The Gaming World of Educational Robotics. A Review Study

Educational robotics is considered a powerful tool, not only to learn how to program artificial agents but also to support students in developing high-order thinking skills. This paper reports a narrative review of empirical studies performed in the last twenty years, that investigate the effectiveness of using playful robotics as tools for enhancing cognitive abilities such as metacognition, awareness, and problem-solving, also improving planning and executive functions. The evidence from the scanned literature supports the effective impact of using robotics as an educational metacognitive gaming environment that allows students to monitor themselves and control their learning actions autonomously. Moreover, the data provide scientific support to the hypothesis that educational robotics can improve the ability to plan and control complex tasks, favoring the development of executive functions and math or STEM achievement.