Chapters authored
Robots, Everlasting? A Framework for Classifying CS Educational Robots
Educational robots are an exciting and growing field. While some (Lego Mindstorms, for example) have been around for decades, most are only a few years old and their durability is untested; exacerbating this are those only usable with apps, that may become suddenly unavailable. This has created a nascent but significant problem: schools investing significant time and money for educational robots with little ability to know if they will work for years or just days. Other fields in science, technology, education, and math (STEM) beyond computer science also encounter this issue as more educational robots and apps for those disciplines permeate the market. While this chapter analyzes this issue from a CS perspective, the lessons learned can be applied to other STEM areas. This chapter explores the history of the problem, documents several examples of devices that have succumbed, details the unique and specific needs of school customers, and introduces the Computer Science Risk Analysis Framework for Toys (CS RAFT) to help teachers and schools evaluate a device purchase based on a holistic understanding of device longevity. This study will also provide recommendations for CS and STEM educational robot designers.
Part of the book: Advances in Research in STEM Education