As the online world and technology advance, parents need to consider that the career pathways that their children will explore may look very different to what they knew growing up. One can assume that the demand for coding related jobs will remain strong in the future. Programmers are required in almost every field and enrolling your child in a Robotics or Coding course will introduce them to a wide variety of career opportunities.
Just as our children’s potential career pathways change, so the approach and content that is taught to them at school needs to be updated to adapt to the ever-changing industries of the future. Many schools do not offer subjects like Robotics and Coding and in these instances, it would be wise to enrol your child in an online learning platform, like CambriLearn, which offers supplementary courses that children can complete in addition to their current schooling curriculum.
Children who complete Robotics, Coding or Programming courses have shown improved:
- creativity and problem-solving abilities
- social and emotional skills
- career development
- language learning and communication skills
- understanding of science and math concepts
- willingness to learn
In this article, we will take a look at the long term benefits of enrolling your child in a Robotics or Coding course.
Creativity and problem-solving abilities
It is a common misconception that in order to develop creative skills, a student needs to be affluent in drawing, painting or artistic practices. By promoting an environment for children to think freely and creatively, robotics teaches children how to be creative in their thought processes and problem-solving strategies.
The traditional classroom model focuses on lectures and worksheets. Instead of parrot learning theorems, robotics teaches children how to find new ways to solve the same equations. Whilst brainstorming robotic concepts children will be faced with obstacles in their creation process that will encourage them to come up with solutions to overcome these challenges.
Robotics teaches children to work through complex problems, to see things analytically and it improves their problem-solving abilities.
Social and emotional skills
Building a robot is a complex task that takes patience and courage. Robotics provides an ideal environment for a child to work through complex puzzles and teaches them how to handle making mistakes. In Robotics, mistakes are welcomed as they usually reveal crucial information that is needed to solve the problem at hand. This teaches children to keep going, even when they fail, and allows them to experience the rewards associated with perseverance.
Coding isn’t only about the app, software, robot or digital solutions. Coding is a multidisciplinary field where students will gain knowledge and tools that go way beyond the pure line of code.
Career development
In education, the acronym STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and maths. It is estimated that the number of STEM-related occupations will grow 8% by 2029, compared with 3.9% in other occupations. One can assume that the demand for STEM-related qualifications and experience will remain strong in the future. Programmers are required in almost every field and robotics is a valuable skill to introduce children to a digital career pathway.
Being computer literate is now mandatory in many job roles and it has become a necessity for a child to learn essential computer skills.
A robotics course teaches children to become more comfortable and confident in a field of technology. This helps promote critical thinking skills, boosts self-confidence and sets them up to explore a career in technology.
Language learning and communication skills
Teaching a child coding and robotics can have the same associated benefits as language learning. When students learn to code, they learn how to communicate with a computer and practice a new language. This improves their language learning abilities and communication skills. Robotics offers children the opportunity to express their thoughts and ideas, which is a fundamental component of communication. With practice, the child becomes more comfortable in these skills of self-expression.
Robotics also teaches children how to interact and work together in a group. It highlights the importance of getting input from all members of the team in order to achieve a common goal. This promotes important listening skills and teaches children to show respect for their peers.
Science and math concepts
Robotics takes a different approach to teaching children science and math concepts that would otherwise be difficult for them to understand. These concepts give children practical examples of lessons that were previously learnt from a textbook and help promote a more hands-on learning environment.
It comes as no surprise that children who enrol in a robotics or coding course will develop stronger maths skills as they learn to apply coding concepts in a real-world context. Robotics and coding teach computational thinking such as logic, analysing data, and breaking down problems into more manageable parts. This style of thinking is also required when solving maths and science equations.
Promotes a love of learning
Decades of research link creativity and problem-solving with learner motivation. When a child is goal-focused and experiences the feeling of achieving a defined objective, they become more motivated in their learning and become inspired to continue on the path of acquiring new skills and knowledge.
Children learn better when they have an active interest in the subject matter. Robotics is FUN and therefore assists in promoting an environment where children want to learn. This helps de-stigmatise science and math education concepts and helps instil a love for learning – throughout their schooling career.
Parents, it’s time to ask yourself the question, is your child’s education future-proof?
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