The Power of Robot-mediated Play: Forming Friendships and Expressing Identity

Abstract

Tele-operated collaborative robots are used by many children for academic learning. However, as child-directed play is important for social-emotional learning, it is also important to understand how robots can facilitate play. In this paper, we present findings from analysis of a national, multi-year case study, where we explore how 53 children in grades K-12 ( n =53) used robots for self-directed play activities. The contributions of this paper are as follows. First, we present empirical data on novel play scenarios that remote children created using their tele-operated robots. These play scenarios emerged in five categories of play: physical, verbal, visual, extracurricular, and wished for play. Second, we identify two unique themes that emerged from the data—robot-mediated play as a foundational support of general friendships and as a foundational support of self-expression and identity. Third, our work found that robot-mediated play provided benefits similar to in-person play. Findings from our work will inform novel robot and HRI design for tele-operated and social robots that facilitate self-directed play. Findings will also inform future interdisciplinary studies on robot-mediated play.

The use of social robots as teaching assistants in schools: implications for research and practice

“…A positive correlation has been established in as many as 8 studies (e.g. Kim et al, 2023;Yueh et al, 2020;van Straten et al, 2023;Serholt et al, 2021;Konijn & Hoorn, 2020;Osawa et al, 2022;Zhexenova et al, 2020;Ahumada-Newhart et al, 2023). A noteworthy discovery by Serholt (2019) was that students who had experience with robots exhibited greater critical attitudes toward the concept of emotion recognition in robots compared to their peers without such experience.…”

“…Konijn & Hoorn (2020) showed that the results from the standard school test indicated that pupils significantly improved their performance after learning with assistance of social robots. Ahumada-Newhart et al (2023) showed that children who feel a high chance of success at operating their robots in the remote school environment and place a high value on self-directed play activities are able to use their robots to support general friendships and also engage in play activities that contribute to self-expression and identity. Findings of the study conducted by Zhexenova et al (2020) reported that children gained similar knowledge after learning with a social robot as after learning with a teacher or with the help of a tablet.…”

“…Establishing how children use robots for self-directed play activities and investigating the perspective and meaning of salient experiences, identify social structures, and identify processes in order to understand the meaning behind participant behaviour is an area that was investigated by Ahumada-Newhart et al (2023). Their discovery revealed that children who believe in their ability to operate robots in remote school settings, along with a fondness for self-directed play, can use their robotic companions to foster general friendships.…”