Tae-Hee Kim, Moon-Seol Kang, Journal of Internet Computing and Services, Vol. 11, No. 4, pp. 159-0, Aug. 2010
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Keywords: LEGO Mindstorms, Mindstorms Robots, Programming Novices, Programming Education, Learning Effect

Abstract

It is difficult for us to teach the introduction course of programming to beginners just starting their college life. What is particularly hard to do is to provide them with learning motivation so that the freshmen can be easily and rapidly adapted to programming work and to enhance their will to learn. In this paper, we suggest a method to apply LEGO Mindstorms robot to the introduction course of programming in purpose to allow programming beginners to be motivated and have higher will to learn so that they can receive programming education easily and joyfully. This paper attempts to find reasonable methods for improvement which can help programming beginners to be motivated and encouraged to learn in the course of C programming education and can facilitate learning effects as well, and conducts education using LEGO Mindstorms robot as a way to solve problems like students' low interest or will to learn. According to the result of providing the freshmen with the introduction course of C programming to which the suggested method was applied, it was found that their academic achievement in programming education enhanced through their increased motivation and will to learn programming. This result shows that students' interest, motivation, and will to learn the subject are statistically significant improvement through the course that employs LEGO Mindstorms robot.

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