Use of a BIO-inspired educational snake-jaw robot to enhance stem engagement

This NSF STEM Education program (CFDA 47.076) grant award of $349,960 to Villanova University supports the design and study of an integrated STEM education program for 5th to 8th grade students using a bio-inspired snake jaw robot. The program will be developed in partnership with the Delaware Museum of Nature and Science and aligned with Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The goal is to evaluate the effectiveness of the robot in promoting integrated STEM learning, with researchers examining student-robot interactions and overall student engagement. The project will also equip the museum with the educational robots for continued use beyond the grant period. A sub-award to the University of San Diego provides support for mentoring the principal investigator in building capacity for educational research and applying learning theories to the program development.

Abstract

Integrated stem learning experiences can support students in making connections across disciplines, fostering a more holistic understanding of stem concepts and how these concepts CO-exist in the real world. Different emerging technologies, including educational robots, hold promise in supporting integrated stem learning. Despite this promise, however, there has been limited attention towards examining the impact of educational robots in the context of integrated stem learning. To address this GAP in what we know about how educational robots support stem learning, this project will design and study an integrated stem education program for 5TH to 8TH grade students using a BIO-inspired snake jaw robot. The program will be aligned with the next generation science standards (NGSS) and will be developed in partnership with delaware museum of nature and science. Students will interact with a uniquely designed, educational snake jaw robot to support learning concepts in biology, physics, and mathematics and how separate disciplinary ideas connect to each other. Researchers will examine students' interactions with the robot, alongside assessing overall engagement, to provide a comprehensive understanding of how such technologies can enhance learning experiences. The project will also permanently equip the museum with unique, educational snake-jaw robots for continued exposure to students and the public beyond the tenure of this project. The project will offer valuable insights and tools for integrated stem education, benefiting educators, students, and the broader educational community. The goal of this research project is to evaluate the effectiveness of a BIO-inspired snake jaw robot in promoting integrated stem education among 5TH to 8TH grade students. To gain insight into how this technology can support students? Engagement in integrated stem learning, the project team will examine the learner-robot interactions that occur while students are engaged in integrated stem learning activities using the robot. The study will expose 300 students and 12 teachers to an integrated NGSS-aligned stem program designed to highlight deep and authentic connections between different disciplinary concepts in mathematics, physics, engineering, and biology. Using a mixed methods approach and randomized controlled trials, data collection will include focus groups, observations, and learner surveys. The study will compare outcomes between a control group and an experimental group, the latter engaging with the robot. Early in the project, focus groups will be conducted to understand initial learner-robot interactions, guiding the development of an observational protocol. The observation protocol will be used to document how students interact with the robot, capturing data such as actions, duration, and forms of engagement. Pre- and post-program surveys, based on validated wang?S math and science engagement scales, will measure student engagement in stem. The study will provide insight into how learner-robot interactions occur and how these interactions can be assessed and optimized. This is crucial as educational robots have shown promise but have yet to be fully explored in the context of integrated stem education. This project is supported by NSF's EDU core research building capacity in stem education research (ECR: bcser) program, which is designed to build investigator's capacity to carry out high-quality stem education research. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.- subawards are planned for this award.