Coding, Robots, Computational Concepts, and Machine Learning Using the Microbit Card and the Maqueen and Nezha Kits. A Study in Initial Teacher Training

This research assesses the design and implementation of innovative educational robotics activities in higher education through 105 subjects in the Primary Education degree from two Spanish universities. The activities involved simple activities, visual block programming, machine learning, and the construction of sensors and actuators, leading to the learning of computational concepts and the implementation of interesting, practical tasks. The experiment included a control group of 39 students. A test (Coding, Robotics, and Machine Learning Test CRMT) and three scales were used to generate descriptive data and statistical inference through a quasi-experimental design with a student t-test in the first dimension and a Mann-Whitey U test in the second. Students in the experimental group improved their performance and results with the practical intervention of the study. It is concluded that there are training gaps in the use of programming in higher education, and that coding is essential in initial teacher training, with a greater presence of robotics programming needed in the training. Significant improvements are noted in active learning, creativity, the development of computational concepts, and machine learning, and improvements in effective implementation in mathematics and art. Ultimately, it is feasible to implement these pedagogical designs in the training of future primary school teachers, fostering an understanding of machine learning and the use of coding and robotics in the university training of future teachers.