PVR (Program a Virtual Robot)

PVR – Program your Virtual Robot

Introduction

With the PVR Course, our student will begin their journey into learning Coding. They will use VEXcode VR software and engaging robotics-based activities to learn about project flow, loops, conditionals, algorithms, and more.

This introductory course encourages our students to use VEXcode VR to learn and practice computational thinking and coding. Each lesson and unit walks the students through a particular Computer Science concept, leading our students to complete independent challenges applying what they have learned. Because VEXcode VR is 100% web-based, our students can use any of the major web browsers on a computer or tablet-based device. Using the VEXcode VR block-based coding system, students can get started instantly with their coding journey!

Why Learn Coding?

Learning coding will help students develop 21st-century job skills.  Most of today’s professional math and science fields have a computational component.  Additionally, skills such as the ability to analyze and solve unstructured problems and to work with new information are extremely valuable in today’s knowledge economy.  This course will help students become creators, not just consumers, of technology.

Additionally, learning to code will also help students to better understand the world around them. Computers and computing have changed the way we live and work.  Much like learning about Biology or Physics helps us to understand the world around us, learning coding will help students better understand how computer science influences their daily lives.

Finally, learning to code will help students bring their own digital creations to life.  The process of creating personally meaningful digital creations includes both creative expression and the exploration of ideas.

At PVR Course, our goal is to make Computer Science and STEM an opportunity for all students, not just a select few.

Vocabulary

• Algorithm – precise sequences of instructions, implemented using programming languages, for processes to be carried out by a robot. The basic parts of an algorithm are sequence, selection, and iteration.
• Sequence – the order in which commands are executed, one after the other.
• Behaviour – actions performed by a robot defined by the programming language.
• Programming language – a set of rules in which symbols represent actions.
• Command – instructions used to create behaviors that are executed by the robot.
• Decompose – breaking down a complex problem into smaller parts that are more manageable and easier to understand.

Follow-up questions to ask at home:

1. What was one challenge you faced while working on the course? How did you overcome that challenge?
2. Which mini-challenge in this Unit is your favorite and why?
3. Which of the Playgrounds is your favorite and why?
4. How does a sensor work?
5. Where do you encounter robots in daily life?