The name Lego is synonymous with children playing and letting their creativity run wild, but over the years the company has invested in products that make teaching and learning really fun. These form part of the Lego Education portfolio.
Lego Mindstorms is one such product. Young students can use blocks to build robots and machines that can be programmed and brought to life through computer-controlled software.
The Mindstorms are now available in all Maltese secondary schools and also in some private/Church schools.
St. Aloysius' College has adopted the Lego Mindstorms with very positive results.
"We decided to invest in Lego Mindstorms to promote an alternative hands-on approach to learning, as well as to attract more students to furthering their studies in science," explained Fr Patrick Magro, rector at the college.
"Up till now we are using them both in the integrated science classes as well as during an after-school programme which in fact is very well attended. Our college intends to continue investing in Lego Education as part of the curriculum it offers to its students, not only in the secondary school but also in the primary section."
The Mindstorms come with construction sets, programming tools and activity packages for the teachers. All you need is a USB port to connect the model to a normal computer to programme the model through software.
"Lego Mindstorms is an excellent tool to help the students learn through a hands-on approach," confirmed Claire McElhatton, science teacher at the college. "During a typical session, topics such as maths, science and technology are tackled while students are encouraged to practice problem-solving and working as a team.
"This is excellent preparation for when they enter the job market as these skills are usually highly sought after. The learning process is very student-centred; students learn at their own pace while catering for different levels of ability. By far the largest bonus is that students enjoy themselves while learning." Integrated
Marketing Services Ltd (IMS Ltd) are the sole local distributors of Lego Education material in Malta.
www.edukamalta.com