Could Programming be Cool? Using Lego Mind-storms to Teach Programming

39th SIGCSE technical symposium on Computer science education 2008.
Portland, OR, USA.
March 2008.

Abstract

Teaching and learning programming could be hard because code can be seemed as something invisible and intangible. See how a bunch of code-lines, writing in LEJOS (Java for LEGO®), are converted into actions performed by a robot, result in an exited and engaging experience for students. While building the robot behavior and interaction with the environment, students will learn programming concepts (conditions, loops, variables, methods, classes, etc.). Students get bases and could use, merge and complement them to solve complex programming problems and create complex solutions in areas as artificial intelligence, algorithms design, robotics, among others.

Reference

Gonzalez-Sanchez, J. and Chavez-Echeagaray, M.E. (2008). Could Programming Be Cool? Using Lego Mind-storms to Teach Programming. Proceedings of the 39th SIGCSE Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education 2008. Portland, OR, USA. March 2008.