THE IMPACT OF ROBOTICS COMPETITIONS ON THE LEVEL OF TECHNOLOGY IN INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING IN KENYA

Abstract

In line with vision 2030, which aims at making Kenya a middle income industrialized nation and be technologically competitive globally, Science Technology and Innovation are key pillars. Accordingly, the Ministry of Education Science and Technology introduced Robotics Competition with a bid to making students innovative, creative and competitive in the area of Technology. This event takes place annually, since 2008, especially during the Science week organized by National Council for Science Technology and Innovation (NACOSTI). This study aims at examining the impact of the Robotics Competition on curriculum development, students’ final year projects and practical lessons/laboratory exercises done in the institutions and more so the level of technology involved, achievements of the participants in robotics competitions in any economic activities and towards the achievement of sustainable development goals i.e. Build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization and foster innovation. Interviews and discussions were done in five Higher Learning Institutions which have been participating in Robotics Competition since 2008. A Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) software was employed in the analysis. The results of this study shall assist in indicating the effectiveness of the Robotics Competitions in improving use of technology (and the level) in Kenya.