Emerging pedagogies & technologies in educational robotics: towards an inclusive paradigm.
Prof. Dimitri Alimisis will give a talk next Friday at the CHILI lab, as part of his visit to EPFL. It can be interesting for people working in robotics, computer science teaching, educational robotics, human-computer interaction, learning analytics, technology-enhanced learning and all researchers interested to know more about the recent researcher in educational robotics.
Title: Emerging pedagogies & technologies in educational robotics: towards an inclusive paradigm.
When: Friday (December 9) from 16:00 to 16:45 in RLC D1 661
Abstract: We argue that educational robotics is a learning tool that can bring robotics into school classrooms and benefit all children regardless of their future educational or professional orientation. Aiming to make educational robotics education friendlier and inclusive for all, we introduce a paradigm shift inspired by constructivist/constructionist pedagogies (Piaget/Papert) and emerging educational trends (namely, the maker movement) with the focus on creativity and the other 21st-century skills. However, the realisation of a new paradigm requires appropriate technologies at both hardware and software level. The talk will address questions and dilemmas related to the practices and technologies currently in use in robotics education, will review some popular technologies in both hardware and software level and explore the kind of technologies that can best support the proposed inclusive paradigm. Finally, we suggest introducing artificial intelligence and machine learning in educational robotics to help children design more creative and intelligent robots.
Bio: Prof. Dimitris Alimisis is currently Scientific Leader at EDUMOTIVA, former Professor of Educational Technology at the Education Dept. of the Higher School of Pedagogical & Technological Education (Patras, GR) and former adjunct professor at the Hellenic Open Education and the University of Athens. His long teaching experience includes, among others, educational technology courses for teachers, Science Education in the Hellenic Open University, Didactics with new technologies in post-graduate courses at the Univ. of Athens. His research interests focus on educational technology, teacher education & training with a focus on Constructivist and Constructionist learning, the new trend of maker movement in education and educational robotics. He has served as education leader or partner in several European research and education projects related to educational robotics & STEAM education (Horizon 2020, Erasmus plus). He has contributed to the introduction of the maker movement in education at EU level starting in 2017 with the Horizon 2020 Project eCraft2Learn (Digital Fabrication and Maker Movement in Education) where he had led teacher training and pilots in schools, setting up makerspaces in Athens. In 2019-20, as partner in the H2020 project INBOTS, he introduced a paradigm shift in robotics education inspired from the maker movement and led the development and piloting of innovative curricula for teaching with robotics in pre-school, primary and secondary education. He is co-organiser of the EDUROBOTICS international conferences. His research and educational works have been published in international scientific conference proceedings, books and journals (more information here).
