Simple robots, including LEGO based ones, are an engaging and physical tool for students can investigate and develop problem-solving skills in a fairly unthreatening ways. The question then comes to mind though where-else, if any where, could they be used for supporting teaching? Control is one but what about networking concepts?
Article Robotics within the Teaching of Problem-Solving
Indeed Robotics including LEGO mindstorms platforms could be used in teaching a huge verity of concepts, some could be here :
- Networking in System of Systems environment ; using communication protocols between a team of robots to demonstrate relevant concepts
- Finite State Machine : I'm not sure if that is purely computing, I believe it gives the learner a mindset that helps them to design solutions in networking, control, instrumentation, computing and elsewhere. Finite State Machine is the brain logic that a robot use to manipulate different outputs depending on a combination of rules and "states" that differ depending on the environment and inputs.
- Manufacturing and Industrial Engineering: Basically robotics could be one of the best practical ways to help IE students visualize a hands on problems of optimization, quality and other stuff on a robotic system rather than a theoretical sets of numbers on their Matlab
- Environmental science ; Use of robots and instruments as measurement devices & data loggers for environmental metrics.
and the list goes on and on :)
Scott, depends a lot on what grade level you are talking about... teaching teachers to use robotics somewhere in K-12? using robotics in K-12? or for specific certain grades? or as a platform for engineering or science concepts in undergrad or grad? I just completed a chapter on STEM and robotics through a filter of gender and did a review of a large number of robotics programs at all age levels.
Also, a professor at Ohio State is using robotics in his curriculum, an introductory class to engage students in mechanical engineering. If I remember correctly, he is using an Arduino based robot challenge. For college, I think Arduino is more apropos than LEGO MINDSTORMS. You might check out information at hbrobotics.org for ideas on a variety of small robots and challenges suitable for a classroom environment university level.
If you want more info on K-12, let me know.
A while ago I did an Open University course on robotics that included Lego Mindstorms exercises
You can find more information here:
http://www.open.edu/openlearn/science-maths-technology/engineering-and-technology/engineering/partial-history-ou-adventures-lego-engineering
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