Biozobots: An Investigation into Using Robotics in an Introductory Biology Course

Creating meaningful learning environments that support university students in their early STEM courses has become a focus of interest for many universities. This research investigated an active learning environment where students used Ozobot robots to visualize complex concepts such as Metabolism, Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration in an Introductory Biology course. Three conditions were employed over three semesters including a Control, Non-reflective, and Reflective condition. In both the Non-Reflective and the Reflective condition, students programmed robots to visualize concepts in the three topics of interest. Quantitative analysis using Kruskal Wallis revealed significant differences on unit tests between the Reflective and the other two conditions. No difference was found between the Control and the Non-Reflective condition. Qualitative analysis revealed three themes Engagement, Visualization, and Social.