Robótica educacional como metodologia de ensino sobre o sistema nervoso humano

Abstract

In recent years, there has been a significant transformation in society, particularly in social relations, quality of life, and the use of digital technologies. This change became evident with the introduction of personal computers, cell phones, and smartphones, which brought digital technology into everyday life. In Paraná, the pandemic accelerated government initiatives to modernize schools’ technological infrastructure, including the installation of the internet, the purchase of equipment, and the inclusion of technological subjects in the curriculum. However, teachers’ adaptation to these modern technologies and their effectiveness remains a challenge. The gap between students’ technology consumption and their ability to use it productively became especially evident during the pandemic. This dissertation investigates how educational robotics can enhance learning about the functioning of the human nervous system and its integration with the sensory system among elementary school students. Based on the theories of Paulo Freire, Seymour Papert, and Michel Resnick, the study advocates for the use of robotics as a tool to promote student autonomy, allowing them to build knowledge through active and critical practices. Papert’s constructionist methodology, which unites the construction of physical objects by learning new concepts, is central to this approach. Educational robotics should go beyond being a simple curricular subject, fostering critical, contextualized, and meaningful learning. The study was conducted in a public school in the Metropolitan Region of Curitiba, where 24 students used recyclable materials and the Arduino platform to build robots simulating human nervous system functions, such as responses to sensory stimuli. These robots were presented at the school’s Knowledge Fair, encouraging the exchange of ideas and the practical exploration of the concepts learned. The results indicated that educational robotics effectively improved students’ understanding of the nervous system, transforming abstract concepts into concrete experiences. In addition to academic knowledge, students developed socio-emotional skills such as creativity, teamwork, and self-confidence. The research highlights the importance of such initiatives in biology education and suggests creating an educational product to help other teachers implement this methodology in the classroom. The dissertation concludes that educational robotics offers a promising path for teaching complex content, making learning more active, motivating, and contextualized. Therefore, expanding robotics as a teaching methodology in biological sciences, focusing on creativity and critical development, is proposed.