In and out of the School Activities Implementing IBSE and Constructionist Learning Methodologies by Means of RoboticsRobots in K-12 Education

In this chapter, we describe an inquiry-based science education (IBSE) theoretical framework as it was applied to robotics activities carried out in European K-12 classrooms during the last six years. Interactions between IBSE, problem-based learning, constructivist/constructionist learning theories and technology are discussed. Example activities demonstrate that educational robotics capitalizes on the digital curiosity of young people. This leads to concrete experiences in STEM content areas and spreads computational thinking to all school types and levels. Cooperation among different stakeholders (students, teachers, scientific and disseminating institutions, families) is emphasized in order to exploit in and out of the classroom school resources, competencies and achievements and for implementing peer-to-peer education among students and teachers in the same class/school or from different schools.