How Coding and Robotics could help Students: Benefits and Differences

Technology has been taking over the globe with advancement. The use of technology is also increasing in the field of education. Classroom learning is transforming into online learning.

So efforts are being made to offer the facilities like a classroom for students who are studying online. Coding and robotics are at the forefront of this transformation, with coding and robotics classes becoming increasingly essential. Scientists have designed a new robot to improve the learning experience of students studying online. These robots will help students studying online to connect and understand more than teachers.

This robot will be parked around class and will have a video screen that can be operated with the help of a remote. Through this, the students sitting at home will be able to see the whole class and can also interact with the teacher and other students of the class.

Through this, the student will get a classroom environment to study.

As now technology has become an integral part of students’ lives, understanding what is coding and robotics becomes crucial. As per recent studies, robots might replace 1 billion working humans in a decade or two.

To fit in this newish era, students should be skilled in coding. They should know how to program. With coding in robotics, they can interact with computers and will be able to run websites, apps video games etc.

Coding means writing in the language of computers. It is not easy but students should learn to interact with computer, design, develop and communicate with technology.

With coding, students can develop their critical thinking, logical, and computational thinking.

Table of Contents

What is Coding and Robotics ?

Coding, also known as computer programming, is the language through which we communicate with computers, providing them with instructions on the actions they should take. A program or code consists of a set of instructions that guides the computer in processing data, creating websites or apps, designing digital games, and facilitating various other remarkable digital tasks.

On the other hand, robots are purpose-built machines designed to perform specific tasks. With diverse types of robots available, they are often engineered to mimic or replicate human actions. Essentially, a robot is a programmable machine that integrates elements of Science, Engineering, and Technology to execute its designated functions.

Why Teach Coding and Robotics?

Teaching coding and robotics to students offers a multitude of benefits that extend far beyond the realm of technology. Here are compelling reasons why incorporating these skills into education is crucial:

Promoting Critical Thinking: Coding and robotics involve problem-solving and logical thinking, encouraging students to analyze challenges, break them down into manageable parts, and develop effective solutions. These skills are transferable to various academic and real-life scenarios.
Preparing for the Future Job Market: In an increasingly digital world, coding and robotics skills are in high demand across various industries. Teaching coding prepares students for the future job market, providing them with a valuable skill set that is relevant in a wide range of careers, from technology and engineering to science and beyond.
Enhancing STEM Education: Coding and robotics serve as gateways to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education. By engaging with these disciplines, students develop a strong foundation in STEM subjects, fostering an interest in fields that are critical for technological advancements and innovation.
Encouraging Creativity: Coding and robotics empower students to be creators rather than just consumers of technology. It sparks creativity by allowing them to design and build digital projects, from games and websites to applications. This hands-on approach nurtures imagination and innovation.
Building Resilience and Perseverance: Learning to code involves facing challenges and overcoming obstacles. Students develop resilience and perseverance as they debug code, troubleshoot errors, and persist in solving problems. These qualities are essential for success in any field.
Fostering Collaboration and Teamwork: Coding and robotics projects often require collaboration. Students work together, sharing ideas and expertise, fostering teamwork and communication skills. This collaborative approach mirrors real-world situations where individuals with diverse skills must work together to achieve common goals.
Cultivating Digital Literacy: In an era dominated by technology, digital literacy is a fundamental skill. Teaching coding and robotics equips students with the ability to understand, navigate, and utilize digital tools effectively, preparing them for the challenges of a technology-driven society.
Providing Real-World Relevance: Coding and robotics bring abstract concepts to life, making learning more tangible and relevant for students. These skills connect classroom lessons to real-world applications, showing students the practical implications of what they are learning.
Tailoring Learning Experiences: Robotics, in particular, allows for personalized learning experiences. Students can progress at their own pace, taking charge of their educational journey. This individualized approach fosters a sense of ownership, autonomy, and a love for continuous learning.
Instilling a Growth Mindset: Coding encourages a growth mindset by emphasizing that intelligence and abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work. Students learn that making mistakes is a natural part of the learning process, promoting a positive attitude towards challenges.

