Robotics in Education Essay -- Essays Papers

Robotics in Education Robotics plays a critical role in the development and maintenance of the world today. The industrial age of machinery has been transformed into an age of automation combining mechanical, electrical, and computer engineering into the research and development of robotics technology. Practically everything automated today relies upon a robot of sort; automobile engines, personal computers, space exploration, assembly lines, and mining, to name a few. But each robotics advancement has a purpose, not just to function in it’s programming, but also to serve as a step in a stairway of progress. Without something to improve upon, how can progress be made? Anyway it’s looked at, the technology-dependent world today relies on the advancement in robotics as technology controls so much of the world already. Robotics is a research-based field, seeded in education. Education consists of two main parts today: general education, and advanced education. General education includes the basics in math, science, history, language, etc. This form of education is usually learned by a person throughout their K-12 education, and into much of college as well. Advanced education is comprised of more specific field-relative information, and is worked on by upper-level and graduate-level college students. The vast majority of robotics researchers did not receive any engineering training until they reached college, as robotics fits into the advanced education category. But skills such as critical thinking, creativity, and basic engineering skills are not difficult to master and could in fact be incorporated into general education without a problem. These skills are not in the curriculum because most people have not needed... ...s knowledge. Information for the beginner is given throughout the book, but it is still useful for the advanced. Current projects and status’ of the world of robotics are explained in detail. A book intended to inform a research-type person of summed knowledge. Not much relevance to the teaching or learning of robotics as a method. - Baum, Dave. Dave Baum’s Definitive Guide to Lego Mindstorms. Emeryville, Calif. : New York : Apress, 2000. This e-book is a comprehensive overview of the LEGOÂ ® Mindstorms robotics set. Most of the book is used on explaining the various parts to the set. Included are ideas and reasoning behind specifics of the set related to childhood development. Projects and useful ways of using the blocks are listed. Also included is info on how the blocks help develop specific engineering-based skills at such a young age.