The use of educational robotics in the development of students’ computational thinking and cognitive skills: a systematic literature review

Abstract

Educational robotics and computational thinking can improve students’ cognition by stimulating logical reasoning and creative and collaborative problem solving. In this sense, this article presents a systematic review of the literature that investigated the use of educational robotics and computational thinking in the cognitive development of students. 1080 relevant articles were identified in scientific databases and, after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 41 articles were selected for more detailed analysis, of which 15 were directly related to the purpose of the review. Most of the investigated studies showed a positive result, indicating that robotics and computational thinking can contribute to improving students’ cognition, stimulating skills such as problem solving, logical reasoning and creativity.