Ozobots are small robotic devices that are programmed using colour-coded lines on a track or an online visual coding system called Ozoblockly (Balaton et al., 2020). The robot’s two different approaches to programming make them a valuable tool for teaching programming and coding in the Digital Technologies content strand from the Science and Technology syllabus throughout primary schooling (NSW Education Standards Authority [NESA], 2017). Furthermore, educators can use Ozobot as resources in other key learning areas to spark novel and innovative approaches to familiar tasks amongst students while building their confidence using technology beyond the the Science and Technology syllabus.
There is a consensus amongst most academics that creativity involves students developing unique ideas and approaches that are suitable for the task (Beghetto & Kaufman, 2013). Once students are familiar with how to operate Ozobots, incorporating them into lessons in unexpected ways encourages students to experiment with unorthodox applications of the technology. Consequently, students undertake “exploratory creativity” in Boden’s (2004, p. 8) model of creativity by using the Ozobots innovatively, within their current understanding of the technology’s capabilities.
For example, in a stage three English lesson where students are asked to create a persuasive video that convinces early stage one students to recycle their juice bottles from the canteen at recess, offering Ozobots and Ozoblockly as tools encourages students to think creatively about their audience and the functions of a Ozobot (NESA, 2012). Students may approach the task by dressing up their Ozobots and creating a theatrical performance displaying the consequences of not recycling or by writing a persuasive speech and using a voice-over to give the appearance that the Ozobots are speaking. Not only does this lesson develop students’ confidence with other digital technologies, such as video and voice recording, it encourages students to develop original ways to make their text engaging with their specific target audience in mind (NESA, 2012)
However, accessibility is a significant complication as purchasing Ozobots requires large financial investment from the school or educator, meaning it would also be challenging to give each group of students access to multiple Ozobots simultaneously for their lesson. It is also essential that students are not given physical access to their Ozobot until they have completed a plan for their video, except for groups who need to quickly test the Ozobot’s capacity to complete a specific task, so that students are meeting the learning outcomes in the English syllabus.
Overall, when meaningfully incorporated into lessons, Ozobots encourage students to experiment with original approaches to present their content and skill learning, even outside of the Science and Technology syllabus (NESA, 2017).
References
Balaton, Da Silva, L. F., & Carvalho, P. S. (2020). Teaching kinematics with OZOBOT: a
proposal to help improve student’s graph interpretation skills. Physics Education, 55(5), 55009–. https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6552/ab97a4
Beghetto, R. A., & Kaufman, J. C. (2013). Fundamentals of creativity. Educational
leadership, 70(5), 10-15.
Boden, M. A. (2004). The creative mind: Myths and mechanisms. Routledge. English K-10 syllabus : NSW syllabus for the Australian curriculum. (2012). Board of
Studies NSW.
Science and Technology K-6 Syllabus. (2017). NSW Education Standards Authority.
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