Brigida Urrutia
Papers
1
Total Citations
8
H-Index
1
About
Brigida Urrutia is a pioneering researcher at the intersection of early childhood education and human-robot interaction, with a primary focus on computational thinking (CT) development in preschoolers. Her most influential work, "High-Capacity Robots in Early Education: Developing Computational Thinking with a Voice-Controlled Collaborative Robot" (2024, 8 citations), represents a groundbreaking empirical study conducted in Southern Chile. In this research, Urrutia designed and implemented a week-long workshop where 34 children aged 4 to 6 interacted with a voice-controlled collaborative robot to cultivate essential CT components. Her major contribution lies in demonstrating that even very young children can develop foundational computational thinking skills—such as sequencing, debugging, and algorithmic reasoning—through natural, voice-based interactions with robots, moving beyond traditional screen-based approaches. This work is particularly notable for its focus on underserved educational contexts in Southern Chile, highlighting Urrutia's commitment to equitable access to emerging technologies. By providing empirical evidence that high-capacity robots can serve as effective pedagogical tools in early education, she has opened new pathways for integrating robotics into preschool curricula. Her research continues to shape how educators and technologists approach the development of 21st-century skills in the earliest learners.
Research Focus
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Top Papers
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