The document discusses the use of educational robotics as a transformative learning tool for students with disabilities, emphasizing how robots can enhance engagement and personal success in educational settings. It highlights the importance of individualized education plans and training programs for teachers to integrate robotics into STEM education, preparing students for future job opportunities. Additionally, it outlines practical modules in areas like programming, 3D design, and printing, aimed at equipping both learners and educators with essential skills for contemporary learning environments.

1. Educational Robotics for People with Disabilities
By KarelVan Isacker

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. Programmable
Robot Kits for
Education

5. 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.

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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)

11. 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.

12. 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

13. 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.

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