When I was growing up, I used to think of computer science as something that happened in dark rooms, with glowing screens and endless lines of text being typed by silent programmers. As I began teaching, I started to see how computer science plays a crucial role in nearly every modern industry. However, many of those perceptions of coding as abstract and distant remained. It wasn’t until I was asked to bring robotics into my classroom that I understood how computer science connects to real-world problem-solving. Robotics bridges the gap between abstract coding concepts and hands-on learning, allowing students to see the direct impact of their work. With robotics, students can visualize how variables change during a task or how the order of code blocks leads to specific behaviors in the robot. For me, robotics is now synonymous with STEM education and computer science.

The VEX CTE Workcell takes this further by connecting computer science concepts to real-world industrial applications. Students gain valuable hands-on experience with automation and robotics while learning the computer science skills required to operate workcells. These experiences are facilitated through two courses, the Introduction to the 6-Axis Arm and the Workcell Automation course. Each course is made up of STEM Lab Units that are sequenced to develop real-world manufacturing knowledge and computer science skills. Through Units focused on topics like palletization, end effectors, and the Cartesian coordinate system, students use VEXcode to code a 6-Axis Robotic Arm and other systems, making computer science an engaging and relevant part of their education.

CS Concepts in CTE STEM Labs

The Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) breaks up algorithms and programming into five different components: 

• Algorithms
• Variables
• Control
• Modularity
• Program development

VEX CTE STEM Lab Units integrate these components into hands-on activities that challenge students to apply their learning in real-world scenarios. Below are examples of how these concepts come to life in the Units. For more details on CSTA alignment, visit the CTE standards page. 

Algorithms 

In the later Units of the Workcell Automation course, students face open-ended challenges that require them to apply their knowledge of the CTE Workcell. They plan a solution with their group, using sensors, pneumatics, and conveyors to fulfill a shipping manifest quickly and accurately. After they plan their projects, they convert that plan into coding projects that are iteratively built and tested.

This ties directly to the CSTA 3A-AP-13 standard: Create prototypes that use algorithms to solve computational problems by leveraging prior student knowledge and personal interests.

Variables

In Unit 6 of the Intro to the 6-Axis Robotic Arm course, students learn about variables by coding the arm to draw a square on a whiteboard. By using the Increment arm block, they define the side length of the square with a variable, testing and adjusting the code iteratively. This hands-on activity helps students see how variables store values and change over time.

This activity aligns with the CSTA 2-AP-11 standard: Create clearly named variables that represent different data types and perform operations on their values.

Control

Throughout the Units, students explore control structures, such as conditional statements, loops, and sensor feedback. Using VEXcode’s Monitor Console, they can track variables and sensor data in real-time, seeing how the robot makes decisions based on this feedback. For example, in one task, the robot moves Cubes based on a variable that tracks the number of cubes that have been placed on the pallet. Beyond this, they use nested loops, as shown in the image here, to continue to check the variable value.

This aligns with the CSTA 2-AP-12 standard: Design and iteratively develop programs that combine control structures, including nested loops and compound conditionals.

Additionally when students incorporate sensor feedback in the Workcell Automation course, they make decisions about how to code the 6-Axis Arm to pick up and place objects based on color. This connects to the CSTA 3A-AP-15 standard: Justify the selection of specific control structures when tradeoffs involve implementation, readability, and program performance, and explain the benefits and drawbacks of choices made.

Conclusion

These are just a few of the many examples of how computer science is integrated into the CTE STEM Lab Units. These Units provide an exciting, hands-on way to explore computer science in the context of real-world industrial applications. Through activities focused on algorithms, variables, control structures, and more, students develop critical coding skills while seeing the direct impact of their work in automation and robotics. The integration of computer science concepts into these engaging, problem-solving tasks ensures that students are not only learning but also applying their knowledge in meaningful ways.