For more than two decades, robotics in education has received a great deal of attention from teachers and researchers, and a significant number of methodologies, courses, projects, initiatives and competitions have been developed. Research has shown that Lego Mindstorms (LMs) is a powerful educational kit, suitable for teaching introductory science, technology and programming within an interdisciplinary framework. On the other hand, computer programming is a difficult process, as beyond the knowledge of the syntax of a programming language, this cognitive work requires several skills. In this paper, three pilot case studies of small groups of junior high school students, students in vocational secondary education and prospective primary teachers are briefly described and the results are discussed. The findings of all three case studies are very promising with regard to the use of LMs in forming an understanding of the basic principles of programming.