"This book explores the theory and practice of educational robotics in the K-12 formal and informal educational settings, providing empirical research supporting the use of robotics for STEM learning"--Provided by publisher.

This work brings together the insights of ten designers, researchers, and educators, each invited to contribute a chapter that relates his or her experience develping or using a children's robotic learning device. This growing area of endeavour is expected to have prodound and long-lasting effets on the ways children learn and develop, and its participants come from a wide range of backgrounds.

With the widespread interest in digital entertainment and the advances in the technologies of computer graphics, multimedia and virtual reality technologies, the new area of “Edutainment” has been accepted as a union of education and computer entertainment. Edutainment is recognized as an effective way of learning through a medium, such as a computer, software, games or AR/VR applications, that both educates and entertains. The Edutainment conference series was established and followed as a special event for the new interests in e-learning and digital entertainment. The main purpose of Edutainment conferences is the discussion, presentation, and information exchange of scientific and technological developments in the new community. The Edutainment conference series is a very interesting opportunity for researchers, engineers, and graduate students who wish to communicate at these international annual events. The conference series includes plenary invited talks, workshops, tutorials, paper presen- tion tracks, and panel discussions. The Edutainment conference series was initiated in Hangzhou, China in 2006. Following the success of the first (Edutainment 2006 in Hangzhou, China), the second (Edutainment 2007 in Hong Kong, China), and the third events (Edutainment 2008 in Nanjing, China), Edutainment 2009 was held August 9–11, 2009 in Banff, Canada. This year, we received 116 submissions from 25 different countries and regions - cluding Austria, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Trinidad and Tobago, UK, and USA.

How might digital technology and notably smart technologies based on artificial intelligence (AI), learning analytics, robotics, and others transform education? This book explores such question. It focuses on how smart technologies currently change education in the classroom and the management of educational organisations and systems.

The education system is constantly growing and developing as more ways to teach and learn are implemented into the classroom. Recently, there has been a growing interest in teaching computational thinking with schools all over the world introducing it to the curriculum due to its ability to allow students to become proficient at problem solving using logic, an essential life skill. In order to provide the best education possible, it is imperative that computational thinking strategies, along with programming skills and the use of robotics in the classroom, be implemented in order for students to achieve maximum thought processing skills and computer competencies. The Research Anthology on Computational Thinking, Programming, and Robotics in the Classroom is an all-encompassing reference book that discusses how computational thinking, programming, and robotics can be used in education as well as the benefits and difficulties of implementing these elements into the classroom. The book includes strategies for preparing educators to teach computational thinking in the classroom as well as design techniques for incorporating these practices into various levels of school curriculum and within a variety of subjects. Covering topics ranging from decomposition to robot learning, this book is ideal for educators, computer scientists, administrators, academicians, students, and anyone interested in learning more about how computational thinking, programming, and robotics can change the current education system.

Engineering disciplines (such as biomedical, civil, computer science, electrical, mechanical) are instrumental to society's wellbeing and technological competitiveness; however the interest of K-12 American students in these and other engineering fields is fading. To broaden the base of engineers for the future, it is critical to excite young minds about STEM. Research that is easily visible to K-12 students, including underserved and minority population with limited access to technology, is crucial in igniting their interests in STEM fields. More specifically, research topics that involve interactive elements such as Robots may be instrumental for K-12 education in and outside classroom. Robots have always fascinated mankind. Indeed, the idea of infusing life and skills into a human-made automatic artefact has inspired for centuries the imagination of many, and led to creative works in areas such as art, music, science, engineering, just to name a few. Furthermore, major technological advancements with associated societal improvements have been done in the past century because of robotics and automation. Assistive technology deals with the study, design, and development of devices (and robots are certainly among them!) to be used for improving one's life. Imagine for example how robots could be used to search for survivors in a disaster's area. Another example is the adoption of nurse robots to assist people with handicap during daily-life activities, e.g., to serve food or lift a patient from the bed to position him/her on a wheelchair. The idea of assistive technology is at the core of our piloting Technology Education Academy. We believe kids will be intrigued by the possibility to create their own assistive robot prototype, and to make it work in a scenario that resembles activities of daily life. However, it is not enough to provide students with the equipment necessary since they might also easily lose interest due to the technical challenges in creating the robots and in programming them. In fact, achieving these goals requires a student to handle problem-solving skills as well as knowledge of basic principles of mechanics and computer programming. The Technology Education Academy has brought UT Arlington, the AISD and the Arlington Public Library together to inspire young students in the East Arlington area to Assistive Technology, and provide them easy-to-use tools, an advanced educational curriculum, and mentorship to nurture their skills in problem solving and introduce them to mechanics and computer programming.

This book describes recent approaches in advancing STEM education with the use of robotics, innovative methods in integrating robotics in school subjects, engaging and stimulating students with robotics in classroom-based and out-of-school activities, and new ways of using robotics as an educational tool to provide diverse learning experiences. It addresses issues and challenges in generating enthusiasm among students and revamping curricula to provide application focused and hands-on approaches in learning . The book also provides effective strategies and emerging trends in using robotics, designing learning activities and how robotics impacts the students’ interests and achievements in STEM related subjects. The frontiers of education are progressing very rapidly. This volume brought together a collection of projects and ideas which help us keep track of where the frontiers are moving. This book ticks lots of contemporary boxes: STEM, robotics, coding, and computational thinking among them. Most educators interested in the STEM phenomena will find many ideas in this book which challenge, provide evidence and suggest solutions related to both pedagogy and content. Regular reference to 21st Century skills, achieved through active collaborative learning in authentic contexts, ensures the enduring usefulness of this volume. John Williams Professor of Education and Director of the STEM Education Research Group Curtin University, Perth, Australia