Using robotics to promote learning in elementary grades

This paper considers the use of LEGO robotics as a tool to allow students in a fourth grade math classroom to engage in experimenting, sense-making, and developing visual understanding of ideas. To enhance students' conceptual understanding of the abstract concepts of units and unit conversion, an illustrative example of a hands-on robotic activity is considered. The robotics activity allows for simultaneously implementing different theories of learning effectively and accommodating the learning styles of different students. To illustrate the effectiveness of the robotics-based lesson, the paper provides results of pre- and post-activity assessment, including statistical analysis.