Robots from junk and Computational Thinking

A recent presentation as part of the Department of Computing and Immersive Technologies, University of Northampton Research Seminar series, looking a on going project within the Department.

Junkbots has been a ongoing and ever evolving project since 2009 around the use of 'junk' as part of activities to developing skills in STEM subjects. In particular in the presentation (below) shows the links between these activities and Computational Thinking were discussed.

Junkbots and computational thinking from Scott Turner

All views are those of the author and should not be seen as the views of any organisation the author is associated with.

Problem-solving publications

Examples of work on problem-solving as part of computational thinking.

• Problems first second and third (Gary Hill, Scott J Turner), In International Journal of Quality Assurance in Engineering and Technology Education (IJQAETE), volume 3, pp. 88--109, 2014. [university repository]
• Greenfoot in problem solving and artificial intelligence (Scott J Turner), In 10th China-Europe International Symposium on Software Engineering Education (CEISEE), 2014. [university repository]
• • Junkbots (Scott J Turner), In Higher Education Academy Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (HEA STEM) Annual Learning and Teaching Conference 2013: Where Practice and Pedagogy Meet, 2013. [university repository]
• • Is it visual? The importance of a problem solving module within a computing course (K A Kariyawasam, Scott J Turner, Gary Hill), In Computer Education, volume 10, pp. 9--11, 2012. [university repository]
• • Problems first (Gary Hill, Scott J Turner), In Software Industry-Oriented Education Practices and Curriculum Development: Experiences and Lessons, Matthew Hussey, Bing Wu, Xu Xiaofei (eds.), IGI Global, Hershey Pa., pp. 110--126, 2011. [university repository]
  • Is it visual? Problem solving evaluation (K Kariyawasam, Scott J Turner), In Learning Global - Fourth Learning \& Teaching Conference, 2011. [university repository]
• • Innovative use of robots and graphical programming in software education (Scott J Turner, Gary Hill), In 6th China-Europe International Symposium on Software Industry Oriented Education (CEISIE2010), 2010. [university repository]
• • Robots in problem solving in programming (Scott J Turner, Gary Hill, Jonathan P Adams), In Higher Education Academy Subject Centre for Information and Computer Sciences 9th 1-day Teaching of Programming Workshop, 2009. [university repository] 
• • Problem solving and creativity for undergraduate computing and engineering students: the use of robots as a developmental tool (Jonathan P Adams, Scott J Turner), In Creating Contemporary Student Learning Environments, 2008.[university repository]
  • Robots and problem solving (Scott J Turner, Jonathan P Adams), In 9th Annual Conference of the Subject Centre for Information and Computer Sciences, Higher Education Academy Subject Centre for Information and Computer Sciences, Newtownabbey, pp. 16, 2008. [university repository]
  • Problem solving and creativity for undergraduate engineers: process or product? (Jonathan P Adams, Scott J Turner), InEE2008 - the International Conference on Innovation Good Practice and Research in Engineering Education Conference Proceedings, Higher Education Academy, Loughborough, 2008. [university repository]
  • Problem solving and creativity for undergraduate engineers: findings of an action research project involving robots(Jonathan P Adams, Scott J Turner, Stefan Kaczmarczyk, Philip Picton, P Demian), In International Conference on Engineering Education (ICEE 2008) - New Challenges in Engineering Education and Research in the 21st Century, International Network for Engineering Education \& Research (iNEER), 2008. [university repository]
  • Robotics within the teaching of problem-solving (Scott J Turner, Gary Hill), In ITALICS, volume 7, pp. 108--119, 2008.[university repository]
• • Developing problem-solving teaching materials based upon Microsoft Robotics Studio (Scott J Turner), In Innovative Teaching Development Fund Dissemination Day, 2007. [university repository]
  • Developing problem-solving teaching material based upon Microsoft Robotics Studio (Scott J Turner), In Proceedings of 8th Annual Conference of the Subject Centre for Information and Computer Sciences, Information and Computer Sciences (ICS) Subject Centre, Ulster, pp. 151, 2007. [university repository]
  • Innovative Teaching Development Fund project 2007 progress report. (Scott J Turner), In missing booktitle, 2007. [university repository]
  • Development Fund project 2006-2007 progress report. (Scott J Turner), In missing booktitle, 2007. [university repository]
  • Robots in problem-solving and programming (Scott J Turner, Gary Hill), In Proceedings of 8th Annual Conference of the Subject Centre for Information and Computer Sciences, Higher Education Academy Information and Computer Sciences Centre, Ulster, pp. 82--85, 2007. [university repository]
  • Improving problem solving and encouraging creativity in engineering undergraduates (Jonathan P Adams, Stefan Kaczmarczyk, Philip Picton, P Demian), In Proceedings of the International Conference on Engineering Education, Springer, New York, 2007. [university repository]
• • The inclusion of robots within the teaching of problem solving - preliminary results (Scott J Turner, Gary Hill), In 7th Annual Conference of the Subject Centre for Information and Computer Sciences, Hazel Steede (eds.), Higher Education Academy Subject Network for Information and Computer Sciences, Dublin, pp. 241--242, 2006. [university repository]

All views are those of the author and should not be seen as the views of any organisation the author is associated with.

Raspberry Pi Junkbot - Home

Raspberry Pi Junkbot - Home: A new website providing more information of the Raspberry Pi Junkbot project (combining Raspberry Pi, Scratch programming and junk). This will be added to as the  project develops.





At the moment it includes

- Introduction

-Discussion about the robot controller card

-ScratchGPIO

- Example of the drawing bot.

All views are those of the author and should not be seen as the views of any organisation the author is associated with.