Exploring the Affordances of Drones from an Educational Perspective

Abstract

The aim of this study was the examination of the perceived affordances and constraints of drones for teaching and learning. The sample consisted of 44 in-service teachers who attended an introductory presentation on drones, their technology and control mechanisms and afterwards assembled, flew and programmed four multicopter drones. Data was collected through anonymous online questionnaires. Results from qualitative data analysis revealed seven affordances, namely programming through block-based languages, recording and bird’s-eye view, viewing places that are unseen from ground level and real-time photo and video streaming, drone assembly, data collection and processing, gamification, and development of several student skills. Additionally, they revealed four constraints, namely the necessity of teacher training, time restrictions regarding the drone’s battery life, infrastructural and personal data restrictions. These findings will contribute to a better understanding of the educational value of drones for teaching and learning and, at the same time, provide a base-layer for future research in using drones for educational purposes.