Robotics in the Context of Primary and Preschool Education: A Scoping Review

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Abstract
This paper presents an overview of Educational Robotics (ER) in primary and pre-school education. As ER seems to be gaining popularity for its effectiveness as a learning tool, more research needs to be done in this area. Recent results from ER pilot projects advocate for the integration of ER in K-12 education curricula. On the other hand, teachers may face various difficulties in carrying out such activities due to lack of experience or knowledge in this field. Previous research has shown that ER is still an open field for exploration. Even though an increasing number of experiences are available for the use of robotic tools in early education, there is not enough empirical evidence on the features they need to present for young learners to perceive them as attractive and easy to use. In addition, the high cost of some tools may prevent educational institutions from using them systematically. To detect possible gaps in the current research, in the context of this work, 21 articles that have been published between 2011-2021 and represent ER applications and frameworks were collected and reviewed. The results of this study demonstrate that ER can be a valuable tool for supporting primary and pre-school students. However, the review supports that more research is needed on the technical features that a robotic tool must have to be successfully introduced to students of this age. Moreover, future work is needed to develop low-cost educational robotic tools so they can become more accessible to educational institutions.

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