Inclusive robotics education works best when learners can do more than follow assembly instructions: they should have opportunities to build, experiment, interact with working robots, and shape what happens next. Monica Berry’s outreach brings low-cost, open-source robots into community settings and uses hands-on activities to make robotics concepts tangible.
What hands-on robotics education looks like
In an IEEE Spectrum profile, electrical and computer engineering professor Monica Berry demonstrates robots to audiences ranging from young children to adult educators. One activity introduces robotics through three linked ideas: “sense, plan, act.” Children explore how a robot uses a sonar sensor, microphone, and speaker to sense its surroundings, hear, and communicate, then get to play and interact with it. The concepts become something learners can observe and test, rather than terms they only hear explained.
Berry’s work also includes helping graduate students in several countries learn to build and program robots. The profile describes a practice that connects robotics research, teaching, and public outreach; it is not a controlled evaluation of learning outcomes.
“I have to go where people are. I get robots in front of people who are historically marginalized and would normally not have access to these technologies.”
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— Monica Berry, IEEE Spectrum
Berry describes education for students and the wider community as part of her research and service. Her approach includes low-cost, open-source mobile robots, including 3D-printed wheeled robots, and meeting learners in places such as schools, libraries, and museums.
Why making matters more than copying a model
“Make your own robots” is the central invitation in INBOTS’ education materials, which offer learning objectives, technology and tool guidance, and resources for early elementary, primary, and secondary education. The project’s 2021 report describes curricula that introduce students gradually to DIY culture and making while taking learner diversity into account.
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- LEARN BY PLAYING: Fun Projects! Encourage your kids to build their own robotics kit and enjoy DIY STEM activities. By playing with these electric toy cars, children's curiosity and interest in physics will be stimulated, and they'll know how much fun it is to create a simple machine by themselves
- EASY TO ASSEMBLE: All components of the STEM kits are made with odorless and safety materials. Mini screwdriver and step-by-step instruction manuals make it easier and more convenient to assemble the model
The distinction is between an activity that leaves room for learners to create, investigate, and revise, and one that asks everyone to assemble the same prescribed model by following tightly scripted steps. A build can be a useful starting point, but meaningful learning also depends on what students are allowed to change, question, or try for themselves.
A 2023 paper on technologies for inclusive robotics education makes a related point: inclusion is broader than disability accessibility, though accessibility remains an important design concern. Simply bringing a robot into a classroom does not make an activity inclusive. The paper discusses educational technology choices and design criteria, not a universally validated checklist that guarantees an activity will work for every learner.
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Design the activity around who can participate
Inclusive describes how an activity supports participation; it is not a guarantee that one kit or workshop suits everyone. Learners may have different communication, motor, sensory, cognitive, language, and prior-experience needs. The materials on inclusive robotics education establish learner diversity and accessibility as design concerns, but do not prescribe one accommodation for every situation.
When planning a hands-on session, consider whether learners have meaningful choices in how they engage, build, communicate ideas, and demonstrate what they have explored. Making and construction can support agency, but educators still need to consider the particular learners and setting rather than treating “hands-on” as a substitute for accessible design.
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What program figures can—and cannot—show
Fundación Omar Dengo reported through GlobalGiving that its 2025 Costa Rican robotics course for young women with cognitive disabilities involved 37 participants, 64 total hours of hands-on robotics education, and 16 collaborative sessions. These figures describe participation and program activity. They do not independently measure learning gains or establish that the same program design will produce the same results elsewhere.
Accordingly, participation counts and instructional hours should not be presented as proof that a particular approach caused learning gains. The cited sources do not establish a generalizable effectiveness statistic for inclusive robotics education.
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Choosing an educational robotics kit for an inclusive activity
The sources describe a category of tools, not a tested or endorsed brand. If you are selecting an educational robotics kit, compare how it will support the activity and the learners, rather than assuming a particular product is universally suitable.
- Cost and upkeep: Consider the full cost, whether parts can be reused or repaired, and whether replacement components are available.
- Room to experiment: Check whether learners can make and revise their own designs or are limited to step-by-step assembly of a prescribed model.
- Adaptability: Consider how the kit and activity can accommodate learners’ different needs; a product description alone cannot establish that it will suit everyone.
- Programming and preparation: Review the programming interface, documentation, compatibility with other components, and educator preparation required.
- Starting point: Check the assumed age range and prior experience so the activity is accessible without removing opportunities to explore.
A kit is only one part of the experience. The way an educator frames the challenge, makes room for learners’ decisions, and supports participation matters too.
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