Collaborative Educational Robotics for the Inclusion of Children With Disabilities

Abstract

This literature review aims to collect systematically peer-reviewed research articles published in scientific journals that focus on the participation of children with disabilities in collaborative educational robotics activities. After systematic research, using three major digital scientific libraries, we full-screened eleven research studies that were implemented in inclusive or special settings and published during the period 2010-2022. These articles were selected as they described in detail the psycho-pedagogical methods that were used by the researchers to foster the participation of children with disabilities in collaborative educational robotics activities. The psycho-pedagogical methods have been categorized and presented critically in relation to the research methods and results. Finally, the discussion section of this review highlights the need of promoting collaborative methods in the context of inclusive educational robotics environments.

The Participation of Students with Autism in Educational Robotics: A Scoping Review

“…Cooperation scenarios (Kollar et al 2006) recommend structuring the interaction process to facilitate the participation of students with autism in the ER learning environment. This structure is guided by specific collaboration scripts and rules defined to support teamwork (Caci 2004;De Franca Monteiro et al 2020;Di Lieto et al 2020;Fachantidis et al 2020;Nanou et al 2022;Papazoglou et al 2021;Perez-Vazquez et al 2022;Peribañez et al 2023).…”

“…Teamwork strategies and rules are strongly recommended to be visualized and presented with visual stimuli or prompts to enhance the effective participation of children with autism (Albo-Canals et al 2013;De Franca Monteiro et al 2020;Fachantidis et al 2020;Nanou et al 2022;Papazoglou et al 2021;Tsiomi and Nanou 2020).…”

“…By taking advantage of their strengths and interests, ER creates a suitable environment for students with autism (especially those that have a special interest in using new technologies) in terms of bringing out their potential, recognizing their abilities, and building their self-esteem, as well as becoming accepted by their peers. Evidence-based research highlights the potential of programming ERs not only for individuals with high-functioning autism but also for mid-functioning individuals who need substantial support (Lahav et al 2019;Nanou et al 2022;Tsiomi and Nanou 2020).…”

“…Literature reviews have synthesized the previous knowledge of SAR or ER interventions with regard to different types of disabilities. More specifically, previous literature reviews have been conducted on the following domains: (a) robot-based interventions for autism with the utilization of both SAR and ERs (Damianidou et al 2020;Saleh et al 2021), (b) robot-based interventions that encompass both SARs or ERs intended for a wide range of disabilities, including motor, sensory, and intellectual disabilities (Miguel Cruz et al 2017), or (c) ER activities in several, but not exclusively, autistic and neurodevelopmental disabilities (Nanou and Karampatzakis 2022;Pivetti et al 2020).…”

Virtual Reality For Robot Control and Programming in Undergraduate Engineering Courses

“…Robots have been used in education to enhance learning experiences and provide students with hands-on opportunities to develop critical skills such as problem-solving, coding, and teamwork (Yuen et al, 2014). In some settings, using robotics projects can foster the inclusion of students with learning disabilities (Daniela and Lytras, 2019;Nanou and Karampatzakis, 2022). In the case of tertiary education, industrial-scale robots are used to prepare students for careers in industry by emphasizing aspects such as hardware, software, and human-machine interfaces (Nagai, 2001;Brell-Çokcan and Braumann, 2013).…”