Integrating Robotics across the Primary School Curriculum

Aims of the Course

To develop teachers’ confidence in the teaching of STEM through robotics across the curriculum and for all learners
To develop teachers’ digital skills and competencies, in line with the Digital Skills Strategy, and equip them with the knowledge, skills and confidence to integrate ICT, digital literacies and Robotics into their practice.
To encourage teachers to extend opportunities for collaborative working, critical thinking and problem-solving by experimenting collaboratively and creatively with technology and Vex IQ Robotics Kits.
To gain first-hand experience and practice the constructivist approach to teaching, learning and assessment using Vex IQ Robotics Kits.
To become aware and knowledgeable of how literacy and numeracy skills can be developed and practiced by integrating open-ended, inquiry-based Robotics STEM challenges and Robotics projects in the primary classroom.
The explore theoretical and practical underpinnings of technology, STEM activities, creativity and play in robotics education, addressing the pedagogical principles of the primary school curriculum and curricular areas and will inform best practice with regarding to teaching, learning and assessment in regards to these.

Course Delivery

Through practical, hands-on activities, teachers will be provided with the opportunity to plan, design and practice teaching methodologies that integrate robotics into lessons focused on developing children’s literacy and numeracy, science and creative and artistic skills.

Discussions will be facilitated by participants and tutor; brainstorming, paper-based/ digital journaling opportunity provided, STEAM frameworks, Subject planning and STEAM schemes of work, presentations of work.

All learning methodologies will include the following STEAM practices:

Team-building activities
Web resources and instructional videos
Engineering Note Book: Daily entries, sketches diagrams
Engineering Note Book Rubric
School Science, Maths, English and Art plan
Think-do-Test approach.
Device build
Machine design activities
Robot design Activities
Idea book exercises
Challenges and challenge rules
Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints of the problem
Making observations, brainstorming, generating and comparing multiple possible solutions to a problem, argumentation, troubleshooting and experimentation
Programming with VEXcode IQ, Scratch based Graphical programming software

This summer course will provide an opportunity for teachers to learn in a practical way how to embed and realise the provision of a high-quality STEM education experience for learners through robotics, in particular VEX Robotics. A strong focus will be placed on the impact of STEM and robotics education in raising STEM awareness among school communities and beyond, in examining the new redeveloped primary curriculum framework focusing on the Mathematics, Science and Technology Education curricular area, and align with the STEM Education Policy Statement 2017-2026, Digital Skills Strategy for Schools to 2027 and the National Skills Strategy 2025.

Further information available from Eleanor.Walsh@mic.ul.ie.

The course is supported by Oide Technology in Education.