Educational robotics is a way of learning that uses robots and electronic parts to help children and teens develop new skills.
The Rwanda Basic Education Board (REB) is considering the likelihood of including educational robotics courses into the national curriculum, according to the Acting Head of the ICT in Education Department, Diane Uwasenga Sengati.
Educational robotics is a way of learning that uses robots and electronic parts to help children and teens develop new skills. It brings together different subjects to make learning more interesting and fun.
Speaking to The New Times, Sengati said that REB initiated a feasibility study, with a plan to pilot the teaching of the educational robotics course in select schools to assess its viability before potential inclusion in the curriculum.
"We are going to test with a few schools so that next year, the robotics course will be in the curriculum. We are looking at what it will take us as well as designing the curriculum," she said.
"We will collaborate with select classes exempt from national exams to avoid disrupting students during the pilot phase."
Sengati said that they are involving private education technology (Edtech) experts in the feasibility study and for consultancy.
"We are also collaborating with GiZ and the Ministry of ICT and Innovation (MINICT) as partners. The project will assess various educational levels, including primary, secondary, and TVET, to determine suitable collaborators for implementation in schools."
Sengati emphasised that the goal is to test whether the inclusion of robotics in education can enhance students' studies and align with their academic pursuits.
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Potential for enhancing students' learning
According to Sengati, the robotics course has the potential to provide students with hands-on skills, enable practical application of subjects such as physics, math, and ICT, and foster problem-solving and critical thinking skills, among other advantages.
Jean-Claude Tuyisenge, the Managing Director of New Generation Academy, a school that has been teaching educational robotics as well as coding as core subjects since 2021.
They partnered with Rwanda Coding Academy to develop a curriculum, adding that since the inception, their students have been doing great in competitions, often outperforming high school and junior high students. Their students learn coding and robotics from grade 1, preparing them for digital transformation and understanding the world's technology.
Tuyisenge said: "Teaching robotics has helped students better understand abstract subjects like math, physics, and chemistry. The aim is to make these pure sciences more tangible by applying them practically in robotics projects."
Regarding REB's initiative to introduce robotics education courses in schools, Tuyisenge said the initiative is crucial for preparing the new generation for emerging technologies.
"The emerging technologies represent the direction the world is headed. Therefore, we must prepare the young generation for the challenges and opportunities they present," he said.
New Generation Academy is extending its programme to support the growth of robotics education in Rwanda and, he noted, looks forward to continuing its efforts in providing ongoing support.
