The College of Education has established a partnership with Roborobo Co. Ltd., a robotics education company in South Korea, to bring robotics to local K-12 classrooms.
The partnership will bring Roborobo’s robotics kits and education programs to the U.S. for the first time, according to Ikseon Choi, an associate professor of learning design and technology who is leading the project.
The college’s Educational Technology Center will be the hub for this collaboration, and its staff will deliver educational robotics workshops for area K-12 teachers, students and parents.
Roborobo representatives visited UGA March 30 through April 4 to participate in an initial series of workshops, demonstrations and meetings.
Along with Roborobo, the ETC led a free Robotics Teacher Workshop for area K-12 teachers April 2 to give hands-on experience in assembling and programming robots.
While on campus Roborobo representatives donated $23,500 in robotics kits to be used by UGA, the ETC and local schools. Educational robotics provides opportunities for students to think more deeply and allows them to relate their problem-solving strategies to real-world contexts, said Choi.
Robotics education often includes assembling robots according to plans or to one’s own design. Students then program their robots to perform specific tasks. There are even student robotics competitions in which the best design and performance concept wins.
Roborobo, Choi and the ETC aim to grow robotics education and hope to see the development of national and international competitions in the U.S., beginning with Georgia.
The ETC has four educational technology professionals working with school districts to provide professional learning, consulting and service for educators to promote the use of technology in support of teaching, learning and leadership.