Gender Differences in Confidence Levels, Group Interactions, and Feelings about Competition in an Introductory Robotics Course

This 8-page classroom evaluation, authored by Elissa Milto, Chris Rogers, and Merredith Portsmore of Tufts University, addresses gender differences between students in a college introduction to engineering class. As summarized in the abstract, "The aim of this classroom evaluation was to gain a better understanding of how each gender functions in an introductory robotics class, where LEGOs and ROBOLAB were used as a tool to teach engineering principles and basic robotics concepts. A better understanding of how each gender performs in reaction to the classroom setup will hopefully lead to the development of a learning environment that is mutually beneficial to each gender." This evaluation includes an Introduction, a description of Materials and Procedures, a description of Results, a Discussion, and a discussion of Future Directions. In addition, this paper includes the pretest and post-test that engineering students completed during the study (Appendix A) as well as a list of individual interview questions used during the study (Appendix B).