FROM THEORY TO PRACTICE

active learning through spaghetti towers (the marshmallow challenge) in educational robotics

Authors

  • Jonas Leonardo Mesquita de Amorim UNICATÓLICA DO RIO GRANDE DO NORTE
  • Vinnicius Luan dos Santos Costa UNICATÓLICA DO RIO GRANDE DO NORTE
  • Meyre-Ester Barbosa de Oliveira Universidade Estadual do Rio Grande do Norte

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.61228/os.v5i3.110

Keywords:

active learning, educational robotics, basic education

Abstract

This text aims to report on the experience of a theoretical-practical activity developed in the Robotics curriculum component, culminating in the construction of a spaghetti tower, known as the marshmallow challenge. The study is characterized as qualitative in nature, descriptive in character, and supported by a literature review. The activities were carried out in November 2024 at the Colégio Diocesano Santa Luzia, located in the municipality of Mossoró, Rio Grande do Norte, involving 6th-grade classes of Elementary School – Final Years. The project was organized into three classes with distinct themes: the first addressed concepts related to rigid and flexible structures; the second focused on the planning and construction of the tower; and the third discussed the movement of tectonic plates, establishing relationships between scientific concepts and the practical activity. The actions developed sought to consolidate learning, promoting the articulation between theory and practice. The experience demonstrated significant contributions to student development by promoting active learning based on experimentation, stimulating engagement, creativity, and the collaborative construction of knowledge.

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Author Biographies

Jonas Leonardo Mesquita de Amorim, UNICATÓLICA DO RIO GRANDE DO NORTE

Postgraduate student in literacy, multiliteracies, and bilingualism at UNICATÓLICA DO RIO GRANDE DO NORTE.

Vinnicius Luan dos Santos Costa, UNICATÓLICA DO RIO GRANDE DO NORTE

Postgraduate student in literacy, multiliteracies, and bilingualism at UNICATÓLICA DO RIO GRANDE DO NORTE.

Meyre-Ester Barbosa de Oliveira, Universidade Estadual do Rio Grande do Norte

PhD in Education from PORPED/UERJ; Professor in the Pedagogy program and in the POSEDUC graduate program (FE/UERN).

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Published

2026-01-05

How to Cite

LEONARDO MESQUITA DE AMORIM, Jonas; LUAN DOS SANTOS COSTA, Vinnicius; BARBOSA DE OLIVEIRA, Meyre-Ester. FROM THEORY TO PRACTICE: active learning through spaghetti towers (the marshmallow challenge) in educational robotics. Omnia Sapientiae, Mossoró, RN, v. 5, n. 3, p. 13–22, 2026. DOI: 10.61228/os.v5i3.110. Disponível em: https://revistas.catolicadorn.com.br/omnia/article/view/110. Acesso em: 22 oct. 2026.

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