TOWARDS THE CONSTRUCTION OF AN OBSERVATIONAL TOOL FOR INTERACTIONS BETWEEN CHILDREN AND OZOBOTS

The integration of robotics in early childhood education holds promise for transforming teaching methods into more exploratory and engaging experiences (Sjoberg & Brooks, 2023). This transformative approach can be realized by considering toy robots as didactic mediators (Damiano, 1993) operating within interactive contexts that feature enjoyable and adaptable environments (Bers, 2012), guided by adults and tailored to children's perspectives, utilizing various types of robots (Bozzi & Zecca, 2021; Belland et al., 2019; Angeli & Georgiou, 2023; Terroba et al., 2022). This project focuses on developing an observational tool to study how children aged 3-6 interact with Ozobots, aiming to understand the cognitive and social dynamics involved in robot play. Drawing from sociocultural and ecological perspectives on children's learning, we conducted observations in natural settings using a quasi-experimental research design. Video recordings were analyzed to identify specific actions and problem-solving approaches employed by children during interactions with Ozobots (Gaudiello & Zibetti, 2013; Gabriele et al., 2017). The analysis resulted in defining the grid categories using a bottom-up approach. Unlike traditional performance-focused assessments (Bakala et al., 2021), our analysis prioritizes understanding the cognitive processes underlying children's engagement with robotics. The goal is to create an observational tool that can enhance the design of educational activities and support teacher training, empowering educators to develop learning experiences that leverage children's cognitive abilities and motivations. This project bridges research and practice, seeking to enhance early childhood education through robotics by providing insights into effective pedagogical strategies and fostering meaningful learning experiences for young learners.