Creative teaching at CONEL – working with LEGO to provide a pivotal introduction to robotics

Teachers at CONEL think outside the box to provide a practical robotics session for Level 3 Access to Higher Education Students

This term, students on the Digital Technologies and Computer Science – Level 3 Access to Higher Education Diploma at The College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London (CONEL) have been exploring the world of robotics. To help them prepare for an upcoming assignment, teachers set up an engaging and interactive robotics session using LEGO to sharpen students’ problem-solving and critical thinking abilities.

The group of 13 students were set a challenge of building a variety of projects using LEGO robotics kids, which involved working with motion, sensors and sounds. The hands-on session allowed them to become better acquainted with basic robotics concepts and fostered a practical understanding of mechanical design and programming.

Emine Uysal, one of the Digital Technologies and Computer Science students, said: “It was an engaging and enjoyable way to introduce us to a topic we have not gone over before.” Another student, Shayan Joyevni said: “It was a fun experience to get an idea of what we are going to do in coming weeks.”

The students used Scratch programming language, which provides a visual programming environment offering accessibility and ease of use. During the exercise, students were able to code and control the movements of their LEGO robots by applying their theoretical knowledge.

This engaging and creative session incorporated a combination of mechanics and programming competencies. In addition to building the project, students also had to program the robots to detect obstacles and prevent collisions using motors and sensors.

The students’ reaction to the session was incredibly positive. Paule Sandrine Massacdo Simo said: “I enjoyed the session because the focus was on problem-solving. This involved following instructions whilst paying attention to details to get the appropriate result.”

The session encouraged students to draw on and develop a wide range of skills such as:

• Engineering and mechanical design
• Programming and computational thinking
• Creativity and innovation
• Teamwork and collaboration
• Critical thinking and analysis
• Adaptability and learning from failure
• Attention to detail

“It was an engaging and enjoyable way to introduce us to a topic we have not gone over before.”

We offer a wide range of Access to Higher Education Diplomas, covering everything from Applied Science to Policing. These Level 3 qualifications can prepare students without A Levels for university study, and offer a widely accepted and well-established pathway to higher education courses.

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