Experimental and Quasi-experimental Studies

Cultivating innovative talents has become a critical strategy for building China into a strong country in science and technology. Catering to the trend of educational reform in the intelligent era, the use of robotics in developing student creativity proves to be of greater practical value. The findings of this study are that: first, the overall effect of educational robotics on student creativity reaches above-moderate level; second, educational robotics has more significant effects on creativity of primary and junior secondary students; third, in terms of subjects, robotics courses can most effectively promote student creativity; fourth, among various teaching topics, prototype creation has the most substantial impact on student creativity; fifth, in terms of instruction methods, inquiry-driven teaching can best stimulate student creativity; sixth, compared with ordinary classrooms, the laboratory environment is more favorable for the development of student creativity. The paper also offers recommendations for popularizing robotics curriculum at different education levels.

Innovation of Teaching Tools during Robot Programming Learning to Promote Middle School Students’ Critical Thinking

In the digital age, robotics education has gained much attention for cultivating learners’ design thinking, creative thinking, critical thinking, and cooperative abilities. In particular, critical thinking as one of the key competencies in Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) can stimulate imagination and creation. It is of great value to explore critical thinking cultivation in robot programming learning. Therefore, this study applied different teaching tools to take the content of “making a manipulator through programming and construction” in a robotics course as an experimental context to examine the promotion of learners’ critical thinking. Before the experiment, a pre-test was conducted to measure students’ critical thinking ability. Then, all students were divided randomly into two groups: one as an experimental group with the teaching tool of Construction–Criticism–Migration (CCM) instructional design, and the other as a control group with the traditional teaching tool of demonstrate–practice instructional design. After a 6-week experiment, the measurement of critical thinking was applied as a post-test. SPSS was used to conduct an independent sample t test and one-way ANOVA to explore whether students’ critical thinking ability had improved and whether differences were found between the experimental group and the control group after the 6-week experiment. The results showed that the experimental group students’ critical thinking ability significantly improved, whereas no significant difference was found before and after the experiment for the control group. A significant difference existed between the two groups. This study provides an example of a new instructional design teaching tool for the teaching of robot programming and can provide valuable suggestions for instructors in middle schools.

Current Practice in Robotic Surgery Among Pediatric Urologists: A Survey Study.

Introduction: Since its introduction, robotic surgery has gained most traction among urologists. Pediatric urologists have been slower to adopt the technology than their adult counterparts. Our objectives were to understand current practice patterns for robotic surgery among pediatric urologists, to identify perceived barriers, and to identify factors associated with the use of robotic surgery. Methods: An anonymous online survey was administered using Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) to members of the Societies for Pediatric Urology (SPU) including questions about provider demographics and personal practice patterns. Comparisons were made using Pearson's chi-squared analysis. Results: Of 351 SPU members surveyed, 95 completed the survey (27%): 55 (58%) reported performing robotic surgery and 40 (42%) reported not performing robotic surgery. Twenty-seven (28%) reported receiving robotic training in residency, 26 (27%) in fellowship, 34 (36%) in a robotics course, and 30 (32%) with proctored surgery. Cited reasons for not performing robotic surgery were lack of training, referring to practice partners, and lack of benefit. Of those performing robotic surgery, most reported performing 0-1 or 2-4 per month. Thirty-one (56%) reported having selection criteria for use of the robot: 26 (47%) cited an age cutoff, 12 (22%) cited a weight cutoff, and 14 (26%) cited an abdominal size cutoff. Eighteen (33%) reported using hidden incisions endoscopic surgery (HIdES) approach and 40 (42%) reported using an assistant port. Factors associated with using the robot included surgeon age, years in practice, practice setting, having robotic training, and having practice partners who perform robotic surgery. Conclusions: Practice variation exists in the use and application of robotic surgery among pediatric urologists. The main self-reported barriers to performing robotic surgery are lack of training, referring to practice partners, and no perceived benefit to robotic surgery. Factors associated with performing robotic surgery were surgeon age, years in practice, practice setting, and having practice partners perform robotic surgery. There is no Clinical Trial Registration number associated with this study.

