Research
Paper Accepted for Bangkok Conference
Using Learning Intentions with Educational Robots
The presentation is Session “17A : Math, Programming, Robots” and will take place at 11 am Friday Feb 5th.
Roamer Research Contributes in USA and Europe
Roamer Research Expertise at the Forefront of Educational Robotics
Dr Stephanie Holmquist, US proponent and distributor of Roamer will be a panel member at an important Robotics Symposium on the 1st May at Brown’s University in the USA. Roamer designer, Dave Catlin will present a paper on educational robotic research and its impact in the classroom and a poster on mathematical modelling with Roamer in Switzerland on 21st May. Continue reading
MESH Guide on Roamer Initiated
Educational Robots: Why Use Roamer Robots in the Classroom?
Valiant is proud to be working with Andrew Csizmadia, Newman University and Mike Blamires, RIPPLE to publish a MESHGuide called Educational robots: why use a Roamer robot in the classroom? MESHGuides provide independently quality assured research based advice for teachers. MESHGuides are developed by educators around the world and are managed by the charity, the Education Futures Collaboration. Continue reading
On the Buses with Roamer
Using Roamer to Model a Mass Transport System
Everyone knows the saying, “You stand at the bus stop, waiting for ages, then three of them turn up at the same time.” Why? A mathematical model called queuing theory supplies an answer. What is the mathematics used to design a mass transportation system? That is what Year 10 students at the Kingsdale Foundation School, Southwark are about to find out. As a STEM Ambassador I will run a five week mathematics enrichment programme starting on the 14th October. Continue reading
Roamer signs EU's Pledge to Peace
Robot backs United Nations International Day of Peace
People have already advocated a bill of rights for robots; there is even an American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Robots which claims that robots are people too (or at least they will be some day). This year is the 30th anniversary of the UN General Assembly’s Declaration on the Right of Peoples to Peace. They designated the 21st of September as the Day of Peace. This prompted Roamer to take integration of human robot society one step further by signing the EU’s Pledge to Peace. This is not just a petition, but a call to action, and in this case the action will take place in a school in the Eternal City of Rome. The Convitto Nazionale “Vittorio Emanuele II”, who with United World College in Norway were the first schools to sign the Pledge, have formed a partnership with Valiant Technology to create STEM based activities which make the students think about the issues of peace. Continue reading
PhD Awarded for Study of Roamer Activity
Scientific Study Shows the Effectiveness of Roamer
We always said you could get a PhD by doing a comprehensive study of almost any Roamer Activity. Well now someone has just done exactly that. Dr. Stephanie Holmquist has just been awarded a PhD from the University of South Florida for her dissertation entitled: A multi-case study of student interactions with educational robots and impact on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) learning and attitudes. This is an exciting development and makes a good contribution to the gathering evidence about the effectiveness of Educational Robotics. Continue reading
TRTWR and RiE Conference in Padua
Paper on Educational Robots and Computational Thinking Well Received
The paper on Educational Robots and Computational Thinking written by myself and Southampton University’s John Woollard was well received in Padua, Italy on Friday 18th July. The conference saw the coming together of two conferences: TRTWR (Teaching Robotics and Teaching with Robotics and RiE (Robotics in Education). It formed a special interest group within the 13th International Conference on Intelligent Autonomous Systems which featured cutting edge robotics from all industries. Continue reading
Roamer and Peer Assessment Conference
Peer Assessment and Roamer are Natural Partners
Valiant continue its pioneering research into the use of educational robotics. Following his work on the use of Assessment for Learning Methodologies the organisers of PRASAE 2014 invited Dave Catlin to submit a paper on the use of Roamer and peer assessment. The paper has been accepted following the normal vetting process and Dave will present the paper at the Peer-Review, Peer-Assessment, and Self-Assessment in Education, 1st International Workshop to be held in Tallinn, Estonia between the 14th and 17th August 2014. The paper entitled Using Peer Assessment with Educational Robots, is drawn from the 30 year history of practical classroom projects with the Valiant Turtle, Classic Roamer and the new robot.
Computational Thinking and Robot Paper
Roamer Engages Computational Thinking
TRTWR (Teaching Robotics Teaching with Robots) and RiE (Robots in Education) have combined into one conference this year. Following peer review the conference has accepted a paper by Dave Catlin and Dr. John Woollard from the Southampton Education School, University of Southampton which explores the synergies between Computational Thinking and Educational Robotics. Dave Catlin will present the paper TRTWR and RiE 2014 at the conference in Padua, Italy, July 18th.
Roamer as a Tool of Culture
Catlin, D. Smith, J.L. Morrison, K. (2012) Using Educational Robots as Tools of Cultural Expression: A Report on a Project with Indigenous Communities
A paper presented at the RiE2012 3rd International Conference on Robotics in Education 13 – 15 September 2012 Prague, Czech Republic Continue reading
