Educational Robotics at Primary School with Nintendo Labo

Abstract

AbstractIn the last five years, the Italian Ministry of Education has focused on digital skills, recognizing them as fundamental and indispensable for the growth of the future citizens of the information age. Numerous requests have come from the European Commission, the Italian Ministry of Education and the employment world regarding the introduction of new technologies in schools, whether or not this is part of curricular activities. National guidelines for kindergarten and primary school curricula promote the introduction of new tools and new multimedia languages as fundamental for all disciplines. The idea of the National Operational Programme (PON) and the National Plan for Digital Education (PNSD) is to boost digital knowledge and participation in STEM subjects. The project presented in this article was launched in this context and was a collaboration with the Nintendo company to evaluate the “Nintendo Labo” product at educational level. This trial was conducted in a third-grade class at the “Allegretto di Nuzio” primary school in Fabriano (AN). The kit, an evolution of the Nintendo Switch console, was initially created for recreational purposes. The advantages and limitations of the product came to light during the few months of the experiment. The “Nintendo Labo: assembly—play—discover” educational project allowed students to merge theoretical and practical aspects of their knowledge, and understand complex systems through design and simulation.