Educational Robotics as a Pedagogical Resource for Students with Learning Difficulties
Educational Robotics, Learning Difficulty, Learning Disorder
The application of Educational Robotics in the teaching-learning process of children with learning difficulties (or disorders) is the focus of our investigation. To identify these applications, we conducted a systematic review, in which we did a general search of articles and dissertations in conferences and journals, using a defined set of keywords that covered the most known learning problems and that also met the keyword educational robotics. From these initial papers, we selected a narrower set of papers that are strictly related to our topic, following a defined set of criteria. We did a more in-depth analysis of these papers, including several issues, not only related to learning difficulties. We arrived at an initial set of 50 papers, from which our detailed analysis carried out 14 contributions. Subsequently, to contribute to our quali-quanti research methodology, we adopted a questionnaire as a data collection instrument, in which we initially provided a form with questions for students, teachers and monitors who have educational robotics activities in public schools in the municipality of Natal, Brazil. We observed a growth in the use of robotics in education. However, students with learning difficulties or disorders are in educational institutions, but not included in robotics activities. Nonetheless, after compiling the forms, we came up with some interesting results, which verify the possibility of application with positive results. This is an important step towards showing the importance of educational robotics for doctors and educators, who are professionals who play an important role in this process, especially for children with learning difficulties or disorders. Together with roboticists who have been developing methodologies with cutting-edge techniques and materials, they are making educational robotics a very useful resource to improve the teaching-learning process.