A STEM Robotics Workshop to Promote Computational Thinking Process of Pre-Engineering Students in Thailand: STEMRobot

Abstract

Engineering becomes significant in every aspect of our daily lives. To understand and learn engineering effectively, its foundation derives from the integration of multiple content subjects of science, technology, and mathematics. In Thailand, these topics are taught independently, making young students do not understand and apply the knowledge further. Furthermore, engineering education requires computational thinking skill to solve problems and create products logically. Therefore, this paper proposes a robotics training workshop to promote computational thinking process for pre-engineering students. The workshop activities, including labs, tasks, and competition are developed based on STEM strategy to provide meaningful, engaging learning environment bonding relevant knowledge in robotics performance. After analyzing collected data from questionnaires and interview, it was found that the pre-engineering students could enhance robotics performance, where their computational thinking process was promoted through its component of logical thinking, problem-solving and creative thinking. Interestingly, the high-robotics performance students could solve robotics problems more logically with creativity than the other group.