Robotics and science literacy: Thinking skills, science process skills and systems understanding
This paper reports the results of a study of the relationship of robotics activity to the use of science literacy skills and the development of systems understanding in middle school students. Twenty six 11 12 year olds (22 males and 4 females) attending an intensive robotics course offered at a summer camp for academically advanced students participated in the research. This study analyzes how students utilized thinking skills and science process skills characteristic of scientifically literate individuals to solve a robotics challenge. In addition, a pre/post test revealed that course participants increased their systems understanding, t (21) 1/4 22.47, p .05. It is argued that the affordances of the robotics environment coupled with a pedagogical approach emphasizing open ended, extended inquiry prompts the utilization of science literacy based thinking and science process skills and leads to increased systems understanding. 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 45: 373 394, 2008