UNL wins $3 million grant to expand robot-based curriculum
Posted: Wednesday, September 05, 2007
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) -- The idea of using small robots to help teach children the science and math at the core of engineering and technology has attracted a $3 million grant.
The five-year funding from the National Science Foundation will help a University of Nebraska-Lincoln team take its Omaha program to teachers nationwide.
The Silicon Prairie Initiative on Robotics in Information Technology Phase 2, or SPIRIT 2.0, is expanding a program developed by a UNL team at Omaha's Peter Kiewit Institute of technology.
Bing Chen, chairman of computer and electronics engineering, is leading development of the robotics-based curriculum.
Last year UNL engineers at the Kiewit Institute and education faculty members from the University of Nebraska at Omaha launched the program in Omaha middle schools. They trained math and science teachers in fifth through eighth grades to build the small robots and worked with them to develop lessons plans.
Called TekBots, the wheeled robots were invented at Oregon State University.
"We're taking advantage of 100 teachers who have attended our TekBot workshops to assist us in designing a curriculum that can be distributed on a national basis," Chen said.
The new nationwide version, which will include a flexible series of lessons and technical materials, will be distributed to teachers over the Internet.
Once trained, the teachers will use TekBots for hands-on lessons that cover such concepts as algebraic equations, friction, wireless and computer processing, and electronics.
The TekBot program introduces children to math and science early in their education. He hopes that the fun and fascination posed by learning with the TekBots will encourage more children to choose science and engineering careers.
But first, Chen said, "you have to empower the teachers."
On the Net:
Peter Kiewit Institute: http://www.pki.nebraska.edu/default.html
The five-year funding from the National Science Foundation will help a University of Nebraska-Lincoln team take its Omaha program to teachers nationwide.
The Silicon Prairie Initiative on Robotics in Information Technology Phase 2, or SPIRIT 2.0, is expanding a program developed by a UNL team at Omaha's Peter Kiewit Institute of technology.
Bing Chen, chairman of computer and electronics engineering, is leading development of the robotics-based curriculum.
Last year UNL engineers at the Kiewit Institute and education faculty members from the University of Nebraska at Omaha launched the program in Omaha middle schools. They trained math and science teachers in fifth through eighth grades to build the small robots and worked with them to develop lessons plans.
Called TekBots, the wheeled robots were invented at Oregon State University.
"We're taking advantage of 100 teachers who have attended our TekBot workshops to assist us in designing a curriculum that can be distributed on a national basis," Chen said.
The new nationwide version, which will include a flexible series of lessons and technical materials, will be distributed to teachers over the Internet.
Once trained, the teachers will use TekBots for hands-on lessons that cover such concepts as algebraic equations, friction, wireless and computer processing, and electronics.
The TekBot program introduces children to math and science early in their education. He hopes that the fun and fascination posed by learning with the TekBots will encourage more children to choose science and engineering careers.
But first, Chen said, "you have to empower the teachers."
On the Net:
Peter Kiewit Institute: http://www.pki.nebraska.edu/default.html
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Sehjan wrote on Feb 12, 2008 10:22 PM: