This article comes fromWeChat official account: Xinchao (ID: njunewtide), author: Li Jiahao, United States Code: dragon hope, thematic map visually China
Speaking of Lego, people usually think of building models with various particles, such as airplanes, tanks, and rockets, as long as you can get them. However, you may not know that there is another business of Lego that is blooming everywhere, that is, education and training. There are also competitions organized by Lego, which once became a shortcut for the college entrance examination.
Zhang Li renewed the course for 6-year-old Xiao Rui in the Lego class. From the age of three and a half to the present, Xiao Rui, who has been teaching at the Tianshui Creile Robot Education School in Gansu, has upgraded from large-particle construction to programming courses, not only the class level, but also the cost. Three years ago, the tuition fee for a semester was more than 1,500 yuan, but this year it has risen to more than 5,000 yuan. Li Na’s children living in Xi’an have been exposed to Lego robots since the fourth grade, spending 14,000 yuan in Lego classes every year.
Since Lego Education opened the first Lego Activity Center in China in 2006, youth robotics education has entered the field of vision of Chinese parents. Today, such Lego training institutions have taken root all over the country and become an emerging option for juveniles’ extracurricular education.
From toys to teaching aids
In the eyes of the public, Lego is synonymous with granular building blocks for realizing whimsical ideas. Cars, buildings, and cartoon characters can all be assembled with it. Regardless of age and gender, it is considered a toy suitable for all ages and is liked by different age groups. In addition to the Lego toy store full of interesting models, Lego’s business in China also includes education. Lego Education, born in 1980, is in charge of Lego’s intracurricular and extracurricular activities. After entering China, it created a unique “Lego Activity Center”, their core It’s a Lego robot.
Three generations of Lego robot main control module
In 1998, the Lego Group released the first generation of Mindstorms robot, the main control module is RCX, a total of 3 input ports and 3 output ports, powered by batteries. The main control is connected with sensors and motors through contacts, and each component is driven by programming, which can realize simple transmission tasks and become the pioneering work of Lego robot exploration.
In 2006, Lego released the second generation robot named NXT. This generation has realized “4 inputs and 3 outputs”, that is, 4 input interfaces and 3 output interfaces. The processing capacity is also more powerful, and it can communicate with computers via Bluetooth.
In 2013, the NXT series gave way to the third-generation LEGO robot product-EV3. As the flagship product still in use today, EV3 supports more communication methods such as WIFI, SD card, and increased the interface to “4 in and 4 out”, becoming the mainstream product in the Lego robot market with higher operating efficiency and stronger expansion capabilities , Active in the classroom and competition field inside and outside the class.
Take the latest product as an example, the robot set is divided into “toy version” (No. 31313) and “education version” (No. 45544) There are two types, and the Chinese market also has a “special edition”(No. 9898), the difference between the special edition and the other two sets is whether there is a built-in identification chip to distinguish whether they can participate in the competition. They are also different in price. According to the official flagship store of Tmall Lego, the toy version of the EV3 kit is priced at 4699 yuan. The educational version is sold on the official website of Lego Education, using the new number 5003400, and the recommended price is 5301.89 yuan.
A high school robot club teacher told the author that the new kit is no different from the past 45544 and 9898. In the past, the Lego educational equipment agent Simiya sold at 4800 yuan. In 2019, Lego Education announcedBurundi no longer cooperates with Simiya Company in off-campus business, and withdraws education, competition and activity center business.
Previously, the after-sales service manual of China’s special competition suit, all businesses are represented by Simia Company
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From hobbies to a shortcut to further studies
In 1986, Lego Education and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology began to cooperate to develop robotics-related courses. This year, the National Science Council of the United States published a report “Undergraduate Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Education”, which is considered the beginning of STEM education. This educational philosophy originated in the United States includes science (Science), technology (Technology ), Engineering (Engineer) and Mathematics (Math)< /span>, abbreviated as STEM, aims to cultivate talents with scientific and technological literacy. The government has continuously increased its support for many years.
In 2016, the Ministry of Education issued the “Thirteenth Five-Year Plan for Education Informatization”, which mentioned that “regions with conditions should actively explore the Space’, interdisciplinary learning (STEAM education), maker education and other new education modes are applied to improve students’ information literacy, innovation awareness and ability, and develop digital learning habits. Promote the all-round development of students and give play to the supporting and leading role of information technology in cultivating high-quality talents in the future.” Art is added to this statement (Arts) , Expanded its meaning. In fact, whether it is STEM or STEAM, its core concept is close to what is called quality education in China.
a high school STEAM education base
The rise of Lego Education has not only opened up new space for children, but also provided new training programs for the education market. In 2006, China’s first Lego Event Center officially opened, marking the Lego Group’s entry into the Chinese education market.
At the beginning of the entry, Lego took the form of an agent, and authorized the business of education, competition and activity center to Beijing Simiya Technology Co., Ltd., and Simiya Company issued a second authorization. Lego Education uses this method Activities. Under the management of Simia, the Lego Event Center expanded rapidly, covering 21 provincial administrative regions across the country, with the number of stores reaching more than 150.
As another business agent of Simia,In-school education is also one of the layout of Lego Education. Primary, junior and senior high schools may introduce Lego robot projects in STEAM education and general technical courses, or organize their own groups, clubs, or introduce off-campus institutions to enter the school to carry out activities. Lego Education began to develop both inside and outside the school.
General technical courses are one of Lego Education’s campuses
STEM education report and evaluation work schedule submitted to the general technology practice base school
Not only that, as the “export” of training, a competition project centered on Lego robots was established under Simia’s operation, and the LEGO robot competition project FLL(First Lego League) was included in the first China Youth Robotics Competition sponsored by the China Association for Science and Technology in 2001. At that time, the competition was called the “National Youth Computer Robotics Competition”, and it became a regular event since then Held every year, since 2012, it has been fully electronically managed.
Participants are selected in various competitions at all levels, and the champions of each group decided to form an alliance to participate in the World Championship. In addition, LEGO China and the Central Audio-visual Education Center also hold FLL events together. Except for some rules and details, other event equipment and events are consistent with those of the Association for Science and Technology.
Simiya also cooperates with foreign event organizers to organize their own competitions. This type of competition is a corporate business competition. The success of the two major official competitions and commercial competitions has contributed to the Lego education system. At the same time, the participation of teams from inside and outside the school has formed a model of “training-competition” and “official competition + commercial competition”. The value is enhanced through official recognition and then commercial Race to expand the market.
Award certificate issued by China Association for Science and Technology
Robot competition organized by Simia
As the impact of the competition increases, and official agencies will issue certificates for contestants, some colleges and universities have begun to use robotics competitions as one of the conditions for autonomous recruitment. Take Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics as an example. Its 2017 and 2018 independent enrollment resumes clearly mention that winning awards in high school competitions in science and technology innovation is one of the conditions for entry, including the China Youth Robotics Competition. With the replacement of independent enrollment by the Strong Foundation Program, this type of competition has not continued to remain in the conditions for admission.
China Southern Airlines 2017 Independent Enrollment Guide China Science and Technology Innovation Competition Conditions Table
In addition to enrollment in higher education, science and technology innovation competitions have gradually been accepted by high schools in recent years, becoming the third category-science and technology students after sports and art students. Taking Lanzhou as an example, the well-known Northwest Normal University High School, Lanzhou No. 1 High School, Lanzhou High School Affiliated to Lanzhou University, Lanzhou Foreign Language Senior High School and other schools have set up science and technology or science and technology in their independent enrollment plans, and have different degrees of degraded admission policies. .
2020 Autonomous Enrollment Plan for the Middle School Attached to Northwest Normal University (Source: Official Website of the Middle School Attached to Northwest Normal University)
Lanzhou No. 1 Middle School Independent Enrollment Plan in 2020 (Source: Lanzhou No. 1 Middle School official website)
From toys to teaching aids
With the operation of Lego and its partner Simia, Lego Education gradually enters parentsWith our vision, coupled with the emergence of the concept of artificial intelligence, young robots have become a new hot spot in education.
Compared with the slow expansion of Lego Event Center’s system requirements for funds, equipment and courses, non-Lego branded institutions are spreading virally. Domestically, there are robot education brands that use Lego robots as the hardware basis and use independent courses, such as Maigao Education; brands of its own equipment and courses that resemble Lego, such as Zhongming Educational Robot, Lebo Lebo Education Technology, etc.; and some Institutions with other training experience offer courses, purchase Lego or non-Lego equipment, and purchase official or unofficial courses as a package for teaching.
Each particle or other part of the genuine Lego element is printed with the word LEGO (above)
There is no imitation brand or other words (picture below)
These institutions have used Lego’s brand effect and used the “Lego Activity Center” concept in their promotion to recruit students, and they have expanded rapidly with relatively low prices and more convenient locations. In the eyes of many parents, the use of cool robots, “Lego-type” dolls are placed at the door, and the organization that teaches children to build and program is the “Lego Activity Center.”