By Katherine Rundell
Robotics is one of the newest subjects in today’s schools, and many who grew up without it might question why it is useful to teach to children these skills. After all, building robots may seem like quite a small niche – though actually, the robotic world is growing at an incredible rate, and learning about it will massively benefit today’s children as they come to enter the workforce. Building a robot requires students to utilize totally different skills to those which might be used in a normal classroom setting.
1) Robots Is Great For Teamwork Skills
Robotics helps students hone their teamwork ability. While students will need many technical skills such as mathematics and engineering to build a good robot, they will also need to work in teams.
This involves listening to other students, taking on board ideas, and collaborating toward a common goal. Doing robotics in the classroom often involves students working in groups over an extended period of time, having to solve a variety of problems together, and come up with creative solutions as issues arise.
With guidance from their teacher, students will strengthen invaluable communication skills, which will benefit them in all different aspects of life, not just school or employment.
2) Robotics Helps Students Recognize And Hone Diverse Strengths
As well as working in teams, doing robotics can help students discover their personal strengths and better understand how to utilize them in a variety of settings.
“Some students may find that they are good at organizing the project, while others may be better at explaining its goals or working on the programming elements. Because robotics requires very varied skills, it gives every student an opportunity to shine and challenge themselves,” explains Natalie Fitch, an educator at Assignment Help and Essay Services.
3) Robotics Helps Students Build Their Confidence
Robotics requires students to use a wide range of skills which their other school subjects may not engage. These skills include mathematics, computing, engineering, design work, and programming. Many of these are covered individually by other subjects, but robotics brings them together in a new way.
Some students may develop a fascination with mechanical engineering, while others may become interested in the science or computing which drives robotics. Giving students access to a course which requires such varied skills allows them to experiment and find their passions so they can start to specialize in the areas which interest them most.
4) Robotics Encourages Students To Engage With STEM Subjects
We all know that we need engineers, mathematicians, physicists, etc., but these subjects are often considered dull, outdated, or too academic to inspire many teenagers. Robotics offers an exciting new perspective on the value of these subjects, and encourages teenagers to engage. Most teens love gadgets and technology, so seeing how you can use the STEM subjects to build brand new tech is a great way to engage them.
“Robotics also brings creativity to these sometimes dry subjects, allowing students to think about them in new ways. By challenging teenagers to come up with solutions to real life problems and think about the technology they would like to see in the real world, robotics can help them understand the value of STEM subjects,” says Bill Willson, a writer at Ukservicesreviews and OXEssays.
5) Robotics Facilitates Problem-Based Learning
Robotics is a highly practical subject in which the student is presented with a range of problems which need solving to achieve a specific aim. These problems can be very concrete and easy for the student to connect with real-life issues.
For example, students might be asked to design a robot which can help a disabled person maintain their independence. In this scenario, students can see a real problem, one which they may even be familiar with from their own experiences, and they can work to find a solution which they feel is useful. For students who struggle with abstract concepts like mathematics, having something concrete like this helps them to see how mathematics affects things in the real world.
Robotics is a very unique subject, which offers learners a wide range of benefits. As well as making STEM subjects more accessible and engaging, it teaches students leadership skills, teamwork, and helps them to improve their communication. It’s a highly practical skill to work on, which will have many benefits in our increasingly computerized world in years to come.
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Author bio
Katherine Rundell is a business writer at Lia Help and Big Assignments (check Big Assignments review). She gained her undergrad in computer science before getting her MBA at Edinburgh Napier University. Katherine is a freelance business consultant, supporting organizations to meet their revenue targets.