K-12 Agile Learning with Educational Software and Robotics Technology Antonios J. Konstantaras Department of Electronic Engineering Hellenic Mediterranean University Chania, Greece akonstantaras@hmu.gr Lefteris Doitsidis School of Production Engineering and Management Technical University of Crete Chania, Greece edoitsidis@tuc.gr Emmanuel Maravelakis Department of Electronic Engineering Hellenic Mediterranean University Chania, Greece marvel@hmu.gr Nikolaos Spanoudakis Senior Member, IEEE School of Production Engineering and Management Technical University of Crete Chania, Greece nispanoudakis@tuc.gr Giorgos Giannakakis Biomedicine Laboratory Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas Heraklion, Greece ggian@ics.forth.gr Edward Duca Department of Mathematics and Science Education University of Malta Msida, Malta edward.duca@um.edu.mt Abstract—This article discusses the application of agile learning Scrum sprints targeted to K-12 primary education students using educational robotics. Educational robotics are a suitable tool for learning via experimentation, trial & error and retrial, which when inflicted in a form of game-play becomes pleasantly adopted by the students. This has been conducted by implementing carefully designed cumulative sprints which are repeating a certain agile learning process that breaks a larger problem into smaller parts/milestones, designing algorithms as to how to proceed step-by step towards solving the larger overall problem. This is done by evaluating and re-evaluating the progress of every step, until an outcome has been reached and reflected upon. The aforementioned process applies both and equally to tutors and students, individually and as team members, respectfully. Results of the application of agile learning in K-12 educational robotics demonstrate the ability of young K-12 students to cope and realize educational robotics construction, system understanding and algorithm design and implementation via Scratch 3 programming. Keywords—agile learning sprints, educational robotics, K-12 software engineering, Scrum, STEM education I. INTRODUCTION The work presented investigates the application of agile learning methodologies using sprints based on Scratch 3 programming language and WeDo 2.0 educational robotics, targeted at K-12 students in primary education. Standard teaching methods have emerged from excellent practices of the previous century [1]. These practices rely upon a unidirectional flow of information from the tutor to the students. The tutors are supplying knowledge to the students who act solely as receivers, reproducing and coping what is being taught. Traditional teaching methods are mainly governed by rather inflexible programs of study with set and often strict deadlines and evaluations only from the side of the teacher. The latest pandemic brought rise to an opportunity for most students, and parents alongside them, to obtain resources on information and communication technologies (ICT) along with access to the internet, which enabled them, from a very young age, to familiarize themselves with these technologies [2]. This abrupt adoption of distance learning in K-12 students’ life left little time to prepare for the transition   ,((( between these two modes of study. As a result, most of the learning on how to use ICT occurred mostly by trial and error. These benefits though, were not in vain and are now being carried along as skills by the students that are now returning in person to on-site school classes. Educational robotics provide a suitable [3] tool for continuing the learning process via experimentation, trial & error and retrial in a laboratory classroom environment. Should it be introduced in a form of guided game to play, it then becomes a pleasantly acceptable task gladly followed by the students [4]. This is conducted via the implementation of carefully designed agile sprints, working cumulatively to one another, that repeat the same agile learning process [5]. The Scrum-based agile process [6] focuses on: - breaking a wider problem into smaller parts and setting milestones, designing an algorithm for each smaller part working complementary towards solving the overall problem, - self- and team- evaluating and re-evaluating the progress of the solution on every step along the way, - reaching an outcome and reflecting upon it. This process applies the same both to students, who learn to self-evaluate their performance and the solutions they are working upon, as well as teachers, who are being required to adjust their teaching approaches on each agile sprint accordingly in order to meet not only the needs of the class as an overall but the needs of individual’s as well. Pinheiro et al. [7], show a holistic approach relating agile learning and educational robotics for teaching basic principles of software engineering to K-12 students. Evripidou et al. [3,8] show various tested platforms of educational robotics in order to assess the obtained agile learning outcomes emerging by the use of each platform. Tsalmpouris et al. [9] shows a low-cost framework regarding STEM education that uses open tools [10] in order to downsize the cost of agile learning with educational robotics in public primary schools. Kakaras et al. [11] shows an overall tool incorporating educational robotics for STEM education. Sophokleous et al. [12] shows that computer vision has been further added to agile educational robotics as a follow-on step for K-12 students who 2024 5th International Conference in Electronic Engineering, Information Technology & Education (EEITE) | 979-8-3503-7287-8/24/$31.00 ©2024 IEEE | DOI: 10.1109/EEITE61750.2024.10654428 Authorized licensed use limited to: Technical University of Crete. Downloaded on September 09,2024 at 20:09:34 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.