For over twenty years, robots, electronics, microcontrollers, and other physically-instantiated devices have been used as educational tools in both formal (in-school) and informal (out-of-school) settings. Particularly at the high school and undergraduate levels, these tools have been used to enhance computer science education and illustrate artificial intelligence concepts. In the last several years, a number of programs have been developed which use physically instantiated devices to promote learning in a wider variety of topics, including science, engineering, math, as well as storytelling, sculpture, and other art forms. Such programs, while not always directly teaching AI concepts, do promote technological literacy in participants and may motivate some to further study in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). In order to further expand programs based on electronic, tangible components into these and other areas, it is important to demonstrate the impacts that these education programs have on participants, in both the short- and the long-term.

This workshop will provide a forum for researchers working with many different types of programs, including researchers in robotics, computer science, education, and formal and informal learning evaluation. This workshop will highlight (1) work featuring AI- and electronic tangibles used to promote learning in any topic (including approaches targeting arts and humanities in addition to STEM education); and (2) descriptions of the evaluation methodology and impacts of such programs. Topics of interest include:

• Design of physically instantiated electronic educational tools
• Curriculum design process
• Evaluation methodology for programs featuring electronic tangibles
• Evaluation results from such programs, both quantitative and qualitative

We welcome contributions describing programs in both in and out of school settings, utilizing a variety of electronic tangibles (robots, microcontrollers,...), targeting any age, and promoting learning in the arts, humanities, or STEM disciplines. In addition to papers, we welcome short abstracts for demonstration/hands-on sessions and panel discussion sessions.

Submissions

We welcome prospective participants to submit either full papers (up to 6 pages), short papers (1-2 pages), or panel proposals (up to 2 pages, clearly indicating the names, affiliations, and email addresses for all panelists). Where appropriate, participants are strongly encouraged to demonstrate educational projects at the symposium and/or provide hands-on experiences for other symposium participants (please indicate your demonstration plans with paper submissions). Selected papers (both long and short) from the symposium will be published as an AAAI technical report. All submissions should be in PDF format adhering to the AAAI conference paper formatting guidelines, and should be sent to Tom Lauwers at by October 2nd, 2009.