Robotikos taikymas STEAM sistemoje
Aplicability of Robots in STEAM System

Summary/Abstract: STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) ideas and their definite realization are entering Lithuania’s formal and informal education. According to the Lithuanian STEAM vision, there should be 10 STEAM centres with four laboratories: chemistry and biology, physics and engineering, robotics and information technologies, and a specialized laboratory, design and developed for the needs of the region's businesses or science. It goes without saying that the STEAM laboratory training must be substantially different from traditional learning at school. The aim will be to develop creativity, critical thinking, teamwork, research, carry out the experiments and analyse the findings in these centres. At the same time a STEAM laboratory should be attractive for schoolchildren in grades 5 to 12. Therefore, this major qualitative step is closely linked to a number of fundamental questions: what will the physical environment and the equipment be like in these laboratories; what should the teaching methods for arriving students be; who will those methods be prepared and approved by; who will select and train the teachers and mentors for the laboratory activities.Currently, the choice of robots for learning purposes is really wide. The closed - platform robots are designed only for programming, while then open - platform ones are aimed at full-range construction. Their mechatronics and control systems are built from individual components and the user can create robots of various configurations and applications. Semi - open - platform robots are usually aimed at mechanical construction and they have a relatively limited choice of sensors and actuators. The robot design, programming options and programming languages have to differ from each other for each of the schoolchildren age group. This issue was partially solved the LEGO company that manufactures a full range of engineering and robotics kits for the children from the age of four to the last grade at school. This makes it possible to ensure the integrity of learning, while using robots.This paper analyses the robotics technology based methodology fin the areas of science or technologies. The “4C” learning process is structured process of constructivist learning, consisting of four stages: “Connect”, “Construct”, “Contemplate” and “Continue”. It's like an iterative spiral of learning, where partial or whole process repeats are possible. At the "Connect" stage the teaching content is integrated with real-life examples and real issues that may directly or indirectly be related with the children and their living environment. This is one of the most important elements, because then learning becomes meaningful and the children are involved in the learning process from the initial moments. At the “Construct” stage the children have the opportunity to construct answers to the questions by themselves. Through the construction, experiments and analysis of the findings, children easily grasp the cause – effect relationship, understand the operating principles of the mechanisms from the world around them and construct their own knowledge. At the “Contemplate” stage they share the information, reflection and discussion of the design experience with their own and other team’s members. The teacher initiates and moderates a discussion and reflections of the design experiences. The children then share their experiences of how well they have solved the problems, worked and communicated in a team. The teacher's role in moderating the process of sharing experiences is very important. It is essential to ask the right questions on time that encourages the learners to share their insights in a friendly manner. The “Continue” stage is the experience and knowledge (gained at the construction and experiences sharing phases) application and use for the improvement or completion of the created object. Mostly at this stage the construction is a free creation, based on the experience and knowledge gained within the frame of the lessons. At the “Continue” stage, the learners acquire the competence to apply the gained knowledge together with the experience.In the constructivist methodology robotics and robots are the subject of the study and the research tool of the other sciences at the same time. The connection of robotics with information technologies is unambiguous – the algorithms and the programs are created for robots control. But it is quite difficult to grasp the relationship with physics, engineering, biology, chemistry and other sciences. Therefore, it is necessary to combine robotics and other science teaching competencies and to crystallize their teaching methodologies. Also, it would be necessary to significantly expand the application limits of robots in training and the use their computers, all the sensors and actuators. In this way, a robot can become a smart tool for research, play an active role in the experiment, collect and process data. Great attention should be paid to the creation of the environment for the research with robots. For example, line tracking, obstacle course, a lever system for the motion transfer, and so on. In this way, the constructivism area extends - not only the robot, but also the environment in which the robot will work are constructed here.Specially prepared teachers and mentors are necessary for the realization of such teaching methodologies. Lithuania has no operating system to ensure the qualification of teachers working with robots in the STEAM environment. As yet only “Robotics Academy” organizes teacher training, which teachers to include LEGO robotics in the informal or formal education. It is observed that the age difference between the learners and teachers is relevant in the constructivist learning. This difference is 5-7 years. Therefore, the mentors who are only 5-7 years older than schoolchildren, should step in between the experienced teachers and learners.Conclusions: 1. In STEAM training robotic equipment should be selected so as the children’s focus on robotics does not disappear, as long as they become graduates. This can be ascertained only when a number of different set of engineering kits are produced for children of all ages, from four years old until the end of school. 2. The “4C” learning methodology is one of the best-proven constructivist teaching methods. It was approved by the LEGO methodologists and well - tested at “Robotics Academy”, Lithuania. 3. The students of universities and colleges or schoolchildren of 9-12 forms should work as STEAM class teacher’s assistants. In Lithuania it could formalized as a voluntary activity.

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