Randomness and LEGO robots

Michele Cerulli (1) , Augusto Chioccariello (1) , Enrica Lemut (1)

1 ITD - Institute for Educational Technology = The Istituto per le Tecnologie Didattiche

This paper reports on a long term experiment concerning the introduction of 7th grade pupils to the concept of randomness. Pupils are involved in activities with Lego robots, and in the joint enterprise of writing an Encyclopaedia. The main lines of the experiment are provided, together with experimental data, highlighting how some specific elements of the chosen educational approach influenced the evolution of pupils' mastery of the concept of randomness.

Keywords: didactic of mathematics; educational robotics; WebLabs; technology enhanced learning (TEL); probability; technology enhanced learning in mathematics (TELMA); negotiation; class discussions; design for innovation; socio-constructivism; mathematical class discussion; randomness; Lego; Lego rcx; random generators; random walks

Domains: Computer Science [cs]; Technology for Human Learning

Michele Cerulli, Augusto Chioccariello, Enrica Lemut. Randomness and LEGO robots. Fourth Congress of the European Society for Research in Mathematics Education (CERME 4), 2005, Sant Feliu de Guíxols, Spain. pp.591-600. ⟨hal-00190501⟩