Using Ozobots to hone primary school problem-solving skills

On Wednesday, 20th June, the ADAPT Centre hosted the first of the pilot workshops for Primary Schools. Fourth class students at St. Brigid’s GNS used their problem-solving skills to code Ozobot robots.

The students coded the small robot’s movements using coloured markers, then applied that knowledge to create a unique race circuit for the robots to trace.

ADAPT are delighted to bring these workshops to Irish primary schools. Speaking about the pilot programme, Education and Public Engagement Officer Colm O’Hehir said  “At primary level, we aim to foster students’ interest in and excitement for problem-solving. Ozobots offer a fun and interactive way for primary school kids to engage with problem-solving through simple coding and robotics.”

Ozobots are frequently used in educational settings to encourage student engagement with the STEM field. They can be elaborately programmed or more simply by specific patterns of colour which the bots scan through sensors on their underside. The colour coding method prescribes unique sequences of red, black, green, and blue with different actions the bot can take. In the first ADAPT workshop, students learned how to code for straight, left, and right turn movements then tasked to complete a circuit which would direct the device to all the Easter egg stickers placed in pit stops as quickly as possible.

These workshops are an extension of ADAPT’s Education and Public Engagement objectives specifically focused on primary school students. The Centre frequently hosts seminars and public events through the Outreach Opportunities programme of the EPE to teach students and citizens the vital skills necessary for effective interaction with the evolving digital world.

ADAPT will be rolling out this workshop series in the new school year. If you are interested in hosting a workshop at your school, please contact colm.ohehir@adaptcentre.ie