Publications

This paper presents design, implementation, and evaluation of a novel virtual-physical summer Robotics camp for 7th-12th grade students offered by the Manufacturing and Technology Resource Consortium (MTRC) at Stony Brook University during the COVID-19 pandemic*. The MTRC is New York state’s Empire State Development’s Regional Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) center for the Long Island region. While this program had been offered in person in 2018 and 2019, in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic, it was offered online only using a virtual- physical robotics platform. The modality of this platform consisted of a novel hardware kit, which was shipped to students in advance, a web-based robot motion design software, and a curriculum which brought the hardware and software together. This paper presents a study on the feasibility and accessibility of this program and its effectiveness in engaging students and exposing them to key robotics concepts while helping them make suitable career decisions. The pre- and post- program surveys indicated that the students’ interest in a STEM field increased as a result of this camp, helped them understand that robotics is much more than just programming, and taught them mechanical design, practical electronics, and microcontroller programming in a flipped and experiential learning format. Moreover, survey results also indicated an attitudinal shift in their decision making based on the knowledge, skills, and capabilities that they acquired in the camp.