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Local school pupils help university in robotic challenge

5102/SA 23 rd July 2008

Pupils at a Great Barr primary school have been helping lecturers at Birmingham City University develop a new robotic computer game to help children with literacy and numeracy skills.

The group of Year 4 pupils from Ferndale Primary School have taken part in the first of a series of sessions at the University’s Department of Computing where they gave an input into the design of the new game and will eventually be able to test the equipment and give tips on how they feel it could be improved to be more attractive to pupils of their age.

David While, Senior Academic at Birmingham City University’s Department of Computing, explained: “We have been looking at developing an educational computer game that uses robotics for some time and have been lucky to have the support of Ferndale School to help us.

“The game involves a robot who moves around an assault course. The robot will only move if the pupil playing the game answers a question that tests numeracy and literacy skills correct. For example, it may ask them to spell a word. If the pupil spells the word correctly the robot will move forward. The object of the game is to move the robot to the end of the course as quickly as possible.

“We’re still in early days of the development of the game and have been asking the pupils for their opinions on what sorts of things they would like to see in a game like this.”

Natalie Hackett, ICT Teacher at Ferndale School, said: “The pupils have had great fun with this and it’s fantastic that they are able to get so involved in a real-life project like this.”

The project with the school is expected to run for two years with the pupils being involved in the whole process of the new game. It is also anticipated that the game will be used in schools across Birmingham and eventually is hoped it will play a part in the national curriculum at a primary school level.

For further information please contact Birmingham City University Media Relations Office on 0121 331 6738, email press@bcu.ac.uk or out of hours on 07967 271 532.

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