The Impact of Design Thinking PBL Robot Course on College Students’ Learning Motivation and Creative Thinking

<i>Contribution:</i> Prior studies have shown that project-based learning (PBL) is an effective approach on engineering education. This study further identifies the impact of a design thinking (DT) integrated PBL approach on the college students&#x2019; learning motivation and creativity. <i>Background:</i> A well-developed robot and its project often require interdisciplinary knowledge, such as design and technology, and interdisciplinary team collaboration to optimize the requirements of desirability and viability for developing products. The current study systematically embeds the elements of DT and PBL on a robot design course. <i>Intended Outcomes:</i> The DT PBL approach can improve the student&#x2019;s learning motivation and creativity in developing robots for engineering students. <i>Application Design:</i> A quasi-experimental design was used. Eighteen participants were assigned to the experimental group, whereas 23 participants were assigned to the comparison group. While the elements of DT and PBL were embedded into and delivered for the experimental group, the comparison group used a PBL-only approach. <i>Findings:</i> Evidence collected from quantitative survey/tests and qualitative interviews indicates that: 1) the experimental group outperformed the comparison group in overall learning motivation, and its subscales (task value and self-efficacy). The project enabled them to reflect on the insufficiency of required expertise and skills, which also helped them to learn more effectively and efficiently and 2) the experimental group outperformed the comparison group in overall creativity and its subscales (fluency, originality, and flexibility). The experimental group students can think faster, consider the problem through multiple perspectives, and come out with more creative ideas.

IDSP activities of scientific libraries in the era of digitalization

The author reviews cultural and leisure activities of scientific libraries. These activities is realized in the form of intellectual, development and educational activities (IDEA) in the era of digitalization. The author defines the range of libraries that offer services and technologies that correspond to IDEA and IDSP (Intellectual Development and Science Popularization) in the digitalization era. The author provides the leisure definition and predicts the merge of educational and leisure activities. Based on the national and foreign experience in the area, the author offers the most promising vectors for scientific libraries: virtual reality (VR) technologies; augmented reality technologies (AR), science documentaries, robotics courses, prototyping and 3D-printing, makerspaces for digital technologies, digital storytelling. She concludes that IDEA and IDSP activities have made a quantum leap as compared to cultural and leisure activities of public libraries. The factors of this transformation are discussed. The author concludes on the prospects of developing IDSP activities of scientific libraries.

Robotic cardiac surgery training during residency: Preparing residents for the inevitable future

Unlike other surgical residency training programs including thoracic surgery, robotic cardiac surgery skill training is minimal or absent in residency curricula. A review was conducted to identify residents' exposure to robotic cardiac surgery training based on databases including PubMed, MEDLINE and Google Scholar. Published papers and cardiothoracic surgical societies with robotic cardiac surgery training courses were reviewed. Robotic cardiac surgery training for residents is almost non-existent. Strategies to establish proper robotic cardiac surgical training for residents include implementing simulation training, implementing hour requirements and establishing wet/dry lab model training in a progressive fashion. As robot-assisted cardiac surgery becomes increasingly commonplace, it will be imperative to provide training for residents with dedicated opportunities to develop their skills in robotic cardiac surgery.

A New Robotic Learning Activity Design to Increase the Figural Creativity: Originality, Elaboration, Flexibility, and Fluency

Preparing a generation that possesses the skill of Figural Creativity (FC) skills is important in education because figural creativity skills are needed in the industrial revolution 4.0 (IR 4.0) era. Figural creativity skill is the ability to create something new, a new manner, and produce something different from its initial state in providing solutions to the problems faced. One of the IR 4.0 technologies that can improve creativity is robotic technology, but the implementation of robotic technology in education still requires an appropriate learning activity. This study aims to design the new robotic learning activities and analyze their implementation to increase Figural creativity variables. Figural creativity variables consist of four variables: elaboration, flexibility, fluency, and originality. A total of 23 students were recruited in a user study experiment, ages 9-12 years old. Figural creativity skill of students measured by Figural Creativity Test (TKF). This study used mix method approach. The results showed that the new robotic learning activity design could fulfill the valid criteria; expert suggestions are subject to fixing this learning activity. The new robotic learning activity design was implemented in the robotic course. The paired sample t-test showed that robotic learning activity design has a significant difference between pre-test score and post-test score, and it can improve students’ elaboration, flexibility, fluency, and originality. It has a growing impact on all figural creativity variables (fluency = 60.9%, flexibility=56.6%, elaboration = 26.6%, originality =39.3%).

