By Katie Brenneman
There’s little doubt that science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) will continue to be a vital aspect of our society for the foreseeable future. Even many industries that aren’t obviously STEM-based are still driven by a range of tech tools. Our everyday lives are populated by ever more advanced hardware and software. It’s no wonder, then, that a solid STEM education is considered essential for today’s students.
Yet, one of the prevalent challenges of STEM education is boosting engagement among a more diverse student base. This vital collection of subjects is still not always inclusive to learners from different backgrounds. Fortunately, robotics can be a powerful tool here. It’s a fascinating and engaging subject while also holding enormous potential for driving, supporting, and encouraging diverse STEM learning practices.
Encouraging greater diversity in STEM is vital for a range of reasons. On a professional level, the perspectives of people from different backgrounds can boost innovation and contribute to dynamic problem-solving. It also tends to minimize biases in coding. Not to mention that a greater number of people can be enriched by careers in STEM if diverse learning approaches are used from an early age. Therefore, it’s essential to adopt measures to boost participation in STEM subjects in schools. One effective approach to this is to provide students with opportunities to follow their curiosity.
This is where robotics can play a valuable role. While we often talk about robotics as a single subject, in reality, it covers a range of disciplines. This means it’s a great candidate to key into diverse student interests.
The disciplines covered include:
Theoretical elements: Students can consider and discuss the current robotic technology available and how it might be employed to address real-life challenges.This approach isn’t just positive because it allows various students to exercise their niche areas of interest. The diversity of educational activities also helps minimize the potential for students to disengage because they get bored with doing the same thing over and over again. They use a combination of skills throughout each project, which may promote sustained participation.
Another key to encouraging diversity in STEM is to boost accessibility to learning. A recent report into the future of STEM education posited inclusivity and equity as foundational principles to achieve a culture of innovation. For our society to truly benefit from robotics and other advanced technologies, students must be able to interact with learning in ways that can be adapted to their individual challenges.
One way educators and parents are approaching this at the moment is through e-learning or homeschooling. Today, many of the components of a robotics-based education are relatively affordable. Arduino kits, Lego robotics projects, and open-source coding platforms can easily fit into distance learning. This means that students who are more comfortable learning from home can have equal opportunities to engage with a dynamic STEM education and follow their curiosity.
That said, parents need to ensure that the space at home is suitable for both the hands-on and theoretical elements of a home STEM education. Creating a home office from a garage can be a practical approach to this. This is because, unlike many other indoor areas, garages tend to have the type of open space available that supports hands-on STEM robotics activities. It’s important, though, to make certain the garage has basic amenities, such as heating and air conditioning for comfort and sufficient power outlets. There should also be suitable furniture. Alongside a standard desk for computer-based work, there should also be workbench space for assembling robotic components effectively and safely.
Diversity in STEM isn’t just about making certain all students are able and encouraged to engage with the subject matter. It’s also important to give them the skills to collaborate meaningfully with a diverse range of contributors. After all, recognizing and appreciating the perspectives of people from different backgrounds is key even beyond striving for technological innovation. It ensures that learning environments are inclusive and that everyone can be enriched by one another’s contributions.
Robotics in the classroom can be a great medium to facilitate these diverse collaborations. As we’ve previously outlined, robotics projects are inherently multidisciplinary. This provides opportunities for teachers to divide students into teams of contributors with diverse skills and interests.
This isn’t just a chance for students to use their core interests and to have their peers recognize their unique qualities, though. It’s also a great forum in which students can teach one another about their specialized interests and share learning experiences. Importantly, they’ll have first-hand evidence of how multiple perspectives helped them to solve problems together and empowered them to overcome hurdles. This is valuable beyond their formal learning. It is the essential personal development that they’ll benefit from in STEM workplaces and everyday life.
Robotic technology can play a key role in supporting a more diverse STEM learning approach. The multidisciplinary nature of the subject can boost engagement and encourage teamwork. Not to mention it can be a great tool for accessible learning. However, educators and parents alike need to be intentional in their approach. Projects and curriculums need to be designed from the ground up to prioritize the most inclusive learning and address potential hurdles.
The AI LAB is a turnkey, state-of-the-art modular learning space designed to enable students rotation between the AI Stations. Each configuration includes more than 1,000 instructional hours and provides learners with practical hands-on activities exposing them to multiple disciplines and various scenarios in which artificial intelligence takes control of our lives.