By REBECCA NEIPP
News Review Staff Writer
Though the term “Lego Robotics” may conjure up visions of a 10-year-old boy’s hobby, Computer Science Instructor Debby Kilburn is using it as a vehicle to teach her students cutting-edge technology in a hands-on fashion.
The newly added course at Cerro Coso Community College offers a broad spectrum of lessons — from basic and complex scientific principles to teamwork, creative thinking, problem solving and trouble shooting.
“You don’t just learn by someone lecturing you — you learn by putting your hands on something, wrapping your brain around it and figuring out solutions for yourself,” said Kilburn.
“Socrates said ‘I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think.’ That quote sums up my teaching philosophy.
“Teachers look for activities that teach the core values of STEM — science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Robotics hits on all of those,” said Kilburn.
She said she brought the program to Cerro Coso in an attempt to liven up her Computers 101 (Introduction to Computer Informa-tion Systems) course. “This class was dry as all get out, and I felt like I couldn’t help the kids ‘get’ it,” she said.
She decided to incorporate into the curriculum a robotic activity she teaches in a course at Pepperdine University during the summer. Through the use of Lego blocks and sophisticated hardware and software that include sensors, motors and a program interface, students build and program robots to perform specific tasks.
She decided to use the robotic activity to illustrate the software development cycle, giving students a hands-on experience. “I knew that if I could bring this activity to my 101 class, it would really help light a fire under my students.”
On a whim, Kilburn wrote up a proposal to get funding to buy the kits and offer the activity at Cerro Coso. Thanks in part to the Tech Prep program — an outreach designed to build a natural bridge between high school and college — she got the funding she needed.
The Lego kits arrived at the end of the spring semester, and Kilburn incorporated the tool into her curriculum and watched her students get hooked.
“I took the 101 class because it was required,” said 29-year-old Josh Montemayer. “But once [the Lego robotics kit] was introduced, it was a really fun way to learn programming.”
Already looking to a career in computer science, he looks forward to continuing in the robotics course.
“Beyond the fact that it teaches basics like problem solving and figuring out how things work, this is really great for people who want to go into robotics. This is the same kind of technology that is used for unmanned vehicles on the moon and on Mars.”
Twenty-one-year-old Dominic Beckham, also majoring in computer science, said he has gotten something unique out of this course. “Teamwork is everywhere in science, but I feel like I’ve really gotten a grasp on it here,” he said. “I’ve worked in interdependent environments before, but not in so much of a technical frame.”
The course also has several home-schooled students, including brothers Joshua and Caleb Loscar. “I was really excited when they offered this class because I’ve been into Lego robotics since the Lego RCX, the first generation of Lego robotics,” said 16-year-old Joshua.
He talked about the sophistication of the NXT model, which is Blue Tooth enabled and has flash memory, a 32-bit processor and ultrasonic sensors.
Fourteen-year-old Caleb, who considers himself more of a builder, said he wanted to get more experience in the programming aspect. “Being able to do things hands-on makes it easier to learn.”
“When you watch these guys work, you see three different personalities emerge — the coders who do all the programming, the engineers who do all the designing and building and what I call the research and development guys, the ones who get the big picture,” said Kilburn.
“But I usually tell them not to categorize themselves so that they can learn to grow to the areas they are not as comfortable in.”
The students work in groups of three, which allows for student-to-student mentoring, and cooperation on different projects, said Kilburn.
“There are so many ideas that can come out of things when you work with another person. You have the benefit of ideas, strengths and experience from more than one person. The problem is that in school it is called cheating. But in the real world, it is called collaborating.”
Students are currently working on the Santa Challenge — building and programming a robot to deliver a “present” to a house (well, in this case a painted cardboard box with a door cut out of it) and picking up a cookie after making the delivery.
The assignment, taken from a similar challenge to MIT students, requires students to overcome a variety of physical and technical obstacles.
Many of the students have also begun to reach for goals outside the assigned curriculum. “Two guys in particular, Joe Barnes [25] and Bill Kenny [15], have challenged themselves to build robots that can walk.”
Though this may seem like a simple task, it is one that even top scientists and engineers are still working to achieve, she said.
But the class has practical applications even for noncomputer-science and engineering majors. “If I go into meteorology, they actually use UAV [unmanned air vehicles] and things like that. There is a lot of crossover into other fields of study,” said 19-year-old Brandon Sanders.
Sanders is one of the students who was first introduced to Lego robotics as a unit in Kilburn’s computer class. “I’ve been caught up in it ever since.”
Many students had similar stories, including 19-year-old Joey Mandragon. “I took Debby’s Comp 101 and thought she was a great teacher,” he said. “My major is criminal justice, but now I am thinking of switching to computer science. This is a really great course ? I would recommend it to anyone.”
“That is one of the things I was hoping would come out of this class ? sparking student interest in the computer sciences,” said Kilburn.
“Even for people who are not interested in computers, the reality of the situation is that they are here. Even if you don’t pursue a career in computers, you have to be fluent in them. Even the cash register at McDonald’s is a computer.”
“Professor Kilburn is doing a wonderful job educating the creative leaders of the future,” said Jane Harmon, Cerro Coso interim vice president of student learning.
“The collaborative learning environment fosters learning in all ages as students engage in designing, building and programming robots,” said Valerie Karnes, interim dean of occupational education and workforce development. “The students are so excited about the robotics classes that they can’t wait to get to class, and we have to make them leave.”
Kilburn said she hopes to use this course as the foundation for a robotics certificate program. “This is an ever-changing field — it is like teaching on quicksand.
“But my students have an energy and an enthusiasm that keeps me going and makes me want to find new things to keep them going.”
To learn more about the Lego robotics program call Kilburn at 384-6171 or e-mail her at debby@collegeteacher.org.
<strong>Abandoned Lego rescue effort</strong>
One component that Debby Kilburn’s students are in short supply of is the basic Lego building blocks.
“We’re staging an ‘Aban-doned Lego Rescue Effort’ in hopes that people who have old Lego blocks will donate them to us,” said Kilburn.
Anyone with unused or unwanted Legos is encouraged to contact Kilburn at 384-6171 or debby@collegeteacher.org.
