1 Computer supported educational robotics projects in a distance context

Abstract We have been interested for several years in learning science in the field of educational robotics. Our work has been more particularly directed towards the study and development of learning environments based on modular micro-robots which can be driven by a computer. We feel that it is interesting to study educational robotics for a distance learning context. However, it needs to be study carefully in order to be well adapted to this learning situation. Indeed, links which were easily formed between students in a classroom will no longer be created so naturally. So that the students are not isolated in this new distance context, our main center of interest will be to take into account the social aspect of learning. In this way, we suggest organizing a project-based learning activity where students work in teams, each team being made up of students at a distance involved in the same project. In order to support distance project-based learning in the field of educational robotics, we designed and developed a computer environment called SPLACH that we have experiment with distance learners. Index Terms collaborative distance learning, educational robotics, project based learning, robot competitio