Teaching the M in STEM with Robotics: Exploring Understanding by Design for Curriculum Development to Teach Math Concepts Using Robotics

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education has been at the forefront of national education policies and school reform for the past several decades, and the continual advances in technology and educational research bring new methods of STEM learning. Educational robotics have been introduced to the classroom space as a tool to teach STEM concepts. Research has found that robotics helps students learn STEM concepts and fosters a positive attitude toward STEM subjects. However, there is little research on the curriculum used to teach STEM concepts via robotics, and more specifically, trying to teach mathematical concepts. In this paper, I apply my knowledge and practice of teaching mathematical concepts via robotics—both as a former classroom and collegiate mathematics teacher as well as a current Director of Instructional Technology for VEX Robotics—to evaluate curriculum. Using Understanding by Design as the theoretical framework for curriculum development, I assess how this framework guides robotics curriculum to address math concepts specifically. The elements analyzed were: essential questions, understandings, and assessment evidence. As educational robotics becomes increasingly integrated into classrooms, it is necessary to evaluate the curriculum that is created to apply said robotics, and how pedagogical frameworks serve the goal of integrated STEM learning. This analysis can then be used to help guide further research and development of STEM curriculum, particularly curriculum that focuses on teaching mathematical concepts using robotics.