Weighing the advantages and disadvantages of using a robot

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Quick Questions

Shade in the A or B circle for each question.

1. A student writes: 'Robots on a car assembly line are good because they work all day.' Is this a balanced answer?

A Yes - one strong advantage is enough to weigh up the task

B No - it only gives an advantage and has no disadvantage or conclusion

2. Which sentence links a point to a reason correctly for a car assembly line robot?

A Robots weld consistently because they repeat the same program exactly each time

B Robots weld consistently and they are used in factories

3. A hospital is deciding whether to use a robot surgeon assistant. Which is a disadvantage to include in a balanced answer?

A The robot is very expensive to buy and can break down during an operation

B The robot can hold instruments steadily without getting tired

4. Which is the best way to end an answer about using a robot surgeon assistant?

A A conclusion such as 'Overall it should be used because it is precise, but a surgeon must supervise it in case it fails'

B Another advantage, such as 'Robots also never need a break'

5. A farmer is deciding whether to buy a fruit picking robot. Which answer is balanced?

A It can pick all night because it needs no rest, and it picks faster than people can

B It can pick all night because it needs no rest, but it is costly and may bruise fruit it cannot judge well

Match the Pairs

Draw a line connecting each item on the left to its match on the right.

Left column		Right column
1Advantage: welds car parts the same way every time because it does not get tired.		AA point for using a robot on a car assembly line, linked to its reason with 'because'.
2Conclusion: Use the robot because the benefits outweigh the cost, but keep a human to check it.		BThe points are not linked to reasons with 'because', and no disadvantages are given, so it is one-sided.
3A balanced answer about a robot surgeon assistant gives one advantage and one disadvantage.		CA reasoned final judgement that follows from weighing both sides.
4A one-sided answer about a farm picking robot only lists the good points.		DIt lists only disadvantages, gives no reasons and reaches a conclusion without weighing any advantages.
5A robot on a car line is good. It is fast. It is safe. So use it.		EThe robot can work all night because it never needs rest, so it is always the best choice.
6A farm picking robot costs a lot and can break down. So never use it.		FIt is very precise because it has no shaky hands, but it is costly because the machine is expensive to buy.

Definitions

weigh up

Fill in the Blanks

Complete each line of code by filling in the missing parts.

Advantage: a car robot works non-stop _______ it never gets tired.

Advantage: a surgeon robot is very precise. _______, it is expensive to buy.

__________: the farm should use the robot because it picks fruit all day and night.

A one-sided answer gives only one side. A ________ answer gives both sides.

Assembly robot: costs a lot to buy, ___ it saves money over many years.

Spot the Error

Shade in the letter of the line that contains an error.

Question 1

A Task: weld car bodies

B Pro: steady because no tiring

C Con: costly because of set-up

D Verdict: use it, cons outweigh

Question 2

A Pro: precise because it shakes

B Con: errors because of faults

C Verdict: use with a surgeon

Question 3

A Task: pick ripe fruit

B Pro: nonstop because no rest

C Pro: may bruise soft fruit

D Verdict: use it, check fruit

Question 4

A Answer: robot picks fruit

B Pro: fast because no breaks

C Con: costly because of price

D Verdict: use, no cons at all

Question 5

A Task: spray-paint cars

B Pro: safe because no fumes

C Con: jobs lost

D Verdict: use, retrain staff

Answer Key

Weighing the advantages and disadvantages of using a robot

Section A: Quick Questions

B — No - it only gives an advantage and has no disadvantage or conclusion

A — Robots weld consistently because they repeat the same program exactly each time

A — The robot is very expensive to buy and can break down during an operation

A — A conclusion such as 'Overall it should be used because it is precise, but a surgeon must supervise it in case it fails'

B — It can pick all night because it needs no rest, but it is costly and may bruise fruit it cannot judge well

Section B: Match the Pairs

Advantage: welds car parts the same way every time because it does not get tired. → A point for using a robot on a car assembly line, linked to its reason with 'because'.

Conclusion: Use the robot because the benefits outweigh the cost, but keep a human to check it. → A reasoned final judgement that follows from weighing both sides.

A balanced answer about a robot surgeon assistant gives one advantage and one disadvantage. → It is very precise because it has no shaky hands, but it is costly because the machine is expensive to buy.

A one-sided answer about a farm picking robot only lists the good points. → The robot can work all night because it never needs rest, so it is always the best choice.

A robot on a car line is good. It is fast. It is safe. So use it. → The points are not linked to reasons with 'because', and no disadvantages are given, so it is one-sided.

A farm picking robot costs a lot and can break down. So never use it. → It lists only disadvantages, gives no reasons and reaches a conclusion without weighing any advantages.

Section C: Definitions

weigh up — Compare a robot's advantages and disadvantages for one task, link each point to a reason with because, then give a conclusion on whether the robot should be used.

Section D: Fill in the Blanks

Advantage: a car robot works non-stop
because it never gets tired.

Advantage: a surgeon robot is very precise.
However, it is expensive to buy.

Conclusion: the farm should use the robot
because it picks fruit all day and night.

A one-sided answer gives only one side.
A balanced answer gives both sides.

Assembly robot: costs a lot to buy,
but it saves money over many years.

Section E: Spot the Error

D — The verdict contradicts the weighing. If the cons outweighed the pros, the robot should not be used. It should say 'pros outweigh'.}

A — The reason does not support the advantage. A robot arm is precise because it does not shake. It should say 'because no shake'.

C — Bruising fruit is a disadvantage, not an advantage. This line should be labelled 'Con'.

D — The answer becomes one-sided and contradicts the Con on line 3. A balanced answer admits the disadvantage and says it is small. It should say 'cons are small'.

C — The point has no reason. Every point needs a 'because' link, such as 'jobs lost because of it'.