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About

Terri Varnado’s research sits at the intersection of robotics education, problem-solving pedagogy, and the psychology of human-robot interaction. Her pioneering work investigates how building and programming LEGO robots—particularly through programs like FIRST™ LEGO™ League—shapes students’ cognitive and emotional development. In her most cited study (20 citations), Varnado demonstrated that structured technological problem-solving activities can significantly influence participants’ problem-solving styles and performance, providing early empirical support for robotics as a vehicle for STEM learning. She further explored the surprising emotional bonds students form with their creations, finding that attachment to LEGO robots develops through factors like time invested and perceived autonomy (13 citations). Varnado also advanced understanding of metacognition in robotics education, using student reflection journals to track changes in both general and robotics-specific self-efficacy (9 citations). Her practical guides for teaching problem-solving skills with LEGO MINDSTORMS® NXT have informed course design at the college level. Through this body of work, Varnado has helped establish robotics not merely as a technical discipline but as a rich context for studying how students think, feel, and grow as problem solvers.