The Robotics Institute
Search the site
RI | Publications | Teaching technical creativity through Robotics: A case study in Ghana

Text only version of this site

Teaching technical creativity through Robotics: A case study in Ghana
G.A. Mills-Tettey, M.B. Dias, B. Browning, and N. Amanquah
tech. report CMU-RI-TR-06-46, Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, October, 2006.

Jump to: Download | Abstract | Notes | Text Reference | BibTeX Reference

Download [Help]

Adobe portable document format (pdf) [155 KB]

Copyright notice: This material is presented to ensure timely dissemination of scholarly and technical work. Copyright and all rights therein are retained by authors or by other copyright holders. All persons copying this information are expected to adhere to the terms and constraints invoked by each author's copyright. These works may not be reposted without the explicit permission of the copyright holder.

Abstract

Creating technology that is relevant and accessible to developing communities is an emerging area of scholarly and practical importance. Diversity in both the creators and consumers of advanced technology is required to develop sustained and useful applications of robotics, AI, and other technical fields in developing regions. Increased diversity will result in a wider array of technological innovations that are of benefit to both developed and developing regions. However, due to restricted access to technical resources, infrastructure, and expertise, technology education in developing communities is non-trivial. Thus, international partnerships and creative course designs are required. In response to this need, we developed a partnership between Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, USA and Ashesi University in Accra, Ghana to design and implement an undergraduate introductory Robotics course targeted towards the Ghanaian context. This hands-on course, which to our knowledge is the first of its kind in Ghana, introduced students to the fields of Robotics and Artificial Intelligence and guided them to develop technical creativity by designing, building, and programming small robotic systems. This paper presents an overview of the course, its outcomes, lessons learned through its implementation, plans for its sustainability, and projected future directions.

Notes

Associated center: FRC
Associated lab/group: TechBridgeWorld

Number of pages: 19

Text Reference

G.A. Mills-Tettey, M.B. Dias, B. Browning, and N. Amanquah, Teaching technical creativity through Robotics: A case study in Ghana, tech. report CMU-RI-TR-06-46, Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, October, 2006.

BibTeX Reference

@techreport{Mills-Tettey_2006_5573,
   author = "G. Ayorkor Mills-Tettey and M Bernardine Dias and Brett Browning and Nathan Amanquah",
   title = "Teaching technical creativity through Robotics: A case study in Ghana",
   institution = "Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon University",
   month = "October",
   year = "2006",
   number = "CMU-RI-TR-06-46",
   address = "Pittsburgh, PA"
}


The Robotics Institute is part of the School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University.
For updates and comments, please see these instructions.
This page maintained by robotwebmaster@ri.cmu.edu