FIRST® LEGO® LEAGUE

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CertifiedEducation quality
08/2018
FIRST® LEGO® LEAGUE

FIRST® LEGO® LEAGUE

FIRST® LEGO® LEAGUE
Science, Technology & Computing
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FIRST LEGO League (FLL) is a STEM program with a robotics competition for elementary and middle school students.

FIRST® LEGO® League is a versatile, cross-curriculular experience, which utilizes educational robotics. FLL® offers the contents and assignments for the annual challenges, which are suitable for comprehensive school and hobby clubs. Previous experience on programming and robotics is in not required.
Guided by adult Coaches, FIRST LEGO League teams research a real-world problem such as food safety, recycling, energy, etc., and are challenged to develop a solution. They also must design, build, program a robot using LEGO MINDSTORMS® technology, then compete on a table-top playing field. The tournaments are also a great place for meeting other teams interested in science and technology, and having fun. FIRST® LEGO® League is a global program operated by local partner organizations responsible for each area's FLL-tournaments.

Age groups 
Elementary
Middle school
Price 
One time purchase
Languages 
Multilingual
Platform 
Other
Registration 
Not required
Offline play 
Internet required
Pictures
Videos
Price 
One time purchase
Each annual challenge has own theme and a special game board, which teams needs to practice for robotics competition

Each annual challenge has own theme and a special game board, which teams needs to practice for robotics competition

The FLL-tournaments are a great place for having fun and meeting other teams.

The FLL-tournaments are a great place for having fun and meeting other teams.

In FLL-events teams presents to judges not only their project and robot engineering but also how they use Core Values and how their robots complete challenges they are chosen.

In FLL-events teams presents to judges not only their project and robot engineering but also how they use Core Values and how their robots complete challenges they are chosen.

An adult coach will facilitate the team's work, but the teams will create their FLL-solutions themselves.

An adult coach will facilitate the team's work, but the teams will create their FLL-solutions themselves.

First Lego League wants to promote science, innovation and gracious professionalism and collaboration.

First Lego League wants to promote science, innovation and gracious professionalism and collaboration.

Pedagogy
Educational Quality
Learning Goals

The pedagogical analysis covers how the product supports learning of the identified skills. The student’s role is assessed by four contrary pair parameters, which are selected to cover the most essential aspects on the use of the product.

Passive
Active
Progression and developement in FLL is fully based on the students' own activity. The students can set their own goals within the boundaries of FLL rules, the annual theme and the used technology platforms. The teacher's role is to coach the actions, but the students are in the core of setting goals and reflecting learning.
Rehearse
Construct
Success in the FLL challenge is based on the ability gain, understand and adapt knowledge in creative problem solving tasks. Activities in the challenge are very goal oriented, so the seeking and adapting new information guides towards learning new skills by doing.
Linear
Non-linear/Creative
The FLL challenge provides a setting for an unlimited, creative learning process. The project can be easily adjusted to the student's skill level. The competition gives clear goals and schedule for the learning activities.
Individual
Collaborative
Individual progress in the FLL Challenge is tied to team or group progress. Collaboration is a natural and essential part of all activities in the project and teaches the importance of teamwork. FLL is a global program, which provides a global community and resources to support the works of individual teams and national events.

The following are the high educational quality aspects in this product.

Since the activities in FLL® are fully student-led, the progression and success are based on the student's own activity.
Success in the competition is based on the students' ability to gain and adapt knowledge in creative ways and work together.
The learning journey is different for every student, so the individual strengths and interest will become a natural part of the process.
FIRST® LEGO® League core values support healthy competition and sharing of solutions in a supportive way.

The supported learning goals are identified by matching the product with several relevant curricula descriptions on this subject area. The soft skills are definitions of learning goals most relevant for the 21st century. They are formed by taking a reference from different definitions of 21st century skills and Finnish curriculum.

Subject based learning goals

Select from and use a wider range of tools and equipment to perform practical tasks accurately
Understand and use mechanical systems in their products
Understand how key events and individuals in design and technology have helped shape the world
Apply computing and use electronics to embed intelligence in products that respond to inputs, and control outputs, using programmable components
Critique, evaluate and test their ideas and products and the work of others
Identify and solve their own design problems and understand how to reformulate problems given to them
Investigate new and emerging technologies
Participate successfully in an increasingly technological world
Select from and use a wider, more complex range of materials, components and ingredients, taking into account their properties
Understand how more advanced mechanical systems used in their products enable changes in movement and force
Understand how more advanced electrical and electronic systems can be powered and used in their products
Understand developments in design and technology, its impact on individuals, society and the environment, and the responsibilities of designers, engineers and technologis
Test, evaluate and refine their ideas and products against a specification, taking into account the views of intended users and other interested groups
Select from and use specialist tools, techniques, processes, equipment and machinery precisely, including computer-aided manufacture
Use a variety of approaches, to generate creative ideas and avoid stereotypical responses
Understand and use electrical systems in their products

Soft skills learning goals

Encouraging the growth of positive self-image
Learning to face failures and disappointments
Encouraging to build new information and visions
Learning to combine information to find new innovations
Learning to build information on top of previously learned
Practicing to notice links between subjects learned
Practicing to notice causal connections
Learning to face respectfully people and follow the good manners
Enabling the growth of positive self-image
Learning decision-making, influencing and accountability
Learning to understand the meaning of rules, contracts and trust
Learning to listen other people’s opinions
Practicing to work with others
Practicing to give, get and reflect feedback
Practicing decision making
Learning to plan and organize work processes
Connecting subjects learned at school to skills needed at worklife
Learning to acquire, modify and produce information in different forms
Practicing logical reasoning to understand and interpret information in different forms
Learning to plan and design own written content and textual representations
Practicing to use information independently and interactively
Practicing to find, evaluate and share information
Building common knowledge of technological solutions and their meaning in everyday life
Understanding and practicing safe and responsible uses of technology
Using technological resources for finding and applying information
Using technology as a part of explorative and creative process
Practicing logical reasoning, algorithms and programming through making
Understanding technological system operations through making
Using technology resources for problem solving
Learning to find the joy of learning and new challenges
Practicing persistent working
Encouraging students to be innovative and express new ideas
Practicing to use imagination and to be innovative
Creating requirements for creative thinking
Practicing strategic thinking
Learning to recognise and evaluate arguments and their reasonings
Practicing to plan and execute studies, make observations and measurements
Developing problem solving skills
Practicing to create questions and make justifiable arguments based on observations

The Finnish Educational Quality Certificate

Our Quality Evaluation Method is an academically sound approach to evaluating a product’s pedagogical design from the viewpoint of educational psychology.

The method has been developed with university researchers and all evaluators are carefully selected Finnish teachers with a master's degree in education.

More about the evaluation