Hi everybody!
I will start a new project in junior school, I’m referring to a kids from 11 - 15 years old. I think VEX could be a very good option to teach/learn Robotics in this project. I know LEGO has a lot of kids experience and VEX could be better for youth (15+ years to college) not for teenagers, well, I think so.
I have seen on more forums that LEGO is cheaper than VEX, but it’s not true; If you compare “Autonomous Control Starter Bundle with Cortex” on $370 vs “LEGO MINDSTORMS Education NXT Base Set” is on $279.95.
Could you give any advice/tip for Robotics in teenagers?
Thanks.
VEX is definitely a fun tool for education, and definitely at the middle school level. When I was in middle school I usually found FLL and LEGO NXT to be a little boring sometimes, VEX just seems really engaging for that age group.
What specifically are you looking for?
I teach two robotics classes at Palm Beach State College. This year in the beginning when I asked my students why are they taking the class, one of their answers stood out. He said, “I have competed in FLL before, even though it’s fun, I am tired of playing with Legos… I wanna play with something cooler.”
I use vex robotics for my curriculum. Over the years I have acquired several vex kits and every year, I order parts to add onto the kits. In the beginning of class, a basic lesson on robotics is given and lot of videos of robots made out of vex are shown. Then we get down to brainstorming as to what they want the game to be. I like to get the students involved in the game design because it gets them more excited to build the robot; they tend to want to do more when they are involved. Over the rest of the semester, they build, program, test their robot as well as compete withing the classroom setting.
From a personal point of view, I would choose Vex over Legos because the students feel they are putting something together out of “metal;” hence the excitement.
VEX curriculum options abound … you can use part or all of these:
http://www.vexrobotics.com/education/curriculum
teacher’s handbook that goes with classroom competition is also a great value:
http://www.vexrobotics.com/education/classroom-competition/275-1419.html
There is also a lot of free stuff floating around the web.
best wishes
If you go to robotevents.com you can locate a VEX Support Manager for your area. They will provide answers to your questions and give you insight into the World of VEX Robotics.