Three weeks of intense robot-filled days are over, and I'm back in hazy, hot and humid Lancaster County. What was my takeaway?

My main takeaway is that I'm more a believer than ever in learning by doing. Obviously, there are some topics in Lego robotics that require more of a traditional approach (I'm thinking mainly of variables and data wires here). But for the most part, the main learning occurred when I laid out a challenge for the students and let them come up with their own ways to meet it.

For instance, we had the speed incline challenge. They had to construct and program a robot vehicle that could climb a slight incline, stop at the top, and do it with the fastest time. So construction was a balancing act between building for speed and torque. Along the way, I did a little bit of "lecturing" about gears and gear ratios. Students had to experiment with various combinations to see what worked best. They then also had to work with differing weights on their vehicles -- too light vs too heavy.

Then, of course, they had to figure out how to stop their vehicle at the end of the course. Most opted for a touch sensor at the front of the vehicle, an excellent choice.

What I love about a challenge like this is that there is no right answer. The combination of variables means there are many solutions. Thus, even though we're dealing with math and science concepts (programming, engineering, etc), they are forced to think creatively. And the fact that they worked in pairs meant that they also learned a lot about collaborative learning -- how to negotiate, how to listen, how to disagree without being disagreeable, how to work together for a common goal...

It's 21st century learning at its best.