{"51197":{"#nid":"51197","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech, Bryn Mawr College and Microsoft Fund New Curriculum Using Personal Robots at 28 Schools","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EInstitute for Personal Robotics in Education Shares Successful Recipe for Attracting Students to Computer Science\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EATLANTA (August 6, 2008)\u2014Through the Institute for Personal Robots in Education (IPRE)\u2014a partnership between Georgia Tech College of Computing, Bryn Mawr College and Microsoft Research\u201428 high schools and universities are being provided the opportunity to enhance their introductory Computer Science curriculum using personal robots as a context for teaching foundational computing skills. Winners will share $250,000 and receive paperback book-sized robots called Scribblers, enhanced with special IPRE hardware technology, along with the IPRE software and class text.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAwards were presented to schools whose goals closely matched IPRE\u2019s mission. Additional grant criteria included the technical quality of the proposed program, chances for successful implementation and potential to support students in groups that are not traditionally well represented in computing.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMany students, especially non-majors, used to think Computer Science was boring, and now they love it. We found that bringing personal robots into the classroom creates a dynamic context for learning the foundations of Computer Science and makes computing a more social and creative activity,\u201d said Dr. Tucker Balch, director of IPRE and professor of interactive computing at the Georgia Tech College of Computing. \u201cDuring a time of declining student interest in science and technology, our goal is to get as many schools as possible to adopt the curriculum and help reverse that trend.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe award winners are: Arkansas Tech University, Austin College, Brooklyn College, Canisius College, Fayetteville State University, Florida Virtual School, Georgia State University, Haddonfield Memorial High School, Hammond School, Harvey Mudd College, Indiana University, Ithaca College, Olin University, Park University, Phillips Exeter Academy, Presbyterian College, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rollins College, Rowan University, St. Xavier University, Stetson University, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Texas Tech University, University of Delaware, University of Georgia, University of Minnesota \u2013 Morris, University of Minnesota \u2013 Twin Cities and University of Tennessee. Fifty-five universities, colleges and high schools in the U.S. and abroad applied for the funding.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Robots are a compelling way to stimulate students and spark their imaginations to consider the endless possibilities of careers in Computer Science,\u0022 said Dr. Stewart Tansley, senior program manager at Microsoft Research. \u0022With these awards, our continued partnership with Georgia Tech and Bryn Mawr College, and new technologies such as the Microsoft Robotics Developer Studio, we hope to accelerate the broad development of robotics programs, making computer science more immediate, relevant and significant for students and professors everywhere.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIPRE was created in 2006 to reinvigorate Computer Science through robotics. Today\u2019s awards were made possible through a gift from Microsoft Research.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo date, results from IPRE\u2019s work have proven the draw of personal robots as a way to attract students to degrees and careers in computing. In fall 2007, more than 400 students at Georgia Tech chose to enroll in the robotics-based courses, which showed a higher pass rate than the traditional programming course. In surveys, students in the robotics-based courses reported that they were more excited about computers than before, liked working with the robots and had spent extra time on at least one homework assignment because they \u201cthought it was cool.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAt Bryn Mawr, a liberal arts college for women, the enrollment of upper level Computer Science classes has more than quadrupled since introducing the robot in the first course,\u201d a sign that students are staying in the field beyond the introduction.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We have found that students are really enjoying and learning using the personal robot in the classroom.  It\u0027s interactive, engaging and fun. Our numbers of majors and students in Computer Science is at a record high. This is especially encouraging since women have traditionally been underrepresented in the field  We hope that these awards can help other institutions make a difference in exploring robots in education,\u0022 said Prof. Doug Blank, co-director of IPRE and chair of the Computer Science Department at Bryn Mawr College.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWinners of the grant may adopt the curricula, software and text developed by IPRE, which is now used in about half the introductory Computer Science classes at Georgia Tech, or they can adapt their own. Any school can buy the enhanced Scribblers used at Georgia Tech and Bryn Mawr College\u2014an upgraded version of an off-the-shelf product-- which cost about the same as a typical introductory computer science textbook, are made of blue molded plastic equipped with three wheels, two motors, light sensors and a speaker. They contain a circuit board that allows for more complex programming, a camera and wireless connectivity so students can program and control the robots from their computers. Scribblers are packaged with the software and the class text.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAbout The Institute for Personal Robots in Education\u003Cbr \/\u003EFounded in 2006 and sponsored by Microsoft Research, the Institute for Personal Robots in Education was designed to reinvigorate undergraduate computer science curriculum by delivering robotics technology tailored to education and by applying and evaluating robotics for teaching purposes. At Georgia Tech, IPRE is associated with Robotics and the College of Computing. At Bryn Mawr College, IPRE is associated with the Computer Science Department. For more information about IPRE, please visit \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.roboteducation.org\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/www.roboteducation.org\/\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAbout the Georgia Tech College of Computing\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Georgia Tech College of Computing is a national leader in the creation of real-world computing breakthroughs that drive social and scientific progress. With its graduate program ranked 9th nationally by U.S. News and World Report, the College\u2019s unconventional approach to education is defining the new face of computing by expanding the horizons of traditional computer science students through interdisciplinary collaboration and a focus on human centered solutions. For more information about the Georgia Tech College of Computing, its academic divisions and research centers, please visit \u003Ca href=\u0022..\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAbout Bryn Mawr College\u003Cbr \/\u003EOne of the original \u201cSeven Sisters,\u201d Bryn Mawr College is among the most highly selective liberal-arts college in the United States and a leader in developing women scientists.  The College ranks among the top 10 of colleges and universities in the country, and first among women\u2019s colleges, in the percentage of women undergraduates who go on to receive Ph.D.\u2019s in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor more information, contact:\u003Cbr \/\u003EStefany Wilson\u003Cbr \/\u003EGeorgia Tech College of Computing\u003Cbr \/\u003E404.894.7253\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:stefany@cc.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Estefany@cc.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EATLANTA (August 6, 2008)\u2014Through the Institute for Personal Robots in Education (IPRE)\u2014a partnership between Georgia Tech College of Computing, Bryn Mawr College and Microsoft Research\u201428 high schools and universities are being provided the opportunity to enhance their introductory Computer Science curriculum using personal robots as a context for teaching foundational computing skills. Winners will share $250,000 and receive paperback book-sized robots called Scribblers, enhanced with special IPRE hardware technology, along with the IPRE software and class text. Source: Office of Communications\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":"","uid":"27154","created_gmt":"2010-02-09 21:40:51","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:04:33","author":"Louise Russo","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2008-08-06T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2008-08-06T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"667","name":"robotics"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}