ENGAGING PROSPECTIVE ENGINEERS IN MATH EDUCATION THROUGH ROBOTICS AND KNOWLEDGE BUILDING

Robotics, with its multidisciplinary nature, integrates Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines and is considered a gateway to STEM education. When integrating robotics into teaching activities, most educators employ Competition-Based Learning (CBL) approach. CBL may diminish robotics potential, because competitions may discourage active construction of knowledge and the development of talent by isolating students. This study aims to use robotics to teach math concepts to students. In order to address the concerns regarding competitions, I employ knowledge building pedagogy and technology and explore which approach is more effective for learning: Knowledge Building or Competition Based Learning. The preliminary results show that employing Knowledge Building results in a better outcome, in terms of learning math concepts.

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