Mental Models of Robotic Programming

This study details the Mental Models of Robotic Programming which Students used in a Supplementary Programmable Embedded Systems hands-on course. The course was taught using the cognitive apprenticeship instructional methodology. The course was supplemental to an existing Artificial Intelligence Course at Instituto Superior de Humanidades e Tecnologias, of the Universidade Politécnica de Moçambique, in Mozambique. Twelve students participated in the research. Several tools where applied to elicit the mental models of the students. The students' mental models were compared with predetermined robotic programming mental models. The number of correct robotics programming mental models increased during the hands-on activities. However, the study identified a number of correct and incorrect robotic programming mental models used by the students. Some students were found to not constantly using the correct robotic mental models. The reason for this has been attributed to the mental models theory which states that mental models are unstable. The study also revealed that the use of cognitive apprenticeship as an instructional approach helped the students to develop correct robotic programming mental models.