Swimming Figures with Robots (Choreography)

In this paper we introduce a STEAM learning activity workshop addressed to familiarizing pre- and in-service basic school teachers with Educational Robots (ER) as didactic tools. In particular, this activity introduces hardware and software ER related concepts to teachers without any previous robotics experience, providing them with some examples and discussions about actual classroom activities. The workshop is based on having participants make different educational robots perform a choreographic dance. This is achieved by having the robots driving along different geometrical shapes in a synchronized mode. Consequently, the task for the participants is to mark a symmetrical shape on the floor or table: a square, a pentagon, a hexagon, etc., and to help their robot travel along the shape by creating the corresponding program. As commented above, we don’t expect participants to have any previous knowledge about programming or working with robots. But within the workshop, participants become familiarized with the concepts of robots and robot programming, applying simple math measurements and calculations in order to create code for the different robots. Collaborative teamwork, problem solving skills, digital skills, self-paced learning and peer tutoring are employed.