Gizmo Glider. Bubblecups the Fairy. Cuboid. McPlowerson… No, not the names of characters from the latest fantasy TV show for kids, but the names given by Middle School students at St Kilda Road to the robots they built and programmed for their Robotics class.
Robotics at Wesley is an enrichment program offered to students with strong kinetic, abstract or spatial reasoning, based on ability testing.
‘This year we had 21 students from Years 7 to 9 take classes once a week. We also had a few who coded in their own time,’ says Joey Clapper, who coordinates the Enrichment program.
The students worked together in small teams to design, engineer and program a robot that can autonomously navigate an obstacle course to rescue a ‘victim’. They go on to participate in the 'Rescue Line' part of the RoboCup Junior Australia competition, which brings together hundreds of students from schools across Victoria. ‘
'Beginning Robotics, you’re kind of thrown into the deep end, but in a good way,’ says Natalie (Year 7). ‘We started with building and then programming… you have to figure out a lot for yourself, so I think common sense is a big factor.’
‘Yes, robotics helps to build engineering and coding skills, but also requires a high level of problem solving,’ says Joey.
There’s another key skill the students readily nominate as well. ‘Teamwork’s extremely important. If we don't have it, the robot won't move very well. If you collaborate, you make a good robot,’ says Natalie. Lenny from Year 7 agrees: ‘I feel like mostly it's teamwork, as well as persistence and creativity.’
