Programmed control systems are ubiquitous in the present-day world. In current educational practice, however, these systems are hardly being addressed, and little is known about children’s spontaneous understandings about such systems. Therefore, we explored pupils’ understandings prior to instruction …

Conference poster Digitally controlled systems, such as elevators, washing machines, and traffic lights, are ubiquitous in children's present-day world. However, in current educational practice, such systems are hardly being addressed, and little is known about children's initial understandings about …

Recently, the use of military robots – which may be drones, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), remotely piloted systems, autonomous weapon systems or ‘killer robots’ – has been debated in the media, politics, and academia. Military robots are increasingly automated, which means that they can perform tasks …