Personalizing CS1 with robots

ABSTRACT

We have developed a CS1 curriculum that uses a robotics context to teach introductory programming [1]. Core to our approach is that each student has their own personal robot. Our robot and software have been specifically developed to support the needs of a CS1 curriculum. We frame traditional problems (robot control) in terms that are personal, relevant, and fun. Initial trial classes have shown that our approach is successful and adaptable.

REFERENCES

• 1: Tucker Balch , Jay Summet , Doug Blank , Deepak Kumar , Mark Guzdial , Keith O'Hara , Daniel Walker , Monica Sweat , Gaurav Gupta , Stewart Tansley , Jared Jackson , Mansi Gupta , Marwa Nur Muhammad , Shikha Prashad , Natasha Eilbert , Ashley Gavin, Designing Personal Robots for Education: Hardware, Software, and Curriculum, IEEE Pervasive Computing, v.7 n.2, p.5-9, April 2008 [doi>10.1109/MPRV.2008.29]
• 2: D. Blank, D. Kumar, J. Marshall, and L. Meeden. Advanced robotics projects for undergraduate students. In AAAI Spring Symposium, Robots and Robot Venues: Resources for AI Education, 2007.
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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  K. Computing Milieux
  K.3 COMPUTERS AND EDUCATION
      K.3.2 Computer and Information Science Education
          Subjects: Computer science education

General Terms:
Experimentation, Human Factors, Languages

Keywords:
cs1, pedagogy, robots