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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.
• 3: Douglas Blank , Lisa Meeden , Deepak Kumar, Python robotics: an environment for exploring robotics beyond LEGOs, Proceedings of the 34th SIGCSE technical symposium on Computer science education, February 19-23, 2003, Reno, Navada, USA
• 4: Judith Challinger, Efficient use of robots in the undergraduate curriculum, ACM SIGCSE Bulletin, v.37 n.1, 2005
• 5: Stephen Cooper , Wanda Dann , Randy Pausch, Teaching objects-first in introductory computer science, Proceedings of the 34th SIGCSE technical symposium on Computer science education, February 19-23, 2003, Reno, Navada, USA
• 6: Barry Fagin , Laurence Merkle, Measuring the effectiveness of robots in teaching computer science, Proceedings of the 34th SIGCSE technical symposium on Computer science education, February 19-23, 2003, Reno, Navada, USA
• 7: M. Guzdial. Introduction to Computing and Programming in Python, A Multimedia Approach. Prentice Hall, January 2006.
• 8: Frank Klassner, A case study of LEGO Mindstorms'™ suitability for artificial intelligence and robotics courses at the college level, Proceedings of the 33rd SIGCSE technical symposium on Computer science education, February 27-March 03, 2002, Cincinnati, Kentucky
• 9: Amruth N. Kumar, Three years of using robots in an artificial intelligence course: lessons learned, Journal on Educational Resources in Computing (JERIC), v.4 n.3, p.2-es, September 2004 [doi>10.1145/1083310.1083311]
• 10: D. Kumar, editor. Learning Computing with Robots. IPRE Publication, 2008.
• 11: Ronald P. Loui, In Praise of Scripting: Real Programming Pragmatism, Computer, v.41 n.7, p.22-26, July 2008 [doi>10.1109/MC.2008.228]
• 12: F. Martin. Real robots don't drive straight. In AAAI Spring Symposium, Robots and Robot Venues: Resources for AI Education, 2007.
• 13: Seymour Papert, Mindstorms: children, computers, and powerful ideas, Basic Books, Inc., New York, NY, 1980
• 14: Pattis, Karel the Robot, John Wiley & Sons, 2000
• 15: Ivan Tomek, Josef, programming for everybody, Proceedings of the thirteenth SIGCSE technical symposium on Computer science education, p.188-192, February 11-12, 1982, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
• 16: Jerry B. Weinberg , William W. White , Cem Karacal , George Engel , Ai-Ping Hu, Multidisciplinary teamwork in a robotics course, Proceedings of the 36th SIGCSE technical symposium on Computer science education, February 23-27, 2005, St. Louis, Missouri, USA

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