The free Summer Sports Schools organised by the Department of Youth and Sports Services to help children make productive use of their summer holidays continue to attract strong interest. Designed to support children’s physical, mental and social development, promote a culture of sport and help them discover their talents at an early age, the programme offers Robotics and Coding classes alongside a variety of sports.

The training aims to increase children’s interest in technology and science and enable them to become not only users of digital tools but also creators of technology. Putting theory into practice, the children transfer the code they write to robots and bring their designs to life.

Developing Algorithmic Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills

Robotics and coding activities teach children how to break down a problem into smaller, manageable parts, identify the steps needed to solve it and carry out those steps in the correct order. When their code does not produce the expected result, the children investigate the source of the error, try different solutions and revise their code accordingly.

This process helps children develop their understanding of cause and effect as well as their analytical thinking, planning, attention and concentration skills. Learning through trial and error also teaches students to be patient when they encounter difficulties and to keep working towards a solution rather than giving up.

Alongside their individual work, children examine one another’s projects and share their knowledge, developing teamwork and cooperation skills. Turning their ideas into functioning robots also gives them the opportunity to express their creativity and build confidence in what they create.

400 Students Take Part in Five Groups

Robotics and Coding Instructor Gülşah Yurtsever said that 400 children had applied for the programme and that the students had been divided into five groups due to high demand. Yurtsever explained that the training began with an introduction to algorithms and how they are used in everyday life, before moving on to block-based coding.

She added that students upload the code they create on computers to robots and then operate them physically. Yurtsever said the children experience great excitement and joy when they see robots moving according to the code they have written themselves.

Children Transfer Their Code to Robots

Mir Amed Koçak, one of the students taking part in the programme, explained that they use WeDo 2.0, mBlock, Scratch and Arduino to design various robots and games. Koçak said they had built robots that avoid obstacles, follow light and respond to sound, describing coding as giving a computer or a robot step-by-step instructions on what to do.

Koçak explained that they first learned the logic of coding through Scratch and mBlock before transferring the code they created to physical robots using Arduino. He said he was extremely excited when the first robot he had built successfully worked.

‘I Want to Build a Successful Robot in the Future’

Sedanur Çiftçi said she joined the Robotics and Coding programme to learn about new technologies and create her own designs in the future. Çiftçi explained that she was developing her skills by progressing from simpler to more challenging tasks and that, when she encountered difficulties, she tried more advanced coding techniques and continued working without giving up. She added that she hopes to design successful and original robots in the future.

‘I Learnt How to Use Coding Applications’

Miran Enes Baykuşak also said that he greatly enjoyed taking part in the Robotics and Coding programme and hoped one day to design self-operating devices similar to the automata created by Al-Jazari.

Baykuşak said that through the course he had learnt to use Scratch and block-based coding applications that he had not previously known, while also sharing knowledge and experience with his friends during the sessions.

He explained that his friends ask him for help with things they find difficult and that he, in turn, receives support from them when he encounters difficulties. Baykuşak said the course had made an important contribution both to his learning and to his social development.