2026-08-21

As the summer vacation draws to a close, students at Duona Elementary School in Maolin District experienced a summer filled with robots, programming, and virtual reality (VR). For a group of students from the National University of Kaohsiung (NUK), the summer also became an opportunity to bring their knowledge beyond campus and connect technology with community service.

NUK’s e-Eureka Information Volunteers, organized by the Artificial Intelligence Research Center, joined forces with the Digital Content Design Research Center to lead students at Duona Elementary School in exploring robotics, mathematics, programming, and emerging technologies. The activity marked the third information volunteer service project organized by the team during this summer vacation.

The five-day program was held from August 10 to 14 and brought together 24 students from third to sixth grade. Continuing the National Science and Technology Council-funded project “Mathematics × Robotics: Development of Mathematics-Centered STEAM Interdisciplinary Learning Materials,” the program was jointly supported by six NUK student volunteers from different disciplines: Cheng-Chun Hsieh from the Department of Electrical Engineering, Pei-Chen Wei from the Department of Crafts and Creative Design, and Chen-Yi Lu, Yu-Chen Wu, Chih-Ling Chen, and Szu-Hsien An from the Department of Information Management.

The team designed hands-on activities covering robot operation, programming, and obstacle challenges. Concepts such as time, distance, and speed were incorporated into line-following tasks, while probability was introduced through ultrasonic sensor activities. Students were encouraged to progress from operation and observation to calculation and verification, transforming mathematics from something learned on paper into a practical tool for controlling robots and solving problems.

Chih-Hung Wu, Director of the Artificial Intelligence Research Center and faculty advisor to the e-Eureka Information Volunteers, said that the research and educational resources accumulated by universities should not remain confined to campus. Through student participation, these resources can become a bridge connecting higher education with diverse learning environments.

The three volunteer service activities held this summer enabled children to encounter mathematics and technology through hands-on experiences, while also giving university students opportunities to apply their expertise, communicate with younger learners, and develop practical teaching skills through service.

Compared with the team’s previous two activities, the Duona program also incorporated VR experiences. The e-Eureka Information Volunteers collaborated with the Digital Content Design Research Center, led by Associate Professor Cheng-Hung Wang of the Department of Crafts and Creative Design, to integrate immersive technology and interactive design into the program.

Wang explained that his team has been incorporating VR and other digital technologies into classroom teaching, cross-school learning, and diverse educational settings. The key to integrating technology into education, he emphasized, lies not simply in the equipment or technology itself, but in designing learning environments that respond to learners’ needs and encourage active participation and exploration.

The team developed EWOVA EduGen: AI-Powered Immersive Technology Teaching System, which was recognized this year with the 2026 National Science and Technology Council Future Technology Award. Through immersive educational materials, cross-school learning, and Taiwan-Japan educational exchanges, the team has accumulated extensive experience applying technology in different learning environments. Its participation in the Duona program brought this experience directly to students, transforming research and development outcomes into learning experiences that children could see, operate, and explore themselves.

Ai-Chien Tseng, Director of Academic Affairs at Duona Elementary School, said that the NUK team brought mBot2 programming and VR experiences into the school, giving students opportunities to encounter different forms of technological applications. Through games, teamwork, and task-based challenges, students not only learned about technology through hands-on activities but also practiced communication and logical thinking while developing greater motivation for independent learning.

For the university volunteers, the summer was also a learning experience. As the students observed, knowing how to do something and knowing how to teach it are two different things. At university, students can learn information technology and related subjects at their own pace. When working with children of different ages and learning levels, however, they must constantly observe their reactions and adjust their explanations and teaching pace.

Hsieh and Lu noted that when children gradually moved from initial trial and error to understanding the concepts and ultimately succeeded in completing a robot task, the volunteers shared in their excitement. Technology became more than a piece of equipment—it became a medium through which students and volunteers could work together to overcome challenges.

Wei also described entering the indigenous community as a new experience. Although the team had prepared extensively before departure, unexpected circumstances such as heavy rain and power outages required the activities to be adjusted on site. These moments of improvisation taught the students how to reorganize responsibilities, communicate, and solve problems in real-world situations, providing valuable experiences that could not have been fully anticipated during course planning.

Through the integration of mathematics, robotics, programming, AI, VR, and service learning, the program demonstrated how university expertise can be transformed into accessible educational experiences while connecting NUK students with communities that need greater access to technology education.

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@Department of Electrical Engineering · Department of Crafts and Creative Design · Department of Information Management · Artificial Intelligence Research Center | Activities