DEVELOPING A SIMULATION TOOL FOR MAZE-SOLVING ROBOT PROGRAMMING USING PYTHON
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18173/2354-1075.2025-0100Keywords:
robotics simulation, maze-solving algorithms, educational technologyAbstract
Simulation tools play a vital role in robotics programming education by enabling students to visualize and test algorithms in a virtual environment. In the Robotics Programming course within the Bachelor's program in Informatics Teacher Education at the Faculty of Information Technology, Hanoi National University of Education, a C++ based simulation tool has been used, but it showed significant usability and pedagogical limitations. This study aims to develop a Python-based simulation tool to enhance the teaching and learning experience in this course. Student feedback from Cohort 71 (120 students) was collected through surveys based on established frameworks, including the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), user experience (UX), and computational thinking (CT), which identified key challenges in the previous tool, such as a steep learning curve and limited visualization capabilities. Based on these insights, the new tool was designed with an intuitive graphical interface and improved algorithm visualization to support hands-on learning. Its effectiveness was empirically evaluated with 65 students from Cohort 72, who experienced both the old and new tools, allowing for a direct comparison. Results indicate significant improvements in usability, engagement, and problem-solving efficiency with the Python-based simulator. This comparative quantitative evidence demonstrates not only the pedagogical benefits of Python-based simulations in robotics education but also the contribution of this study in providing reliable empirical data to support the adoption of this tool.
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