Introduction
Best suited for high school and college students, the LEGO Mindstorms EV3 set allows an interactive experience for students with intermediate to advanced coding abilities. This particular set comes with 601 total pieces, and is programmable using Python. By using the set, students are able to practice their coding with a variety of robotic designs.
Background
The LEGO Mindstorms EV3 set§ is a retired set distributed by LEGO Education. It comes with digital instructions and pieces to build five different robots (TRACK3R, R3PTAR, SPIK3R, EV3RSTORM and GRIPP3R), with the ability to base an original design around the set’s EV3 Intelligent Brick and motors.
Process
For the best experience with LEGO Mindstorms EV3, the first step is to familiarize oneself with the physical pieces. As mentioned before, there are 601 total pieces. In addition to these pieces, it’s also important to download the respective EV3 software, either on desktop/laptop or a mobile device. As such, students can begin to follow the digital instructions to build a design or freely create their own design. They can follow up with this by using the EV3 software to program the completed robot. These instructions are broken down here:
- Download LEGO Boost App on a tablet or smart device
- Connect the tablet/smart device via bluetooth to the Move Hub
- Use the app to choose 1 of 5 design projects to build
- Follow the instructions to build a LEGO design
- Program the design using the app’s coding features
- Play with your creation
Brand information
LEGO has released several kits that are specifically designed for educational purposes, under LEGO Education. As such, it is possible to invest in and try other kits, depending on age range, skill level, and aesthetic preferences. For example, the following kits might be used for the designated age levels:
- STEAM Park§ (most appropriate for early learners)
- LEGO Boost§ / BricQ Motion Essential kit§ (for elementary students)
- LEGO Spike PRIME§ (most appropriate for middle school students)
- LEGO Mindstorms EV3 Expansion Set§
Examples in the labs
The IgnitED Lab offers access to three LEGO Education sets: LEGO Boost, LEGO Spike Prime,§ and LEGO Mindstorms.§
Uses in education
LEGO Mindstorms EV3 is most effective in high school or college classrooms. As such, students are able to practice their building and programming skills by using the kit and building their Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEAM) abilities.
Purchasing the Mindstorms EV3 kit comes with 47 accompanying lesson plans that might be used directly in classroom environments.