Enforcing STEM-Driven CS Education Through Collaborative Learning

This Chapter discusses collaborative learning through competition-based learning (CBL), such as robot contests, internationally recognised as the First Lego League (FLL) in informal learning. This topic covers two dimensions (i.e., preparation for this contest and the contest itself) by complex task solving. Both are highly related among themselves and with STEM education and complex task solving. We have proposed two models (CBL and complexity model of a real-world task). The latter integrates a few known approaches and the specificity of STEM. Complexity issues arise due to multiple reasons. (1) With the ever-growing technology advancements, the complexity of systems in all domains, including education, grows at the same or similar rate. (2) STEM evolves rapidly towards a higher integration using complex learning environments for solving more complex real-world tasks. (3) The complexity issues are essential to educational robotics used in two modes, for formal or informal learning, e.g., CBL. Note that the proposed complexity model is applicable in other contexts too.