Educational Robotics and Social Inclusion

International Center of Studies for

Educational Research and Advanced Training

Ca’ Foscari University of Venice - Italy

Paolo Tosato, Barbara Baschiera

European Distance and E-Learning Network

Educational Robotics and Social Inclusion

Educational Robotics

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Educational robotics

introduces a new concept of error, considered as an incentive to do better (Malaguzzi, 1995; Resnick, 2002)

are extremely inclusive: talented students and students with learning difficulties can easily work together in designing, engineering and programming small robots (Kärnä-Lin et al., 2006; Sutinen et al., 2005)

offers the possibility to create several interdisciplinary connections (Resnick et al., 1998)

EDEN Annual Conference 2013 Paolo Tosato, Barbara Baschiera

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License

A methodology that foresees the use of robots in learning activity, combining innovation, education and inclusion, involving students of different age (Micheli & Urschitz, 2011)

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Educational Robotics


Robot applications affect different areas of our life and are gaining increasing importance in scientific, economic and cultural fields

Making children aware of developments in robotics is increasingly important for citizens’ training and in maintaining commitment to lifelong education

Robots go beyond the recreational aspect

From content-based learning to activity-based learning (Jonassen, 2002)

Improve critical and creative thinking instead of storing contents

Invest in attention, collaboration, organizational capacity


Social Inclusion

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The introduction of robotics in special education is one important element facilitating integration (Mattioli, 2012)

Educational robotics require students to work in groups

It is important to negotiate different point of view

The learning path is not the result of an individual, but the result of a set of processes of social interactions

Involvement of different “intelligences” (Gardner, 2010)

Develop social and civic competences

Every student needs to be evaluated for his/her potentials






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A case study


Objectives Sustain a process of integration and social inclusion into a secondary

school class, without excluding students with special needs.

Develop basic competences (European Commission, 2006) Science and Technology (KC 3) Social and Civic (KC 6)


Sample group A class of secondary school, primary level (12-13 years old) 20 students (6 females and 13 males), 2 are foreigners, 2 with special

needs (a pupil hyperactive and a student with cognitive delay)

Tool LEGO Mindstorms Robots


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A case study Your idea of robot



What is a robot? Through a drawing or a short story, the students had to tell what a robot was for them (brainstorming)


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A case study Your idea of robot



Science fiction and cartoons






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A case study Co-design a robot



Construct a component It was required to construct a component for a LEGO Mondstorms NXT robot using a maximun number of pieces .

Each group was divided into two subgroups Describe the component realized Program the component itself

The objective for dividing the group into two subgroups was to facilitate a model of dynamic learning to allow pupils with special needs to develop their potential (scaffolding among peer)

Wiki: http://projectschool.wikispaces.com/Robotica+educativa+e+inclusione+sociale


http://projectschool.wikispaces.com/Robotica+educativa+e+inclusione+sociale�

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Results Proactive involvement and satisfation index








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Results Social competences



Show tolerance – express and understand different viewpoints “I loved our sharing of ideas” (Julia) “Each of us has different points of view, but knows how to respect each other”

(Julia)

The ability to create confidence and to feel empathy “We tried to learn having fun and feeling a group” (Tommaso) “Every decision was taken by the group, because we felt very much in tune”

(Muslum)

Attitude of collaboration and assertiveness “Even if I was not in entire agreement with the decisions of the group, I

participated collaboratively” (Elena) “The collaboration has been useful for the significant contribution of all ideas”

(Sofia)






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Results Civic competences & metacognitive awareness



Display solidarity and interest in solving problems affecting the community “With a strong will you overcome difficulties and reach the common goal”

(Eleanor) “We have adapted to change roles to meet the needs of the other members of the

group” (Beatrice)

Students’ adjectives concerning the metacognitive awareness developed through the work

I felt … involved / satisfied / worried / interested / excited / amused /exalted






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Wiki http://projectschool.wikispaces.com

Repository http://www.projectschool.it/minerva/



Thanks for listening!

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