Inspiring the Next Generation - Teaching Robotics

Part of the ICEX goals this year have been reaching out to elementary school aged children and introducing them to robotics and inspiring them to go into science and technology fields. During the quarter back at Cal Poly, we visited two different 2^nd grade classrooms at Pacheco elementary school every Wednesday. We switched off between the classrooms and had hands-on lessons that talked about design, testing and programming. It was very successful. The kids seemed to really enjoy it and retain a lot of what we taught. We even got a book of thank you notes written by all the students afterward – a nice touch.

Originally, that was going to be the extent of our outreach. At the suggestion of Timmy though, we packed a suitcase full of little robots so we could continue the lessons at several Maltese grade schools. We started off with a brief lecture about different types of robots and introduced the robots we brought and the paper disks used to program them.

The disks we used were small circular pieces of paper (that we had to individually cut out beforehand). The robots have two sensors that read the disk as it rotates and determines if the 2 rows of squares are black or white. Depending on the combination of black and white, the robot will go forward, stop, or turn left or right.

We then broke the students into groups of 3-4 and let them each “program” the robot to navigate a simple maze we created on the floor with tape by coloring disks with black pencils and pens. Overall, the students were very excited about it and there were several students who even inquired about where they could get their own robot so they could do more on their own.

It was encouraging to be so enthusiastically received by both the students and faculty of the schools and in addition to being a good educational experience for the students there, it was a great experience for the ICEX team as well to be able to talk with so many students (who represented a variety of ethnic backgrounds).

Primary and Secondary Education in Malta

Abstract:

The Maltese compulsory education system has many differences from the American system, one of the most noticeable being the multiple levels of secondary education. In order to facilitate the transition of students from primary school to secondary school traditionally educators use standardized examinations, known as the Junior Lyceum examination in the case of public schools, and Common Entrance examination in the case of private and church run schools. Since there are separate levels of education in Malta, entrance examinations can affect a student's course of education, as well as their eligibility for higher education. These exams also affect a slightly higher number of men than women since girls' schools run by the church are mostly continuous from primary to secondary school. Such examinations are fairly controversial, and 2010 has even seen the demise of the Common Entrance examination. The exams have been relied upon less and less since their creation, with the eventual goal of complete abolition of these tools in the transition of primary students into secondary education.

Bibliography

"Assessment of Learning - Extracts from the Junior Lyceum Entrance Examination Reports."CMeLD Website. Directorate for Quality and Standards in Education. Web. 10 Feb. 2011. .

The Maltese government has provided past Junior Lyceum examinations as well as reports on the findings and statistics from these examinations. Such information could be useful, especially if any relevant connections to race and gender can be made.

Bonello, Gerard, and Charles Mallia. Times of Malta 1 Aug. 2010. Web. 9 Feb. 2011. examination>.

Bonello and Mallia write about the removal of the Common Entrance Examination (CE), used in placing students into private and religious secondary schools. The article will be used for its information on the historical development of the CE and its role in the transition between primary and secondary education.

Malta. Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports. Department of Information, Malta. Web. 9 Feb. 2011. .

This source is a report put out by the Maltese government on the transition between primary and secondary schools. It contains comparisons of Maltese standardized tests to those in other countries, as well as comparisons between different Maltese schools.

"STRUCTURE OF EDUCATION SYSTEM IN MALTA." STUDY IN EUROPE UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE PROGRAMS IN ARTS, BUSINESS, ECONOMICS, ENGINEERING, MBA, SCIENCE. World Higher Education Database (WHED). Web. 10 Feb. 2011. <http://www.euroeducation.net/prof/maltco.htm>.

This source contains basic information on the structure and flow of the Maltese education system. It is a little sparse, but contains some information that the other sources do not, such as progress to the University level.

Welcome to the Ministry of Education - Malta. Web. 9 Feb. 2011. .

More general information about the Education system of Malta, some of which is not contained in other sources. This includes details on education for low achievers, teachers in Malta, and adult education.

Abstract and Biblio: Science and Engineering in Malta

Brig Bagley

ES 410

Abstract and Annotated Bibliography

10 Feb. 2011

Abstract

Education in Malta for science and engineering has only recently developed into the state we see it today. With most of today’s scientists and engineers in Malta under the age of 35, we see that Malta has made many important changes in its approach to technology. The Malta Council for Science and Technology oversees the scientific advancements of the state, not quite dictating, but certainly directing what areas researchers and educational institutions. Historically, Malta has had many early engineering feats, primarily within the areas of architecture and defense (being a small country geographically located in a prime position in the Mediterranean). But only until recently has the country made a more radical shift in producing more scientists and engineers. Although technology is becoming a more popular profession, it still remains a minority, with business, law, humanities, art, and education remaining the dominant professions. Due to its resources, location, and history, Malta focuses on professions that can easily compete in the global economy (such as business and law) and uphold it as a valuable contributor to the world’s needs.

Annotated Bibliography

Mayo, Peter, Pace, Paul, and Zammit, Edward. (2008). “Adult education in small states: the case of Malta.” Comparative Education Vol. 44, No. 2., pp. 229-246. Routledge: Taylor and Francis Group.

