NRI: Liquid Handling Robots - A New Paradigm for STEM Education

这个国家机器人计划项目将在学校生物和化学课程中测试一系列液体处理机器人，以确定通过协作机器人的教学使用可以支持的学习机会的范围。 使用Lego Mindstorms平台的低成本机器人将用于实施课堂活动，从使用色彩缤纷的液体布置进行艺术表达，到使用稀释系列，密度梯度和光谱测量进行实验。其目的是使生物技术更加有形和相关的学生，同时支持跨学科的学习，由下一代科学标准（NGSS）的建议。这种让学生参与生物学和化学的创新方法将在6-12年级的教师和学生中进行测试，并采用一系列用户研究来检查学习成果并指导开发过程。 该项目的目标是将液体处理整合到教育机器人中，以通过更深入的探究、更多样化的学习体验以及对跨学科和基于项目的教育的更多关注来增强当前的科学课程。该项目的研究将集中在两个主题上：学生在使用平台进行探究活动时的意义建构，以及可持续部署和实施所需的教学和基础设施支持。 从学生实验中收集的多模态数据将与传统的定性和定量方法相结合，以回答与两个研究主题相关的三个主要问题：1）系统如何有效地捕捉真实的科学家使用类似工具的实践和探究活动？ 2)第一个问题所确定的启示如何映射到6-12年级科学教师在有限的时间范围内参与扩展探究周期的学习目标？3）我们提出的课程分配模式依赖于在当地Makerspaces或学校使用的Lego/Arduino套件中下载和制作的软件和指令，这与实施方面的挑战有关吗？ 该项目的研究计划将在三年内进行，从第一年的微基因设计和测试到第二年的课堂有效性对照研究。 在该项目的最后一年，将审查教师主导的课堂效率。

This National Robotics Initiative project will test a series of liquid handling robots in school biology and chemistry classes to determine the range of learning opportunities that can be supported through the instructional use of collaborative robots. Low-cost robots using the Lego Mindstorms platform will be used to implement classroom activities ranging from artistic expression using colorful arrangements of liquids to performing experiments using dilution series, density gradients, and spectral measurements. The aim is to make biotechnology more tangible and relevant to students while supporting interdisciplinary learning as recommended by the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). This innovative approach to engaging students in biology and chemistry will be tested with teachers and students in grades 6-12, with a range of user studies being employed to examine learning outcomes and guide the development process. The goal is to integrate liquid handling into educational robotics to enhance current science curricula by enabling deeper inquiry, more variety in learning experiences, and increased attention to interdisciplinary and project-based education.The research of this project will focus on two themes: students' sense making as they engage in inquiry activities using the platform, and the pedagogical and infrastructural support needed for sustainable deployment and implementation. Multimodal data collected from students running experiments will be combined with traditional qualitative and quantitative methods to answer three primary questions related to the two research themes: 1) How effectively does the system capture the practices and inquiry activities of real scientists using similar tools? 2) How do the affordances identified by the first question map onto the learning goals of engaging in extended inquiry cycles within the context of limited amounts of time available to 6-12 grade science teachers? And 3) What implementation challenges are associated with our proposed curricular distribution model which relies on software and instructions being downloaded and fabricated in local Makerspaces or Lego/Arduino kits being used in schools? The research plan for the project will progress over three years from Microgenetic design and testing during the first year to controlled study of in-class effectiveness during year 2. In the final year of the project, teacher-led in-class effectiveness will be examined.