Student Engagement with Trainable SmartMotor Technology
Tomassetti, Olivia
2022
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This research was conducted in order to design, develop, and test a new trainable, educational technology called a SmartMotor. The goal of the SmartMotor is to increase access to introductory topics of robotics, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and programming for elementary and middle school students and teachers. Our hope is that the SmartMotor will also encourage solution diversity (multiple ... read moresolutions to the same problem) and help strengthen creativity in the classroom. In this paper, I explain the development of the SmartMotor and the initial testing that was done to determine how students interacted with the device, whether they enjoyed using the device, and whether they understood the training capabilities of the device during a design challenge. We tested the SmartMotor with eight participants in 3rd - 5th grade at Thinkery, a children's museum in Austin, Texas, and found that the students enjoyed using the SmartMotors and were intrigued by the SmartMotors' movements. The participants produced a diversity of projects using the SmartMotor; however, many participants implemented the SmartMotor's movement for the same purpose: to hit a ball. Additionally, it was clear that some, but not all, of the students understood the training abilities of the device. These findings will influence future testing of the SmartMotor and help us to improve implementations of the device in classrooms.
Thesis (B.S.M.E.)--Tufts University, 2022.
Submitted to the Dept. of Mechanical Engineering.
Advisor: Chris Rogers.
Committee: Chris Rogers, Ethan Danahy, Kristen Wendell, and Milan Dahal.read less - ID:
- 0z709b23k
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