This paper discusses how the small-scale dimensions of the state of Malta affect the types of education available for adults, as well as the methods of education used in the state. In order to best utilize its resources, Maltese educators often serve in multiple educational positions, covering many topics. Also an important part of the system is the focus on enabling public participation and global community. This information might be useful in determining how the education of scientists and engineers is affected. However, since this is education in general, there will likely not be much evidence supporting the proposed thesis.

UNESCO International Science, Technology, & Environmental. (2003) “Malta Council for Science and Technology.” Education Newsletter Vol. 28, Issue 3/4, pp 18-19.

The Malta Council for Science and Technology is a part of the Maltese government that oversees the science and technologies within the state. This short description describes the purposes and goals of the council. This will be very useful in pin pointing the state of education in science and engineering in Malta because it is likely that this council influences governmental decisions that affect the education system in these areas. The council probably encourages schools to focus on certain technologies and likely proposes funding for these particular areas. Unfortunately, this article is very short. There will only be a small amount of information to support my thesis.

“BP teams up with chemical and food giants on biofuels facility.” Professional Engineering. p 12. 28 June 2006.

Although this article is very short and does not address very much about Maltese education, there is one fact mentioned that I find particularly interesting and useful: “Malta has the youngest population of all, with more than half of its scientists and engineers aged 25 to 34.” This means that Malta has only recently started pushing for more scientists and engineers. With this information, I can now use some history of Malta to try to determine why this push happened, and why it was only recently.

Connect: UNESCO International Science, Technology & Environmental. (2000). “THE STATE OF SCIENCE EDUCATION IN MALTA.” Education Newsletter.Vol. 25 Issue 3/4, p15. EBESCOhost.

Another short article, UNESCO describes some of the direct influence of the Malta Council for Science and Technology on education for science and engineering. This will tie to the previously mentioned source that describes more in general the purpose of the council. The research project described in this synopsis is exactly the type of information I need to help me formulate reasons for the current state of education in Malta for science and engineering. Hopefully I will be able to track down references and sources that are related to this project.

Pollard, Justin. (2009). “The Eccentric Engineer.” Engineering and Technology. p. 18. 6-19 June 2009.

The author of this article explains that the earliest discovered evidence of engineering are in Malta. Because of this evidence, it is likely that the history of Malta’s science and engineering has taken a very different path from that of other countries around the world. Perhaps the recent jump to modern science and engineering was related to the country’s hesitance to deviate from traditional and long used methods of science and engineering. I would need to find evidence to support this claim, which might mean that this article doesn’t really help draw any conclusions.

Griffin, Joe, PhD., Ryan, Kevin. (2010). “Broadening the Education of Software Engineers – some lessons and pointers.” University of Limerick. IEEE.

Griffin and Ryan explain a method of collaboration between computer science students in a few different countries, including Malta. The methodologies correspond well with Global Engineering, as far as working with different cultures and understanding science and engineering from a more global perspective. Although the discussion of this article is relevant to the class and is lightly connected to Malta, it will probably not serve very well as a source in determining the state of Maltese education in the sciences and in engineering.

Progress Report #1: Education in Malta

My research will focus on primary and secondary education in Malta. I initially thought this would be a difficult area to do research on, but a quick Google search has shown that not to be the case. I was even able to find a report on the transition from primary schools to secondary schools, which also had some information on the structure of the primary and secondary education systems in Malta.

Some preliminary information: There are three sectors of compulsory education in Malta. The first, and largest, is the state school system. Primary schools (ages 5-10) are co-ed while the secondary (ages 11-16) schools are strictly single-sex. While schools that continue on from primary to secondary education, called “continuous schools”, exist in Malta, none of the state schools are continuous. Like many European countries, Malta has more than one level of secondary education. The highest is the Junior Lyceum to which admittance is granted based on an entrance examination. Those who do not pass the Junior Lyceum entrance examination are admitted to the more general secondary school known as a Area Secondary school. For students whose “levels of attainment” are still considered very low after primary education are sent to special schools.

The second largest sector is the Church sector. Education provided by the Church sector is free. Unlike State schools, primary schools are mostly single-sex, with some co-ed exceptions. All secondary schools are single-sex with most girls' schools being continuous and boys' schools being non-continuous. Admittance into non-continuous secondary schools is based on a Common Entrance (CE) exam and available vacancies.

The last sector is the Independent. These are private schools that charge a fee. The private sector offers both co-ed and single-sex as well as continuous and non-continuous schools. The non-continuous schools in the Independent sector are all primary schools and students must take examinations to enroll in either a State school or a Church school when they are ready to transition from their primary school. Since the Independent schools are fee-based, their admissions are not competitive.

Some of the subjects that are tested in secondary entrance examinations are Maltese, English, Mathematics, and Social Studies. Students are also tested on Religious Knowledge if their parents do not object.

The preliminary search for information on Maltese education has gone well but there is plenty more I would like to learn. For instance, there was a mention of “catchment areas” in regards to the Junior Lyceums without any explanation as to what they are or how they affect the rest of a student's education. Also, since students are educated in both Maltese and English, it would be nice to find a sample or preparatory exam as an example of what students are required to learn and study before entering secondary school.

Grima, Grace. Transition from Primary to Secondary Schools in Malta: A Review. 2008.

Malta?! A Guide to Education and Vocational Training. 2008. Ministry of Education, Malta.