NRI: Co-Robots for COMPUGIRLS - Culturally Responsive Robotics Education for Underrepresented Girls

Marquette University, Milwaukee WI

Investigators

Abstract

Robotics in the U.S. represents a multi-billion industry that is growing yearly. Currently a gap exists in the degree to which underrepresented populations participate in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The gap is especially severe in the area of robotics. This project lead by Marquette University is developing a culturally-relevant curricula to teach girls to program co-robots or humanoid robots that work in collaboration with people. The focus of the co-robots for COMPUGIRLS program is to expose girls from under-resourced areas to co-robotics using effective, culturally-relevant curricula and instructional approaches. This robotics education program is designed to expand the already extant NSF-funded informal education program, COMPUGIRLS, through supplementing this program?s curriculum with humanoid co-robotic activities. Project activities will be facilitated with the support of engineering majors from Arizona State University serving as near peer mentors. Collaborations between high school students and undergraduates are expected to increase girls' interest in robotics-related careers, and will yield co-robot projects with features that allow the co-robots to interface with girls and members in their communities. The co-robots for COMPUGIRLS program offers an approach with a high potential to engage girls in the emerging field of co-robotics. The functioning of co-robots involves collaboration and interaction with people. Applications are expected to grow in significance in the future in such diverse areas as healthcare, agriculture, education, and advanced manufacturing. However, most current K-12 robotics activities are focused on task-based robot-to-robot competitions and electro-mechanical robots. These existing robotics programs face challenges in including girls, particularly those from underrepresented populations. The objectives of this project are to develop and study a culturally-responsive co-robotics curriculum in the context of COMPUGIRLS and involve girls in effective humanoid robotics programming. The approach taken is based on earlier COMPUGIRLS research results. The elements of cultural responsiveness consists of engaging girls at the interface of social and technical asset building in ways that require them to reflect on their intersectional identities both technical and social. Developing girls as technosocial change agents with skills in using technology to improve communities was found to be an important element in engaging girls in technological endeavors. This project will employ a mixed methods research design to determine the impact of engaging underrepresented girls in culturally responsive humanoid robotics using culturally relevant instruction and interactions. The research will advance the discipline of co-robotics by considering cultural aspects currently underexplored in robotics education.