An official website of the United States government
Robotics education is often constrained by the high cost and limited accessibility of physical robots, which can hinder the learning experience for many students. To address this challenge, the Fundamentals of Robotics Education (FORE) project, part of a larger NSF-funded collaborative work, was developed to create an accessible and comprehensive online learning platform. FORE provides a student-centered approach to robotics education, featuring a robust code editor, real-time simulation, and interactive lessons. This paper presents the architecture and implementation of the FORE platform, highlighting its key components, including the backend simulation using Gazebo and ROS2, a frontend visualizer built with Three.js, and the integration of a Python-based coding environment. We discuss the development process, the contributions of the student team, and the challenges encountered during the project. The results demonstrate the platform’s effectiveness in making robotics education more easily available. These findings originate from software testing and utilization by senior computer science students, as well as feedback from participants at the University of Nevada, Reno College of Engineering’s annual Capstone Course Innovation Day. The platform allows students to gain hands-on experience without the need for physical hardware. Its adaptability enables it to serve a broad audience of undergraduate students, offering an encompassing and accessible solution for modern robotics education.
more »
« less
This content will become publicly available on May 20, 2026
Robotics as a tool for STEM inclusion: Implementation of an after-school robotics program for students with Autism spectrum Disorder
This study investigated the engagement of elementary-aged students with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder in a seven-week after-school robotics and coding program. Researchers examined students’ interaction styles with robotics tools and coding apps, considering their sensory responses and the perceived benefits and challenges. Findings revealed a strong preference for hands-on, physical interaction with robots, although students also enjoyed coding apps when tangible outcomes were visible. Sensory responses to robots varied, highlighting the need for diverse tools and careful environmental design. Parents and staff reported potential benefits such as increased engagement, improved problem-solving skills, and enhanced social interaction. Challenges included the need for flexible, individualized instruction and robust staff training.
more »
« less
- Award ID(s):
- 2313418
- PAR ID:
- 10591799
- Publisher / Repository:
- Journal of Research on Technology in Education
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Journal of Research on Technology in Education
- ISSN:
- 1539-1523
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 1 to 12
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
More Like this
-
-
Social-educational robotics, such as NAO humanoid robots with social, anthropomorphic, humanlike features, are tools for learning, education, and addressing developmental disorders (e.g., autism spectrum disorder or ASD) through social and collaborative robotic interactions and interventions. There are significant gaps at the intersection of social robotics and autism research dealing with how robotic technology helps ASD individuals with their social, emotional, and communication needs, and supports teachers who engage with ASD students. This research aims to (a) obtain new scientific knowledge on social-educational robotics by exploring the usage of social robots (especially humanoids) and robotic interventions with ASD students at high schools through an ASD student–teacher co-working with social robot–social robotic interactions triad framework; (b) utilize Business Model Canvas (BMC) methodology for robot design and curriculum development targeted at ASD students; and (c) connect interdisciplinary areas of consumer behavior research, social robotics, and human-robot interaction using customer discovery interviews for bridging the gap between academic research on social robotics on the one hand, and industry development and customers on the other. The customer discovery process in this research results in eight core research propositions delineating the contexts that enable a higher quality learning environment corresponding with ASD students’ learning requirements through the use of social robots and preparing them for future learning and workforce environments.more » « less
-
Robots are a popular and engaging educational tool for teaching computational thinking, but they often have significant costs and limitations for classroom use. Switching to a simulated environment can eliminate many of these difficulties. By also providing students with a block-based programming environment, the barrier to entry can be further reduced. This paper presents a networked virtual robotics platform designed to create an environment which is highly accessible for novice students and their teachers alike, along with components of a curriculum designed to teach computational thinking skills through robotics programming challenges, including autonomous challenges and in-class competitions. Students access this platform through an extension of the same web interface used for programming their robots, which allows students to collaborate on code and view a shared simulated virtual space. Previously, this virtual robotics platform was used only to facilitate distance education. This paper demonstrates its use in an in-person class during the Spring 2022 semester, illustrating the affordances of a virtual robotics environment for face-to-face learning contexts as well. Students' computational thinking skills were evaluated with assessments both before and after the class, along with surveys and interviews given to determine their opinions and outlooks regarding computer science. The results show that students had a significant improvement in both attitudes and aptitudes.more » « less
-
This paper took up the tradition of Critical Feminism and Ethnography to examine early childhood education (ECE) pre-service teachers’ perspectives on STEM and robotics integration. The central research questions are (1) How can we make sense of preservice teachers’ formation of STEM/STEAM teacher identity while participating in our robotic unit from a Critical Feminist perspective? (2) What are preservice teachers’ perceptions of benefits, barriers and concerns (both structural level and individual level), and recommendations for pedagogical practice for STEM and robotics integration in ECE? (3) How can we better prepare and support pre-service teachers, largely women and non-STEM-majors, for STEM and robotics content integration in their classrooms? To answer the above questions, we collected interview data from 76 informants from a large public university in the Southeastern United States. Each informant designed a lesson plan on teaching with robots and completed approximately 30-minute structured interviews. We focused on our informants' lived experiences and centered their voices while conducting and analyzing the interviews via thematic coding and category analysis. Analysis of the interview stories indicated that our informants considered the robotics module in their pre-service training as a valuable learning experience of STEM/robotics integration in ECE. The three most commonly perceived benefits of STEM/robotics integration by pre-service teachers are early exposure helps build a STEM knowledge foundation (n = 66), STEM and robotics content effectively increases students’ motivation and engagement (n = 60), and bridging the gender gap in STEM as historically male-dominated fields (n = 27). The three most commonly perceived barriers are concern about age-appropriateness of robots (n = 53), time/state standard constraints (n = 35), and funding/resources available and support from the school and local district (n = 18). Our findings indicate structural and institutional barriers are still present and can potentially deter ECE teachers from implementing STEM/robotics content in their classrooms. We thus call for attention from a structural level instead of shifting the burdens onto both pre-service and in-service teachers. Employing a conscious effort of being self-reflexive, critical, and counter-hegemonic in our practices, this article is one of the first to approach motivation from a Critical Feminism perspective in the field and provides tangible implications for both engineering education research and practice.more » « less
-
Ask your students what they think of when they hear the word robotics. Most students likely imagine a large, clunky machine used in a manufacturing plant or construction site. Other students may mention modern humanoid robots that appear in popular culture like C3PO from the Star Wars franchise. No matter the response, there is a good chance that nearly all students will mention a robot made of hard materials like metal. This article describes the introduction of a new field, soft robotics, into high school classrooms to broaden students’ perceptions of how robots can be used and who works on robotics. Soft robots are made from compliant materials, such as rubber or textiles, and have a wide variety of applications in the medical field, space exploration, and food distribution. This field provides an excellent opportunity to expand students’ view of robotics while learning how to think and design like an engineer.more » « less
