Carnegie Mellon University

Carnegie Mellon Robotics Academy

Use educational affordances of robotics to create CS-STEM opportunities for all learners

August 22, 2023

Virtual Robot Curriculum Updates

By Jesse Flot

In response to your feedback, we've made some big updates to our Virtual Robot Curriculum this summer! Check out this video to learn more about our Virtual Robot Curriculum, and then read on to learn about the latest updates!

Update 1: Coding and Computational Thinking with Virtual SPIKE Prime (3.0) Availability

With the release of the 3.0 version of the LEGO Education SPIKE App, LEGO adjusted several of the Movement blocks. Earlier this year, our team released an updated Coding and Computational Thinking curriculum for use with the physical LEGO SPIKE Prime and 3.0 version of the programming software, which you can learn more about here. And now, we're happy to announce its virtual counterpart! Coding and Computational Thinking with Virtual SPIKE Prime (3.0) is now available alongside the existing version. Whether you prefer to align to the "legacy" or new blocks we now have curricula to support both!

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Update 2: Virtual Robot Curriculum Interface

We know that for many students, especially those learning on devices with lower-resolution screens, effective use of screen real estate is critical. For those students, the previous "floating window" with the virtual robot was problematic, often fighting for visibility with the programming interface or the curriculum viewer. In the latest update, we've docked the virtual robot viewer, while allowing students to slide the viewer horizontally and vertically. This allows learners to focus in on the interface element they are most interested in without ever losing them. These interface changes are available for all Virtual Robot Curriculum products including EV3, SPIKE Prime, and VICE. All Virtual Robot Curriculum learners should also notice that the interface loads even faster than before due to significant code enhancements by our talented developers.

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As always, it is our goal to produce curriculum and solutions that enhance your robotics classroom, and make learning through robotics more effective, engaging, and accessible. If you have additional feedback for our team, please share it with us!