Educational Robotics and Physical Education: body and movement in learning laterality in Early Childhood Education

Abstract

This research aims to analyze how Robotics in Education can contribute to the development of laterality in children from age four to six. This study has an applied nature with exploratory and explanatory objectives, and it is part of a broader research that focuses on articulating theoretical aspects necessary for early childhood education using a practical approach - robotics in education. A survey was conducted starting from the skills described in the Brazilian National Common Curriculum Base (BNCC) and by identifying concepts that need to be explored in early childhood education. The starting point was the reading of a children’s book that had a dog as its main character. From this reading, possibilities for movements related to the development of body image were developed in the physical education class, especially the notion of lateral dominance and laterality. After that, it was developed an articulated robotic dog, which focused on exploring issues related to laterality. The robot was made on a 3D printer, using the Arduino platform and some electronic components for movement and communication. The robot communicates with the cell phone via an application developed using the App Inventor tool. Based on the experiments, it can be concluded that the robotic artifact, in line with the motor experiences offered in physical education classes, enabled the exploration of knowledge related to the awareness of one’s own body, affirmation of lateral dominance, as well as, the structuring of laterality, fundamental for the development of cognitive and learning.