Table 3 Codes used for the Maze Navigation Task

Non-math: Guessing

Participant created a guess-and-check strategy with no clear basis for guessed numbers

“Go straight direction, forward (100). turnLeft (28), 28 is still too large to turn, 100 is too long.

Go straight like first step, but the length is a little shorter, forward (100).”

Non-math: Plausible Guesstimation

Participant created a guess-and-check strategy; guessed numbers were estimated using some situational basis

“Guess + test was my main strategy. After I learned that it took the robot 150 (approx.) motor rotations to go one straight stretch of the maze + 30 (approx.) motor rotations to make a turn in the maze, I just entered in the numbers until finally the robot got through the maze.”

Math: Specific Proportional

Participant created a strategy utilizing proportional reasoning; values were specific to their robot

“It is 0.1 in. per motor-rotation. […] Measure the distance for each straight trait which is divided by 0.1 to get the number of motor-rotations for each straight trait.”

Math: General Proportional

Participant created a strategy utilizing proportional reasoning that could be generalized to other robots

“Start off with a given value for motor rotations (R1) and measure the distance the robot travelled for that number of rotations (D1). Measure the distance you would like the robot to travel to reach its intended destination (D2). Calculate the number of rotations it will take the robot to travel this distance using the formula R1/R2 = D1/D2.”