The Place of Educational Robotics in Learner's Computational Thinking: A Qualitative Study

Owing to the impact created by Lego-robots based activities on learners this study seeks to find out the place it holds in the developing of young learner’s computational thinking. The author before embarking on this study had the privilege to work with some Chinese grade five and six students as a volunteer. She reflected serially on what appropriate integration of Lego-robots implement to enhance computational thinking. Through these reflections, she realized that the used of Lego-robots increase learners’ ability to think, solve problems and reason critically. One of the most important facets of her reflective practice was to consider how students can extend this knowledge of building Lego-robots bricks to their daily lives and how their view towards their environment will change. This compelled the research in the place of educational robotics in learner’s computational thinking. This qualitative research was conducted in a community Training Center in Huzhou in Wuxing District Zhejiang Province China. The research looked into how Lego-robots bricks develops student’s computational thinking in the areas of problem solving, critical thinking, creativity and what challenges teachers and students faced in the infusion of this Lego-robots bricks.