In today's societies, technology occupies a central position in different social spheres. In educational environments, robotics can act as an assistive tool for students with disabilities. More specifically, this tool helps autistic students in the development of attention, which is the fundamental skill in the cognitive and social development of…

Lack of motivation and enjoyment is a challenge that many students face. Due to the current coronavirus pandemic, many lessons are not being conducted face-to-face. However, the use of robots has been proven able to alleviate this challenge. This review explores the barriers and facilitators of robot-assisted education among higher education…

Spatial reasoning correlates with academic success in mathematics and science, is highly malleable, and can be learned. Yet, spatial reasoning is often underused, underdeveloped, and ignored in current grade-school curriculum and teaching. This study explores changes in elementary students' spatial reasoning skills after participation in either a…

Nowadays there is a growing research interest in the developments in the domain of Educational Robotics. The present paper is a systematic review of recently published Greek research pertaining to teaching interventions using robotic devices in order to present: a) a synthesis of the available results and the benefits from the utilization of…

Technological tools are being used in support sessions with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), producing a high level of encouragement and engagement in these individuals. A four-step study comprising a focus group session, thinking aloud sessions, an online questionnaire, and a pilot study was conducted. First, a focus group session…

Since teaching robotics in schools is still new for teachers, studies on how to integrate computational thinking concepts in robotics courses are still rare. In this direction, teacher training sessions for teaching robotics should be visited. Accordingly, in this exploratory case study, a professional development program for teachers was…

Irruption of technologies in the educational context, specifically robotics has meant changes in the use of learning tools for students with ASD. In this sense, the inclusion of robots in intervention with these students allowed to design simpler and more controlled learning environments, adjusted to the needs of these students. From this line of…

Novel technology has been applied to improve students' learning abilities in different disciplines. The research in this field is still finding suitable methodologies, tools, and evaluation mechanisms to devise learning frameworks with high impact on students' performance. This article describes an instructional method to perform Newtonian physics…

Educational Robotics is rapidly gaining attention as an effective methodology to develop skills and engage students preserving their peculiar style of learning. It is often tied together with two other methodologies, Coding and Tinkering, characterized by a similar hands-on approach. In order to fully exploit their inclusive features, teachers…

Institutions of higher education ensure preservice teachers are prepared to meet the needs of K-12 students through multiple layers of support. Along with rigorous coursework, preservice teachers are placed in K-12 environments to ensure they are prepared to address the needs of diverse learners. Preservice teachers: (1) learn content across…

This case study focused on the robotics learning process of Mark (a pseudonym), a Latino-American second grader diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Drawing on Polanyi's (Personal knowledge: towards a post-critical philosophy [Kindle version], 1958/2015) notion of "tacit knowing" and "dwelling in tools," we attempted to…

Nowadays, children and teenagers use technology products in an increasingly passive way. As simple consumers they cannot benefit from the opportunities of designing technology, which has a learning value. Educational Robotics (ER) programs are particularly effective in delivering contents of difficult disciplines: they can re-establish a balance…

In 1969, Seymour Papert invented the first educational robot called a Turtle. It was an addition to the computer language Logo, which he'd designed in 1965 specifically for educating children. Papert did not simply invent some technology, he offered a revolutionary way of educating children. He gave teachers practical tools to realise…

Educational robotics (ER) uses robotic kits as a channel for education and collaborative learning in a play setting. Thanks to adaptability of robots, ER could facilitate inclusion of special-needs children, such as children with Down syndrome (DS), in learning programs. In a previous study, we provided evidence that ER could promote superior…

Drawing on Latour's (Reassembling the social: an introduction to actor--network-theory, Oxford University Press, New York, 2005), this manuscript discusses a study of a robotics class in a public, Title I elementary school. Compared with theoretical frameworks (e.g., constructivism and constructionism) dominant in the field of early childhood…