Games are an everyday part of most students' lives. Games engage students and provide opportunities to foster perseverance in problem solving. When implemented in the mathematics classroom, game-based learning can have similar positive benefits. Students can enjoy mathematics and develop important life skills that will help them in their current…

Robot toys can be used to promote STEM subjects, particularly coding and mathematics. The lesson described in this article illustrates how a robot toy was used with a number line to explore equality and missing addends in Year 1. The lesson progression models how activities can be sequenced to build on developing understandings while supporting…

We offer this synthesized framework as a tool to reveal mathematical activity in a non-formal makerspace. In particular, we connect research at different grain sizes to illustrate and explain how mathematics plays a crucial, if often implicit, role in this activity. We begin with describing the Approximate Number System and the Ratio-Processing…

This article shares the learning experienced by my seventh-grade students during a lesson incorporating LEGO robotics into my mathematics class. I provide evidence of my students' learning, which represents how LEGO robotics can benefit students in the mathematics classroom to support engagement and development of understanding.

Potential benefits of providing elementary school students experiences with coding robots are well-documented. These include building skill sets related to logical thinking, problem solving, persistence, collaboration, and communication (Harrell 2015). The authors embrace the value of coding in helping elementary school students develop these…

The aim of this article is to inspire more teachers to explore the use of codable robots for teaching mathematics. The authors begin by discussing four benefits experienced by incorporating robots into middle school mathematics classes: (1) reasonable time frames; (2) authentic purposes for mathematics; (3) visual and nonevaluative feedback; and…

Educational robotics has become one of the most effective methods to teach STEM concepts in a practical and didactic way at all educational level. In this context, the LEGO Mindstorms robotic platforms have been widely used due to their versatility ease of use and modularity. Despite this, most of the papers focus on K-12 and undergraduate levels,…

A summary of an experimental course on algebraic curves is given that was held for young learners at age 11. The course was a part of Epsilon camp. a program designed for very gifted students who have already demonstrated high interest in studying mathematics. Prerequisites for the course were mastery of Algebra I and at least one preliminary year…

One way to heighten students' interest in the classroom is by personalising tasks. Through designing Robot Bioglyphs students are able to explore personalised data through a creative and engaging process. By understanding, producing and interpreting data, students are able to develop their statistical literacy, which is an essential skill in…

What if every middle school student learned to create a robot in math class? What if every middle school had a robotics team? Would students view mathematics differently? Would they have a different relationship with technology? Might they see science and engineering as fields driven by innovation rather than memorization? As students find…

In this article, the author explores the value of using simple robotics such as BeeBots and ProBots to enhance the teaching and learning of mathematics in the primary classroom. Before making the decision to use such technologies, it is important that they be evaluated in terms of their affordances and constraints. In other words, teachers need to…

Robots are used in all kinds of industrial settings. They are used to rivet bolts to cars, to move items from one conveyor belt to another, to gather information from other planets, and even to perform some very delicate types of surgery. Anyone who has watched a robot perform its tasks cannot help but be impressed by how it works. This article…

A summer session, math methods course for elementary teachers incorporates 30 hours of instruction that emphasizes (1) developmentally appropriate instructional strategies, (2) hierarchical levels of increasingly abstract manipulatives, (3) ongoing assessment of student learning, (4) integrated thematic instructional modules, (5) team planning and…

It has been recognised that the general lack of enjoyment of institutional mathematics learning at the secondary level is one of the basic reasons behind the bad reputation of mathematics in society. Increasing students' motivation to learn mathematics through enjoyment and playing, especially in their free time, might therefore be a relevant…

Over the past three years, the authors have conducted research in middle and high school classrooms in an effort to improve the effectiveness of robotics to teach science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education--their focus has been on math. The authors have found that subtle changes in the design and setup of the lesson make a…