The Institute For Personal Robots In Education (IPRE) Tucker Balch Associate Professor College of Computing at Georgia Tech Stewart Tansley Program Manager Microsoft Research Tucker Balch Associate Professor College of Computing at Georgia Tech Stewart Tansley Program Manager Microsoft Research

Contents Attraction and retention in CS Microsoft’s motivation and role A program for addressing the challenge The Institute for Personal Robots in Education Background -- Context for CS & Threads Program overview The robots Discussion Attraction and retention in CS Microsoft’s motivation and role A program for addressing the challenge The Institute for Personal Robots in Education Background -- Context for CS & Threads Program overview The robots Discussion

Computer Science In Decline Computer Science Listed As Probable Major Among Incoming Freshman Source: HERI at UCLA

Microsoft Program Vision Partner with academia to bring measurable gains in Computer Science enrollment & retention through the deployment of compelling robotics-based technologies in CS1/CS2 curriculum

Institute Concept Concerted, focused applied research effort Leverage best contemporary technologies and approaches Target CS1/CS2 specifically 3-year program, $1M from Microsoft Use this to establish a center of excellence in robotics-based education Mutually select a partner from a pre-qualified invited list of potential hosts, using an augmented form of MSR’s proven Request For Proposals program Concerted, focused applied research effort Leverage best contemporary technologies and approaches Target CS1/CS2 specifically 3-year program, $1M from Microsoft Use this to establish a center of excellence in robotics-based education Mutually select a partner from a pre-qualified invited list of potential hosts, using an augmented form of MSR’s proven Request For Proposals program

The Institute For Personal Robots In Education (IPRE) Hosted at the College of Computing at Georgia Tech, with Bryn Mawr College

The Institute The Institute for Personal Robots in Education July 12 announcement Hosted at Georgia Tech with Bryn Mawr College $1M over 3 years, $1M matching funds Goal: To develop a proven, practical, reliable, cost-effective robot technology platform for teaching CS, targeted at CS1/CS2 The Institute for Personal Robots in Education July 12 announcement Hosted at Georgia Tech with Bryn Mawr College $1M over 3 years, $1M matching funds Goal: To develop a proven, practical, reliable, cost-effective robot technology platform for teaching CS, targeted at CS1/CS2

The Institute Tucker Balch, Director Doug Blank, Software Mark Guzdial, Curricula Deepak Kumar, Curricula Tucker Balch, Director Doug Blank, Software Mark Guzdial, Curricula Deepak Kumar, Curricula

Background: Teaching CS At GT As of 1999: All GT students must take CS-1 Many take CS-1 and CS students per year Problems: 28% WDF rate (50% for non-CS majors) Solution: Context & Choice Computational Media (Guzdial) Engineering/Matlab (Smith) As of 1999: All GT students must take CS-1 Many take CS-1 and CS students per year Problems: 28% WDF rate (50% for non-CS majors) Solution: Context & Choice Computational Media (Guzdial) Engineering/Matlab (Smith)

Impact Of Context WDF rate 16% for non-majors 1 year later: 20% of non-major students report programming outside class Students who move to CS major perform as well as “regular” CS students WDF rate 16% for non-majors 1 year later: 20% of non-major students report programming outside class Students who move to CS major perform as well as “regular” CS students

New: Threads CS Curriculum Computing & Computational Modeling Computing & Embodiment Computing & Foundations Computing & Information Internetworks Computing & Intelligence Computing & Media Computing & People Computing & Platforms Computing & Computational Modeling Computing & Embodiment Computing & Foundations Computing & Information Internetworks Computing & Intelligence Computing & Media Computing & People Computing & Platforms

New: New joint Computing and Engineering research center ~30 faculty, +2 / year Henrik Christensen, Director Endowed chair: KUKA Robotics Robotics PhD program 2007 New joint Computing and Engineering research center ~30 faculty, +2 / year Henrik Christensen, Director Endowed chair: KUKA Robotics Robotics PhD program 2007

Robots For CS Education Our proposal is not to create a set of introductory robotics courses... but to create a set of introductory computer science courses using robots that reveal the fundamental concepts of computer science Our proposal is not to create a set of introductory robotics courses... but to create a set of introductory computer science courses using robots that reveal the fundamental concepts of computer science

Elements Of Our Plan Novel robots for the student’s desktop Curricula: Robotics context for CS1 and CS2 Pyro/Myro: educational robotics software platform Evaluation using proven assessment instruments Broad dissemination Communicating the message Novel robots for the student’s desktop Curricula: Robotics context for CS1 and CS2 Pyro/Myro: educational robotics software platform Evaluation using proven assessment instruments Broad dissemination Communicating the message

Element: Robots Recall the PC. Meet the PR. Every student with her own robot. Design goals: Inexpensive Reliable “Brainless” Recall the PC. Meet the PR. Every student with her own robot. Design goals: Inexpensive Reliable “Brainless”

Element: Curricula “Use robots to reveal the fundamental issues in computer science” This is a research problem We have roadmap pioneered by Mark Guzdial “Use robots to reveal the fundamental issues in computer science” This is a research problem We have roadmap pioneered by Mark Guzdial

Element: CS Teaching Laboratories Four diverse universities: Georgia Institute of Technology; Bryn Mawr College; Georgia State University; The University of Georgia Four diverse universities: Georgia Institute of Technology; Bryn Mawr College; Georgia State University; The University of Georgia

Element: Software The Microsoft Robotics SDK. Visual Studio Pyro/Myro: the leading educational robotics software platform The Microsoft Robotics SDK. Visual Studio Pyro/Myro: the leading educational robotics software platform

Element: Evaluation Substantial experience with media- based CS education Test deployments at 4 universities Proven assessment instruments Substantial experience with media- based CS education Test deployments at 4 universities Proven assessment instruments

Element: Dissemination Initial deployment at 4 partner universities Two workshops for broader audience Textbooks Initial deployment at 4 partner universities Two workshops for broader audience Textbooks

The Robots

Challenges/Tradeoffs High cost: Insurmountable obstacle for some schools Come to the lab, check out a robot…. Doesn’t scale Compile, download and run: Increases cost Decreases understandability Build the robot: Requires support infrastructure Reduces reliability Intimidates some people High cost: Insurmountable obstacle for some schools Come to the lab, check out a robot…. Doesn’t scale Compile, download and run: Increases cost Decreases understandability Build the robot: Requires support infrastructure Reduces reliability Intimidates some people

Our Approach Low cost Reliable: Simple hardware; Microsoft Robotics SDK. Easy: “Brainless;” Leverages the Microsoft desktop Low cost Reliable: Simple hardware; Microsoft Robotics SDK. Easy: “Brainless;” Leverages the Microsoft desktop

Two Robots

CS1 Robot Bluetooth + PIC 2 x wheels & motors 1 x actuator Sensors Buttons, LEDs Speaker Assembly, packaging Bluetooth + PIC 2 x wheels & motors 1 x actuator Sensors Buttons, LEDs Speaker Assembly, packaging $30-- $20-- $10-- $15-- $5-- $10--

Example Lesson A program is a sequence of steps to execute: Forward(10) Right(90) Forward(10) Right(90) Forward(10) Right(90) Forward(10) Right(90) A program is a sequence of steps to execute: Forward(10) Right(90) Forward(10) Right(90) Forward(10) Right(90) Forward(10) Right(90)

Example Lesson Iteration: For(I=1; I<=4; I++) Forward(10) Right(90) Iteration: For(I=1; I<=4; I++) Forward(10) Right(90)

CS2 Robot Arm and camera

Any Questions?

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