Over the last few years, increasing attention has been focused on the development of children’s acquisition of 21st-century skills and digital competences. Consequently, many education scholars have argued that teaching technology to young children is vital in keeping up with 21st-century employment patterns. Technologies, such as those that involve robotics or coding apps, come at a time when the demand for computing jobs around the globe is at an all-time high while its supply is at an all-time low. There is no doubt that coding with robotics is a wonderful tool for learners of all ages as it provides a catalyst to introduce them to computational thinking, algorithmic thinking, and project management. Additionally, recent studies argue that the use of a developmentally appropriate robotics curriculum can help to change negative stereotypes and ideas children may initially have about technology and engineering. The Handbook of Research on Using Educational Robotics to Facilitate Student Learning is an edited book that advocates for a new approach to computational thinking and computing education with the use of educational robotics and coding apps. The book argues that while learning about computing, young people should also have opportunities to create with computing, which have a direct impact on their lives and their communities. It develops two key dimensions for understanding and developing educational experiences that support students in engaging in computational action: (1) computational identity, which shows the importance of young people’s development of scientific identity for future STEM growth; and (2) digital empowerment to instill the belief that they can put their computational identity into action in authentic and meaningful ways. Covering subthemes including student competency and assessment, programming education, and teacher and mentor development, this book is ideal for teachers, instructional designers, educational technology developers, school administrators, academicians, researchers, and students.

"This book explores the theory and practice of educational robotics in the K-12 formal and informal educational settings, providing empirical research supporting the use of robotics for STEM learning"--Provided by publisher.

While the growth of computational thinking has brought new awareness to the importance of computing education, it has also created new challenges. Many educational initiatives focus solely on the programming aspects, such as variables, loops, conditionals, parallelism, operators, and data handling, divorcing computing from real-world contexts and applications. This decontextualization threatens to make learners believe that they do not need to learn computing, as they cannot envision a future in which they will need to use it, just as many see math and physics education as unnecessary. The Handbook of Research on Tools for Teaching Computational Thinking in P-12 Education is a cutting-edge research publication that examines the implementation of computational thinking into school curriculum in order to develop creative problem-solving skills and to build a computational identity which will allow for future STEM growth. Moreover, the book advocates for a new approach to computing education that argues that while learning about computing, young people should also have opportunities to create with computing, which will have a direct impact on their lives and their communities. Featuring a wide range of topics such as assessment, digital teaching, and educational robotics, this book is ideal for academicians, instructional designers, teachers, education professionals, administrators, researchers, and students.

This proceedings volume showcases the latest achievements in research and development in Educational Robotics presented at the 7th International Conference on Robotics in Education (RiE) held in Vienna, Austria, during April 14-15, 2016. The book offers a range of methodologies for teaching robotics and presents various educational robotics curricula. It includes dedicated chapters for the design and analysis of learning environments as well as evaluation means for measuring the impact of robotics on the students’ learning success. Moreover, the book presents interesting programming approaches as well as new applications, the latest tools, systems and components for using robotics. The presented applications cover the whole educative range, from elementary school to high school, college, university and beyond, for continuing education and possibly outreach and workforce development. The book provides a framework involving two complementary kinds of contributions: on the one hand on technical aspects and on the other hand on matters of didactic.

As today’s teachers prepare to instruct a new generation of students, the question is no longer whether technology should be integrated into the classroom, but only “how?” Forced to combat shorter attention spans and an excess of stimuli, teachers sometimes see technology as a threat rather than a potential enhancement to traditional teaching methods. The Handbook of Research on Educational Technology Integration and Active Learning explores the need for new professional development opportunities for teachers and educators as they utilize emerging technologies to enhance the learning experience. Highlighting the advancements of ubiquitous computing, authentic learning, and student-centered instruction, this book is an essential reference source for educators, academics, students, researchers, and librarians.

Modern society gives great importance to scientific and technological literacy, development of “21st century skills,” and creating individuals who are not passive users of ICT tools but active thinkers and even tinkerers. The learning process is thus constantly evolving to facilitate the acquisition of such skills, such as setting goals and making evidence-based decisions, thinking critically, and solving problems while efficiently managing time as well as using technology, cooperating ethically, and communicating effectively. STEAM is the approach to learning that uses concepts from natural sciences, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics to foster critical thinking, computational and design thinking, as well working effectively together, mimicking the process followed by scientists. The end goal is engaged and motivated students who participate in experiential and inquiry-based learning in fun, immersive environments that facilitate learning through a creative process. The Handbook of Research on Integrating ICTs in STEAM Education includes current research focusing on the development of STEAM and ICT educational practices, tools, workflows, and frames of operation that encourage science skills, but also skills related to the arts and humanities such as creativity, imagination, and reflection on ethical implications. Covering topics such as early childhood education, machine learning education, educational robotics, and web-based simulations, this major reference work is an essential resource for engineers, educators of both K-12 and higher education, education administration, libraries, pre-service teachers, computer scientists, researchers, and academics.

This book offers a synthesis of research, curriculum examples, pedagogy models, and classroom recommendations for the effective use of robotics in STEM teaching and learning. Authors Chauhan and Kapila demonstrate how the use of educational robotics can catalyze and enhance student learning and understanding within the STEM disciplines. The book explores the implementation of design-based research (DBR); technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge (TPACK); and the 5E instructional model; among others. Chapters draw on a variety of pedagogical scaffolds to help teachers deploy educational robotics for classroom use, including research-driven case studies, strategies, and standards-aligned lesson plans from real-life settings. This book will benefit STEM teachers, STEM teacher educators, and STEM education researchers.