Importance of Coding and Robotics

Cultivating Creative and Critical Thinking: Coding and robotics foster the development of creative and critical thinking skills in learners.
Embracing the Future of Programming: Acknowledging that programming is the future, it prepares students for high-tech careers, aligning with the increasing demands of the workforce for advanced skills.
Interactive STEM Learning: Offering a dynamic and interactive approach, coding and robotics bring STEM subjects to life in an engaging and enjoyable manner.
Meeting High Demand for Coding Skills: With coding skills in high demand, it not only equips individuals with technical proficiency but also hones negotiation and reasoning skills.
Enhancing Problem-Solving Abilities: Programming aids children in honing their problem-solving skills, encouraging a proactive approach to challenges.
Building Resilience: Through coding and robotics, learners develop resilience by bouncing back from mistakes, embracing failure as a stepping stone, and persisting in achieving goals.
Logical Thinking in Scientific Contexts: Robotics and coding instill logical thinking, prompting children to consider mathematical and scientific contexts in their problem-solving approaches.
Tailored Learning Opportunities: Robotics technology accommodates a diverse range of abilities, offering a pupil-oriented experience that allows each learner to progress at their own pace, taking charge of their own learning journey.
Fostering Collaboration and Social Skills: Robotics and coding promote collaboration, emphasizing the importance of social skills as children work together to achieve common goals.
Developing Logical Sequencing and Leadership: Creating an environment conducive to logical sequencing, coding and robotics empower children to take leadership roles in directing project flow, enhancing their organizational and decision-making skills.

Benefits of Coding and Robotics

Fostering Creativity: Coding in robotics empowers young minds not only to consume digital technology but to become creators of it. Rather than merely playing games, kids can delve into the world of coding to design and develop their own creations.
Developing Computational Thinking: Learning to code instills computational thinking in early learners, fostering cognitive skills and logical, sequential thought processes. This skill especially relevant in robotics and coding, aids in testing and debugging code but also becomes a valuable asset applicable to various aspects of life.
Encouraging Collaboration: Coding promotes collaboration as children work together, transcending differences in race, gender, and background. Shared interests in technology and collaborative project work bring students together, enhancing teamwork and communication skills.
Enhancing Communication Skills: Learning to code involves communicating with technology, teaching kids to break down complex ideas, organize them, and share their creations with others. This proficiency in communication becomes a crucial skill in academic, professional, and personal spheres, particularly within the context of robotics and coding.
Building Persistence: Coding presents challenges for young learners, requiring persistence to overcome complex problems. Through coding, children learn the importance of perseverance, enabling them to tackle tasks with determination and resilience.
Deepening Understanding: Programming knowledge allows students to better understand the world around them, altering their interactions with daily technologies and exposing them to new possibilities.
Career Advantages: Early exposure to coding provides career advantages, fostering an understanding and enjoyment of STEAM subjects that can lead to desirable career paths in the future.
Logical Thinking: Coding robots necessitate logical thinking, prompting students to formulate step-by-step sequences to achieve desired outcomes. This process helps young children anticipate and address problems by testing and refining their code.
Algorithmic Thinking: Alongside other skills, coding teaches algorithmic thinking—the ability to define clear steps to solve a problem. This skill empowers kids to break down problems into manageable steps, enabling them to approach problem-solving systematically.

Difference Between Coding and Robotics

While Robotics and Coding share similarities, their fundamental distinction lies in their emphasis on different components. Coding primarily revolves around software, focusing on programming languages to instruct computers. In contrast, Robotics is a synthesis of both software and hardware.

Coding for Kids

Coding predominantly revolves around software, emphasizing programming languages and digital projects. For young learners, coding software often employs a user-friendly graphical interface, utilizing drag-and-drop, block-based programming. This approach eliminates the need for memorizing complex programming syntax, making it accessible for kids who prefer visual interactions over typing on a keyboard.

Coding classes typically delve into animation, game creation, and even mobile application development, with older students exploring languages like Python and JavaScript.

Robotics for Kids

Conversely, Robotics introduces a tangible dimension by incorporating hardware components. A basic robotics setup includes a microcontroller (the brain), sensors, and actuators like motors and relays. In robotics classes, students not only delve into coding and programming but also engage in hands-on activities involving robot construction and electronics circuitry.

Popular platforms for robotics programs include LEGO Mindstorms, LEGO SPIKE Prime, Arduino, and VEX, often linked to prestigious international competitions like the World Robot Olympiad and VEX Robotics Competition.

How Robotics Could Helps Students?

