Identifying Preliminary Design Principles for a Robotics-based Learning Environment

Abstract

In recent years, the interest in introducing programming activities into the classroom has increased, emphasizing the importance of promoting computational thinking in young learners. Robotics-based learning environments are intended to facilitate the learning of programming at the primary level and support developing skills such as collaboration, creativity, and problem-solving thinking in a cross-curricular approach. An Austrian research project focuses on developing and implementing a robotics-based learning environment using the educational design research approach to gain insights into the introduction of computational thinking in primary education. This paper reports on a study to identify preliminary design principles of the learning environment that form the basis of the prototyping cycle of the overall research. Data were collected by interviewing seven experts who have theoretical and practical expertise on educational robotics in primary education. The resulting six preliminary design principles describe the first insight into the design of robotics-based learning environments.