Collaborative Robotics, More Than Just Working in Groups: Effects of Student Collaboration on Learning Motivation, Collaborative Problem Solving, and Science Process Skills in Robotic Activities

Robotics in education has shown the potential to positively benefit student learning and attitudes towards learning. However, a necessary part of robotics instruction is group collaboration. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine what collaborative scaffolds, or interventions, produce positive effects for students working on collaborative robotics projects for science process skills, collaborative problem solving, and motivation. In addition, the study examined the impact students’ prior robotics experience had on science process skills, collaborative problem solving, and motivation. The study had two experience levels, Novice and Experienced, and three intervention conditions. The interventions included Assigned Group Roles, Classroom Discussion, and Previous Instructional Practices, which followed practices from prior years without any additional collaborative supports. All the participants experienced problem-based learning during the collaborative robotics project with collaborative scaffolds based upon their intervention conditions. The goal of the study was to identify what collaboration interventions can best support the collaborative nature of robotics instruction and create a beneficial learning environment for students by supporting student collaboration and possibly improving student motivation, collaborative problem solving, and science process skills. Furthermore, the study sought to identify impacts of different robotics experience levels to fully understand collaborative robotics projects for students as they progress through a continuing robotics curriculum. The results of the study indicated experience level and collaboration interventions can have impacts on students. Assigned Group Roles had positive effects on students’ motivation and collaborative problem solving. Experience level also had effects upon student motivation and collaborative problem solving with the Novice level demonstrating higher outcomes. A collaboration intervention was identified that has the potential to produce positive effects for students in collaborative robotics projects as well as assist classroom educators in the purposeful design of collaborative robotics projects with scientifically based strategies to improve the attitudinal outcomes for students of various robotics experience.