Hard Skill Gap between University Education and the Robotic Industry

ABSTRACT This study explores the technical skills gap between university education and the robotic industry in two phases. In phase one, interviews were conducted with 7 experts from the industry to find out five key technical aspects and the corresponding professional courses that are important for students before work. In phase two, based on experts’ responses to the questionnaires, an Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA) was carried out. The results suggest that effort should be directed at improving the current courses on “Artificial Intelligence,” “Machine Vision,” and “Robot Structure Design” in university education. Authors call for further research to explore the gap from professors’ and students’ perspectives to gain a more comprehensive understanding of factors that should be considered in the planning of robotic talent training courses.

A Teaching Demonstration Set of a 5-DOF Robotic Arm Controlled by PLC

Nowadays, there are various robotics courses and programs. The media in the robotics courses is vital in the classroom because it is set up in order to enable students to learn efficiently. Therefore, the goals of this study were 1) To develop a teaching demonstration of a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC)-controlled 5-axis robotic arm, 2) To determine the efficiency of a 5-axis robotic arm controlled by PLC teaching demonstration set, 3) To explore the learners' learning achievement using the PLC-controlled 5-axis robotic arm teaching demonstration set. 4) To explore students’ satisfaction with a 5-axis robotic arm teaching demonstration set controlled by a PLC. This study based on experimental study, which included a sample group of 30 vocational students in the Diploma in Electrical Power who participated in the basic robotics course. From the evaluation of the efficiency of the built-in 5-axis PLC-controlled robotic arm teaching demonstration set. The robot arm was found that the efficiency of location and route testing was in accordance with international organization for standardization (ISO) 9283 requirements. Furthermore, students who studied with the robotic arm teaching demonstration set performed better than those who did not. The findings of the satisfaction survey found that students who learned with the 5-axis robotic arm controlled by PLC teaching demonstration set reported high satisfaction. Moreover, the developed teaching demonstration set could be used as a effective learning tool.

An Effective Way of Teaching Fundamentals of Robotics to Undergraduate Students using RoboAnalyzer

Abstract: Robots are becoming increasingly important as the world continues to evolve. Robots are needed to achieve higher production rates and competitiveness. Many universities have already started to offer robotics courses in response to the growing demand for automation. However, in a traditional classroom teaching method, students find it challenging to apply pure mathematical algorithms in robotics. The lack of visualization of robot modelling affects the students learning interest. It becomes imperative to introduce simulation software in teaching the fundamental concepts of robotics. This paper presents the application of the RoboAnalyzer tool to teach the robotics course at the undergraduate level. The methodology was adopted to complement the theoretical concepts of robotics. In the present study, we collected feedback from the students about the method. The results show that around 76 % strongly agreed that the RoboAnalyzer tool improved learning efficiency, and 74 % strongly agreed that the combination of conventional teaching and the simulation tool is better than the traditional teaching method. RoboAnalyzer was implemented during the academic year 2019 – 2020 and received a positive response. Keywords: learning, modelling, RoboAnalyzer, robotics, simulation, undergraduate,

An Open eLearning Platform for Robotics Training (OpenPLeRobot Project)

In Greece, educational robotics does not have the impact observed in other countries, mainly because of the limited number of structures that offer educational robotics courses, the cost of participation, the cost of robotic packages and the lack of time of young students combined with the inability to move independently. OpenPLeRobot project promotes development of innovative product of eLearning open platform for Robotics Training, with experimental learning procedures and promotes the idea of an integrated robotics toolbox of education and training, based upon innovative ICT tools, that simulates robotics applications in virtual reality environment, supported with robotics training equipment and ICT toolkits. OpenPLeRobot project is designed to support communication of trainers and trainees of robotics, through synchronous and asynchronous e- learning educational environment, in pre - school and school children and performs as a prototype robotics laboratory that stimulates creative robotics constructions and motivates computational logic in education. As a result this project has positive results at all levels of the educational process, and providing skills (teaching becomes more effective), motivation (the conscious and unconscious factors are enhanced), readiness (helps to build an adequate background of experiences), experience (enhances experience), adaptation (improves the ability of the individual to live harmoniously) and health (contributes to the proper normal physical health, but also to his mental health).