Microbotics envisions a future of young DIGITAL MAKERS not only digital consumers
Young school children and adults can benefited through the hands on practical classes, as our unique modules combine real world projects and software programming to give the learners an exciting and comprehensive experience as they explore the world of digital making.
We think that problem solving is one of the key ingredients to any successful enterprise.
Robots, programming, snack boards and electronic bread boards are a few unique core components that help make our modules fun and educational. Our modules are filled with exercises and scenarios to facilitate problem solving. Although students are exposed to a basic theoretical understanding of the technology, they are also challenged to use newly acquired knowledge in a practical way to build and program different projects.
The courses are designed for Gr. 8 – 12 learners. The first course covers the electronic concepts, in a practical way, that are taught in the technology books of Gr. 7,8,9. The second course introduces the students to programming through the use of microcontrollers and Blockly. The next three courses increase the student’s knowledge on robotics, electronics, control, sensors and introduces two coding languages, namely BASIC and C++. Once the students have completed the courses, they will be well prepared for any tertiary institute; with practical and software skills. One of the goals is to introduce the courses at a younger age (Gr. 4). This will help the learners in preparation for high school and it will encourage subject choices in math, sciences, IT, and design. A core pillar is the easy to use Picaxe platform. Picaxe is a product of Revolution Education, based in the UK, and Microbotics has the rights as educational importer and distributor. We also use Arduino to introduce more advanced coding.
Ownership has changed the way students respond to the classes, as they want to build and program their own “Bots” and breadboards. Therefore, each student gets their own book and kit. This has also encouraged the process of optimizing the kits and the use of off-the-shelf affordable components. With this approach the students have the liberty to try new ideas and make affordable mistakes along the way.
Our 13 years of experience, hands on teaching methods and unique educational materials are just a few reasons why we believe the school students of South Africa need Microbotics. The drive to create affordable manuals and kits is a key component at Microbotics, as it will give more learners the opportunity to partake in digital making.