Students has many benefits with robotics system and just like range of coding in robotics, the benefit range of robotics is too wide. Engaging in robotics and coding offers several advantages:

Problem-solving

Sphero BOLT is an app-enabled robot designed for kids to help them to complete a number of tasks. The robot has a built-in LED matrix with speed and directional sensors which helps students in problem-solving via. This aspect of coding in robotics enhances their ability to tackle complex challenges through hands-on experience.

Visual programming

LEGO building system helps students to know more about mechanical creation. It is enabled with drag-and-drop visual coding which controls their robots by LEGO SPIKE Prime software. BOLT too is supplemented by visual Scratch programming system.

Teamwork

Working with robotics system teaches how to work in a team. Schools which are running robotic clubs allow students to work in a team and they create a bot to compete in STEM competitions. This collaborative environment highlights the benefits of coding and robotics in fostering teamwork and communication skills.

How Robotics Courses are beneficial for Students?

To involve students in robotics, school organizes camps, clubs, and courses. These courses open opportunities to explore the world of robots. If not school then after-school courses and summer camps are held to learn robotics.

VEX Robotics

The course of VEX robotics teaches students to use sensors, collecting information for their robots, and motors. With these, they can make moving parts of robots such as claw and wheels. With VEX, they can make different type of robots such as Robots which can pick objects, Autonomous robot which can work their own, and Controlled robots for piloting with a controller. This practical experience underscores the benefits of coding and robotics in developing technical skills.

Autonomous Robotics

Autonomous robots or delivery bot or self-driving car are examples of robot that work with using sensors. Under the autonomous robotics course, students will learn details such as:

Analog circuits: With it, students can learn Power, analog, polarity, resistance, and digital.
Coding Arduino: With it, students can learn turn signals, speed control, lights automatically turning on and off.
Robotics: With it, students can learn to make impact and environment sensors to control the robot.
MicroPython: With it, students can learn MicroPython and how to read data from the OpenMV camera. It helps in controlling the camera and test filter modes.
Computer vision: With it, students can learn to explore computer vision and autonomous robotics.

LEGO

LEGO robotics course teaches students to code loops, touch sensors, motor control etc. It teaches to program a line-follower robot and custom images and sounds. Students can also learn to create programs using button inputs, multiple moving motors etc.

Students have options to choose as per their interest from:

Robotics Engineer: It teaches to create a robot that can move, use sensors, and play sounds.
Robotics Programmer: It teaches to create multiple programs to run on a single robot.
Visual Programmer: It teaches to blend visual robot design infusing strong programming skills.
Robot Designer: It teaches to design detail.
Audio Engineer: It teaches to create a robot that can sing, play music, or talk.

Cyber Robotics and Coding

Technology is future and teachers should understand the need to prepare their student for future with advanced technology. Teachers should find the right tool to teach their students.

Online learning is everywhere and CoderZ online learning system gives students their own virtual robot and enables them to penetrate robotics’ world. With it, they need not acquire expensive hardware. It is quite accessible.

CoderZ is also used in coding competition of cyber-robotics which has been organized in Israel, the United States, Vietnam, Paraguay, United Kingdom, and many other locations. In these competitions, students can experiment with coding completely, they can explore the fields which they haven’t even imaged before. It boosts their self-confidence and improves coding skills.

As discussed above, robots will replace human at their workplace in a decade or two. So, there will be need of someone to code and program these robots. Why not your kid or your students will be one of them?

Also, studies have begun at Michigan State University’s College of Education through robot learning. Here the researchers undertook a doctoral course in educational technology in which students were taught in three ways – by attending themselves, by robots, and through video conferencing. This research found that the course which was conducted jointly with face to face learning and online learning gained more recognition among the students.

This new system increased students’ access to higher education and improved their results as well. There has been a huge increase in this technology in the last decade and now 80 percent of the classrooms in the university-run with robotic mode.

Conclusion

Incorporating robotics and coding into educational programs offers numerous advantages, profoundly enhancing students’ learning experiences and skill sets. The benefits of coding and robotics are evident in various domains, including problem-solving, visual programming, and teamwork. Robotics courses, like VEX and LEGO, provide hands-on opportunities for students to engage with technology, while autonomous robotics courses deepen their understanding of advanced concepts.

The integration of coding in robotics prepares students for future technological advancements, equipping them with critical skills needed in an increasingly automated world. As schools and educational institutions embrace these technologies, they not only foster a passion for STEM but also prepare students for a future where their coding and robotics skills will be in high demand.

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