Lego Ev3 Education

[Evelina Browder]

Iultimately decided to do a little of each: this article is organized into sections exploring what the set offers for students and educators, a comparison with other LEGO Programming sets, the experience programming with the LEGO Education Spike app (and related LEGO Mindstorms app), and a short discussion of LEGO storage options for a set like this.

My hope in reviewing the set was to get a first glimpse at the new system for building motorized and programmable LEGO models, to offer an assessment of how well the set would work in a classroom setting, and explore how well the included storage bin works in everyday use.

The LEGO Group has a long-standing tradition of supporting educators with products designed specifically for use in the classroom. This has included both sets containing standard bricks, and a range of programmable products beginning with LEGO Technic Control, a product for educators that was released 35 years ago (1985).

As you can see, the set comes in a durable plastic bin with two sorting trays containing four compartments each. Stickers are included to help keep the smaller pieces organized, and the larger parts fit comfortably beneath the sorting trays in the large yellow bin (with enough space to rummage around to find what you need pretty easily).

You have some other options no matter whether you are an AFOL, a parent, or an Educator. This section offers a quick comparison with both the consumer-facing #51515 MINDSTORMS Robot Inventor set, and the previous generation LEGO Mindstorms EV3 products, which debuted (way) back in 2013.

Ultimately, the simpler experience, additional sensors, and smaller size of the new system makes it a better choice for simple projects and most educational scenarios. Only a small number of computationally-intensive projects would benefit from the more powerful EV3 system anyways. (The new system is probably less appealing to the maker community, but that market is already saturated with Raspberry Pi and Arduino products.)

Designing consumer electronics products is all about tradeoffs between competing pressures (like cost, size, capabilities and battery life). I suspect that the main goal in designing a replacement for the EV3 brick was to make it easier for younger builders to get started. Making the brick smaller helps with this goal because it is easier to integrate a smaller (and lighter) programmable brick into LEGO models.

To be clear, some of the decisions made in designing the new hub will minimize the performance gap. The newer CPU has a significantly slower clock speed, but it also has newer architecture that will improve performance of certain operations. More importantly, the decision to use an embedded OS (instead of using Linux) will certainly reduce overall system overhead, and may even reduce latency in responding to new information from the sensors.

I built several of the robots using the curiculum materials that are provided in the LEGO Education SPIKE app. I observed that they were of a consistently high quality, with introductory videos, clear building instructions, and tips along the way to help you succeed.

One of the projects I attempted (while on a road trip with my family) was to build a GBC module using just the parts from these sets, plus a handful of the LEGO Soccer Balls (which are typically used in a GBC). This project did not rely on programming at all, but rather allowed me to test the limits of the part selection included in these sets.

It took a few tries to combine the required sensors and wheels in a small chassis. My initial prototype (not pictured) was quickly assembled using several of the large 711 Open Frames (part 39794). The final version is radically more compact, wedging the color sensor in the middle of the model such that it reads the colors when it passes directly over the programming brick. This navigates curved DUPLO track more easily, but falls over backwards when attempting to go up a ramp.

As noted earlier in the article, you can purchase Spike Prime but use the superior Mindstorms app to write custom apps, or you can buy the potentially cheaper Mindstorms set and use the curriculum materials in the LEGO Education Spike app.

While your hub will work with either app, you will need to re-flash your hub with a different firmware when switching apps. The image which appears when you turn on the hub tells you which firmware is installed.

As noted earlier in the article, the core set fits pretty well in the included box, and the stickers do offer a good recommendation about where to store each piece. The problem is that the expansion set is required to build many of the lesson plans, and most decent custom creations because the core set is so limited, but the storage box is woefully unable to store all of the additional parts.

The reason that I recommend a more advanced storage solution is twofold: to make it quicker and easier for students to find the parts they need, and a well organized storage solution makes it easier for students to discover the full range of parts at their disposal to solve engineering problems they encounter while building. (It also makes it easier to see when a part is lost or stolen.)

If you already have a large LEGO collection you probably know how to incorporate all of these parts into your existing storage solution. (If not, you should check out LEGO Storage for Large Collections chapter of my LEGO Storage Guide.)

For Families: #51515 MINDSTORMS Robot Inventor offers a better value for most families, since it includes more parts for a similar price. The Mindstorms app focuses more on fun than learning, which is probably more realistic in a household setting anyways. Do consider storage for either set, though. The same Tackle box with removeable containers would work equally well in the home, especially if you label the compartments.

The selection of Powered Up motors and sensors also reflects an upgrade from the previous generation, largely due to the increased interoperability between motors within and outside of the Mindstorms product line. The biggest outstanding downside is the inability to run Powered Up off of a wall outlet using officially released LEGO accessories.

It is possible that they have blocked users from switching between the two apps after removing LEGO Mindstorms from retail. I am sorry but I do not have current information about cross-app compatibility.

LEGO is a trademark of the LEGO Group which does not sponsor, authorize or endorse this site.

As a member of the Recognized LEGO Fan Media program, we abide by the LEGO Fair Play and Novelty policies by not sharing leaked photos of unreleased sets.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. (For a complete list of affiliate programs, visit About Brick Architect.)

Our workshops incorporate the LEGO Education BricQ Motion Essential set to engage students in the exploration of physical science and help foster an understanding of forces, motion, and interactions by providing easy hands-on learning experiences.

Explore how different gears push each other and change the dancers' spinning speed in a fun dance competition. Students will explore how pushing on an object can change the speed or direction of its motion and start or stop its movement. Understand that objects push on one another when they touch and that this can change their motion. Explore how gears of different sizes push each other, which makes them move faster or slower.

Build a spring launcher and a car with a removable brake to explore push and pull forces, and the effects of friction. Students will explore and explain how force and friction can change the speed of an object and affect how far it'll go in a push car race.

The light changes from red to green, and off you go! Did your pit team choose the right wheels? Will your team win? Students will customize a race car to explore different variables, like mass and rolling resistance, to see whose car can go the farthest and record data and use it to make predictions and recognize patterns.

These workshops will give your students an understanding of forces and motion as they plan and conduct investigations about the cause and effect of push and pull forces. Each workshop will introduce students to the process of asking and answering questions, data analysis, and how to present their ideas. They'll work toward determining whether design solutions work as they were intended to change the speed or direction of an object with a push or a pull.

These workshops will develop your students' understanding of forces and motion as they engage in and conduct investigations about the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces. They'll investigate the patterns in an object's motion, developing and sharpening their ability to predict future motion. Along the way, they'll develop their collaborative conversation skills as they effectively engage in a range of discussions.

If you require further information on our programs, please contact our booking team. We'll be more than happy to provide all the information you need to ensure you have a memorable, inspiring experience. Email: group....@legolanddiscoverycenter.com

Subscribe to our Educator Newsletter and stay connected. We'll deliver our newest teacher resources, keep you in the know of any special offers, educator event invites, friends and family discounts, giveaways and more!

Lego Education, formerly known as Lego Dacta, is a specialized Lego theme created for educational purposes in schools. This theme, introduced in 1999, includes a variety of sets that cater to different educational needs.[2] These sets often focus on Duplo and Technic themes and typically contain a larger quantity of blocks. By incorporating these sets into the classroom, educators can provide students with hands-on learning experiences that enhance their understanding of various subjects, from basic building concepts to advanced engineering principles.[1]

3a8082e126