Collaborative Robotics, More Than Just Working in Groups

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine what collaborative interventions produce positive effects for students working on collaborative robotics projects for science process skills, collaborative problem-solving, and learning motivation. In addition, the study examined the impact students’ prior robotics experience had on science process skills, collaborative problem-solving, and learning motivation. The results indicated experience level and collaboration interventions can have impacts on students. Assigned Group Roles had positive effects on students’ motivation and collaborative problem-solving. Experience level also had effects upon student learning motivation and collaborative problem-solving with the Novice status associated with higher levels as compared with students who had more experience. A collaboration intervention was identified that has the potential to produce positive effects for students in collaborative robotics projects as well as assist classroom educators in the purposeful design of collaborative robotics projects with scientifically based strategies to improve the attitudinal outcomes for students of various robotics experience.