Welcome to TEM5018¶
Robots, Programmable Toys and Physical Computing¶
A Course Reader for Primary School Teachers
This reader accompanies the study-unit TEM5018 at the University of Malta. It is designed to prepare you for each synchronous session and to serve as an ongoing reference throughout your teaching practice.
Building on TEM5016
This course assumes you have completed TEM5016: Introduction to Computational Thinking. You already understand the core CT concepts—decomposition, pattern recognition, abstraction, and algorithmic thinking—and have experience with unplugged activities. This course takes the next step: bringing CT to life through physical computing.
How to Use This Reader¶
Each section corresponds to a pair of sessions (one asynchronous, one synchronous):
| Section | Topic | Preparation Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | From Unplugged to Plugged: Why Physical Computing Matters | ~2 hours |
| 2 | Designing and Assessing Lessons | ~1.5 hours |
| 3 | Robots in the Classroom | ~1.5 hours |
| 4 | Tangible Interfaces | ~1.5 hours |
| 5 | Programmable Microcontrollers | ~1.5 hours |
| 6 | Mechanical Logic Toys | ~1.5 hours |
| 7 | Bringing It All Together | ~1 hour |
What You'll Find in Each Section¶
Throughout this reader, you'll encounter:
Example Boxes
Concrete classroom scenarios showing concepts in action with real tools and real learners.
Tip Boxes
Practical advice distilled into actionable points you can use immediately.
Reflection Prompts
Questions to pause and connect what you're reading to your own practice.
From the Research
Key findings and quotes from the academic literature that underpin our approach.
Course Assessment¶
Your assessment for TEM5018 consists of three components:
- Presentation (30%): A 15-minute presentation on your fieldwork experience
- Reflective Diary (30%): Ongoing documentation of your learning journey
- Fieldwork (40%): Choose three different tools from three different sessions and try them in your school, documenting the experience with photographs and reflections
Key Texts¶
This reader draws on and extends the following core texts:
- Bers, M. U. (2018). Coding as a Playground: Programming and Computational Thinking in the Early Childhood Classroom. Routledge.
- Wing, J. M. (2006). Computational Thinking. Communications of the ACM, 49(3), 33-35.
- Resnick, M. (2017). Lifelong Kindergarten: Cultivating Creativity through Projects, Passion, Peers, and Play. MIT Press.
A full reference list is available in the References section.
Let's Begin¶
Ready to start? Head to Section 1: From Unplugged to Plugged to begin your journey into physical computing.
This reader is part of the Postgraduate Certificate in Technology Enhanced Learning at the University of Malta.