Choosing a robotics program: what to ask

Almost every robotics program describes itself the same way. These questions produce answers that actually differ, which makes them worth asking, including of us.

About the learning

1. 01What does a learner move on to when this gets easy? A program without an answer has a ceiling.
2. 02How do you decide someone is ready for the next level: by time, or by what they can do?
3. 03What happens in a session when a learner's robot does not work?
4. 04How much of a session is following instructions versus making decisions?

About the people

1. 01Who teaches, and what have they built themselves?
2. 02How many learners per instructor when hardware is involved?
3. 03What happens if the regular instructor is away?

About the equipment

1. 01Does a learner keep working on the same robot between sessions, or restart each time?
2. 02What happens when something breaks? Is there a spares drawer?
3. 03Is the hardware repairable, or is a failed component the end of that kit?
4. 04Do learners ever see the same robot in more than one configuration?

Signals worth paying attention to

• Photos that show work in progress, not only finished robots.
• A named progression or level structure that exists in writing.
• Willingness to say a program is not the right fit for your child right now.
• Robots in the room that are visibly mid-repair.