EXPLORING GRAPHING THROUGH PROGRAMMABLE ROBOTS

Year 2016, Volume: 5 , 273 - 278, 01.09.2016

H. Bahadir Yanik Terri L. Kurz Yasin Memis

Abstract

Eight sixth-grade students in a gifted learning center
in an urban city in the central part of Turkey explored graphing using
programmable robots. The purpose of this study was to describe how these
students engaged in this activity and utilized robots to test their conjectures
that they developed for the interpretation of given distance/time and
position/time graphs. Data were primarily gathered through classroom
observations, document analysis and interviews. The results showed that
initially students had difficulties interpreting both distance/time and
position/time graphs and writing appropriate scenarios for the given graphs.
Specifically, students initially interpreted those graphs as velocity/time
graphs and wrote scenarios accordingly. Furthermore, students had difficulties
identifying the velocities for the given intervals on the graphs as well as
interpreting the meaning of slope in relation to physical movement. Programming
robots and testing their own conjectures with robots provided students with
real-life experiences to make sense of graphing motion in relation to
distance/time and position/time graphs. After programming the robots, students
were able to see the graphical representation of their prediction and check
whether or not their conjecture was consistent with the actual graph. As well,
the students were able to articulate the physical meaning of slope and how it
specifically relates to movement. The results showed increased student
understanding regarding the relationship between velocity and distance on
position/time graphs with the use of robots. Furthermore, the data also
suggested that the students enjoyed using robots for exploring mathematical and
science concepts and considered the use of the robots as beneficial to their
mathematical understanding of distance/time and position/time graphs. 

Keywords

Programmable robots, technology integration, graphing

References

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