Educational Robotics for People with Disabilities
By KarelVan Isacker

Robotic Mediated
Learning
 Robots can provide a powerful
alternative learning method for
students with learning disabilities.
 Utilising the multiple sensor arrays
available in modern robots, they can be
programmed to interact with students
in specific ways to encourage and
engage them in learning activities.
 Certain students may find robots easier
to engage with and less threatening
than human trainers.
 Robots can play a key role in enhancing
the informal learning most children
naturally develop as they play.

Special Needs
Education
 Special needs education
 the practice of educating students with
intellectual disabilities in a way that
addresses their individual differences and
needs.
 involves the individually planned and
systematically monitored arrangement of
teaching procedures.
 equipment and materials design adapt to
help learners with special needs achieve a
higher level of personal self-sufficiency
and success in school and the community.

Programmable
Robot Kits for
Education

Teaching STEM
with Robotics
 Offering meaningful and motivating contexts, such
as robotics, within science, technology, engineering
and math courses constitutes a compelling strategy
to enhance science and math learning for all
students.
 Science challenges e.g. collecting data with robot
sensors on the ambient light in a room;
 Technology challenges e.g. programming a robot to
escape a cardboard city;
 Engineering challenges e.g. constructing a robot to
move without wheels;
 Mathematical challenges e.g. measuring wheel
circumferences and working out distances the robot
will travel.

Individualised
Education Plan
Educational Robotics for
People with Learning
Disabilities (543577-LLP-1-
2013-1-UK-KA3-KA3MP) -
http://edurob.eu/
 Individual Education Plans include a child’s
 classification, placement, services (such as a
one-on-one aid and therapies), academic and
behavioural goals, percentage of time in
regular education and progress reports from
teachers and therapists.
 These plans are tailored specifically to the
child’s special needs – not to the needs of
the teacher, school or district.
 Software was developed to allow a set of
adaptable learning tools, working with a
number of different types of robots to
allow educators to tailor learning for a
student’s Individual Education Plan.
11-9-2018

Outcomes
Downloads available at
http://edurob.eu/resources.
html
 An educational robotics pedagogic
framework
 Learning with robotics curriculum and
learning scenarios
 Customised interfaces for robotic
driven interaction
 Learning with robotics case studies
and case study analyses
11-9-2018

ReasonsToTeach
Robotics In Schools
 An Introduction to Programming
 Learning to program a computer is an excellent skill to have to make
students more likely to get a job in the future, and earn more money
in their lifetime.
 Increases Creativity
 Robotics is a production-based learning module. Students have the
opportunity to create something tangible and make it perform the
actions that they program it to do.
 Prepare them for the future
 Jobs in the STEM field are the fastest growing careers, and are
projected to grow exponentially. E.g. the drone industry.
 Teaching Children How toTurn Frustration into
Innovation
 Learning how to build and program a robot can be a complex and
difficult process. Robotics in schools can help students turn their
frustration into creativity and innovation.
 Promoting Inclusivity
 Robotics is a field that is easily accessible to a wide range of students
with varying talents and skills.
 Studies have shown robots do a great job of engaging students on
the autism spectrum.
 Robotics is also a field that has the ability to empower young girls in
the classroom.

Taking It A Step
Further:
Programming And
Robotics Building
For Children -
PROBOBUILD
Using Open Source
technology and hardware,
the price of applying this
course will be minimal,
while the benefits will be
plentiful.
 Science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM)
education won’t realise its full potential unless we
address issues of resources, equity, and teacher
professional learning.
 This projects aims at addressing these 3 elements by
 training teachers how to introduce future life skills (3D
printing as an integral part of daily life, e.g. fixing coffee
machine component with 3D printed component) into
mainstream education
 through an innovative modular yet condense training course
that will allow teachers to apply them in their STEM
(Science,Technology, Engineering en Mathematics) courses
where suitable.
 Children will as such be prepared for the core 3D
aspects that will be crucial in their future jobs:
 Programming,
 3D design
 3D scanning
 3D printing,
 Basics of developing an own robot.

Envisaged modules
 Algorithms and Programming: Scratch (It has
language version)
 Programming a robot: Makeblock
Mbot http://www.makeblock.com/mbot-v1-1-stem-
educational-robot-kit (is compatible with Scratch).We
will use Scratch for programming robot, it can be
programmed by national language versions of scratch
 3D Design: Fusion 360.We will teach design based on
robotics (gears, wheels, base for the robots, etc).
 3D Scanning (for teachers to support the pupils with
their 3D design activities).We will use free/open source
software for scanning, e.g. Reprap.org Ciclop 3D Scanner
(http://reprap.org/wiki/File:Ciclop.png),
http://www.makerscanner.com/
 3D Print:We will use Prusa i3 printer
 Design my own robot:After we finish the cycle we
will add 2-3 project based robots (like instructions)

Goals
 Pupils
 Future Life skills (3D printing as an
integral part of daily life, e.g. fixing coffee
machine component with 3D printed
component, internet of things with
connected devices; coping with and
understanding new environments)
 Technical, analytical and logical skills and
practice
 Teachers
 Prepare willingness to embed 3D
printing in a wider variety of
educational activities.
 Motivation to mainstream 3D printing
practices.

Envisaged material
 Train the trainer handbook for
teachers, including specific training for
3D scanning
 Training curriculum and course
material for pupils “early childhood
discovery programs”
 Online training platform with
interactive videos/animated
instructions viaVideo Scribe

What is needed?
 Train teachers who can bring robotics
directly to classrooms.
 Teachers need to be confident with
using the technology, know the
content they want to teach, and the
pedagogical strategies needed to teach
the content with the technology.
 Make it affordable.

Contact details
 KarelVan Isacker
 karel@phoenixkm.eu
 +32 496 334056
Amersveldestraat 189
8610 Kortemark
Belgium