Block by Block: Building Confidence in Coding

While Discovery Science and Technology Centre undergoes an exciting and large-scale transformation in preparation for its upcoming LEGO exhibition, the Girls in STEM Club has continued to buzz with energy, creativity, and innovation.

This week’s session centred on block coding, a precise and structured way of programming Spheros to perform exactly as intended.  Equipped with iPads and using the Sphero Edu platform, the girls gained valuable hands-on experience learning how to control and direct their robots with increasing confidence.

Alissa guided them step by step, showing how to connect to their individual Spheros by identifying each one when changing its colour to ensure everyone had the correct robot.  Once connected, the girls navigated to the coding screen, created a new project, selected block coding, and began constructing their programs using drag-and-drop blocks.

Using this method they carefully built sequences of commands, learning how each instruction influenced the robot’s movement and behaviour.  With growing confidence, they programmed precise movements: lights on, move forward, adjust speed, travel set distances, and rotate in exact degrees.  They quickly discovered how 90° turns right, 180° spins back, and 270° turns left could transform simple instructions into complex movement patterns.  Creativity flourished as they added sound effects such as music, animals and imaginative voice imitations.

The challenges grew more ambitious: first, guiding their robots to trace a perfect square on the carpet.  Then navigating a mapped obstacle course with strict rules like “do not touch the grass” or “avoid the water”.

Amid transformation, these young coders proved that with teamwork, logic, and imagination, they can program their way through any challenge.