Robot-Supported Collaborative Learning (RSCL): Social Robots as Teaching Assistants for Higher Education Small Group Facilitation

Abstract

Acknowledging the benefits of active learning and the importance of collaboration skills, the higher education system has started to transform toward utilization of group activities into lecture hall culture. In this study, a novel interaction has been introduced, wherein a social robot facilitated a small collaborative group activity of students in higher education. Thirty-six students completed a 3 h activity that covered the main content of a course in Human Computer Interaction. In this within-subject study, the students worked in groups of four on three activities, moving between three conditions: instructor facilitation of several groups using pen and paper for the activity; tablets facilitation, also used for the activity; and robot facilitation, using tablets for the activity. The robot facilitated the activity by introducing the different tasks, ensuring proper time management, and encouraging discussion among the students. This study examined the effects of facilitation type on attitudes toward the activity facilitation, the group activity, and the robot, using quantitative, and qualitative measures. Overall students perceived the robot positively, as friendly and responsive, even though the robot did not directly respond to the students' verbal communications. While most survey items did not convey significant differences between the robot, tablet, or instructor, we found significant correlations between perceptions of the robot, and attitudes toward the activity facilitation, and the group activity. Qualitative data revealed the drawbacks and benefits of the robot, as well as its relative perceived advantages over a human facilitator, such as better time management, objectivity, and efficiency. These results suggest that the robot's complementary characteristics enable a higher quality learning environment, that corresponds with students' requirements and that a Robot Supportive Collaborative Learning (RSCL) is a promising novel paradigm for higher education.

Identifying Functions and Behaviours of Social Robots for In-Class Learning Activities: Teachers’ Perspective

“…Our work supports previous findings on teachers' perspectives reporting similar suggestions, i.e., the robot being a motivator, providing feedback, and encouraging students (e.g., [49,1]), and extends it to include specific behaviours teachers envision to support these functions. It also shows differences in usage with and without teacher involvement (adding to our understanding of social robot behaviours for supporting one-on-one, two-persons to a robot, and small group interactions, e.g., [46]), and how introduction of a social robot can affect the context surrounding learning activities. This provides suggestions for improving the design of educational social robots for learning activities in primary and middle school classrooms.…”

University academics’ perceptions regarding the future use of telepresence robots to enhance virtual transnational education: an exploratory investigation in a developing country

“…The results of this study indicate that university academics perceive the important educational potentials of telepresence robots. Therefore, this study concurs with Kwon et al ( 2010 ), Ogawa et al ( 2011 ), Benitti ( 2012 ), Kristoffersson et al ( 2013 ), Tanaka et al ( 2014 ), Rubenstein et al ( 2015 ), Kennedy ( 2016 ), Bell ( 2017 ), Conti et al ( 2017 ), Anwar et al ( 2019 ), Gonnot et al ( 2019 ), Lister ( 2020 ), Fitter et al ( 2020 ), Corsby and Bryant ( 2020 ) and Rosenberg-Kima et al ( 2020 ) regarding the positive effects of robots on enhancing educational activities for remote students. Specifically, the study results concur with Bell ( 2017 ), Gleason and Greenhow ( 2017 ) and Liao and Lu ( 2018 ) regarding that telepresence robots can enhance education for remote students.…”

“…Bell ( 2017 ) argued that telepresence robots are game-changers due to their potentials to enhance and improve educational experiences for remote learners and has made the teaching and learning strategies much easier (Kennedy, 2016 ; Liao & Lu, 2018 ). Moreover, it supports collaborative learning (Reis et al, 2019 ; Rosenberg-Kima et al, 2020 ). Telepresence robots have various benefits and challenges.…”

“…There are numerous studies that investigated the general positive impacts of educational robotics on enhancing academic, communication and social skills of students and offering them impactful learning experiences to enhance their interest, learning, engagement, and academic achievement at various education levels (e.g., Anwar et al, 2019 ; Barker & Ansorge, 2007 ; Benitti, 2012 ; Corsby & Bryant, 2020 ; Gonnot et al, 2019 ; Kory et al, 2013 ; Petre & Price, 2004 ; Rubenstein et al, 2015 ; Zhang et al, 2018 ). Furthermore, robots can enhance collaborative learning where they can incorporate the social dimension in the learning process (Gonnot et al, 2019 ; Reis et al, 2019 ; Rosenberg-Kima et al, 2020 ).…”

AlloHaptic: Robot-Mediated Haptic Collaboration for Learning Linear Functions

“…Two approaches can be found in the literature concerning the way the robot should facilitate collaboration among learners. Explicit solutions typically envision a social robot to act as an instructor or peer for the learners, and rely on its behaviour to promote collaboration [3], [4], [5]. Conversely, *This work has been supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation through the National Centre of Competence in Research Robotics.…”