Acceptance and Applicability of Educational Robots. Evaluating Factors Contributing to a Successful Introduction of Social Robots into Education

Reich-Stiebert N. Acceptance and Applicability of Educational Robots. Evaluating Factors Contributing to a Successful Introduction of Social Robots into Education. Bielefeld: Universität Bielefeld; 2019.The use of robots in the area of education is rapidly gaining momentum. Education faces restructuring and modernization in the forthcoming age of robots, thus necessitating research meeting the requirements of this development. In this, focusing on robots’ acceptance and applicability in educational contexts, right from the very beginning, is crucial. Therefore, this dissertation thesis has addressed this issue. It has striven to evaluate factors which contribute to a successful introduction of robots into education in a systematic manner. The strengths of the current work lie in its interdisciplinary nature, theoretical fundament, and the application of empirical and experimental methods. In practical terms, a set of studies have offered insights on how the implementation and application of robots in education could be facilitated. To do so, they operated on three different levels: First, the focus was on end users’ attitudes toward educational robots. It was shown that their attitudes and willingness to use educational robots were moderate. However, the results also indicated that the acceptance of educational robots could be fostered by the promotion of people’s general technical interest and a targeted use of robots in individual or small-group learning activities, in domains related to science and technology. In addition, it was found that user involvement in an educational robot’s design process can increase people’s general acceptance of educational robots. Second, the work focused on how to effectively design a human-robot interaction (HRI) for learning purposes by building upon the cooperative learning paradigm found in educational literature. Actual HRI experiments confirmed that a robot’s physical presence was beneficial for the learning experience, and implied that positive interdependence with a robot, social support from it, and mutual feedback about the learning process were positively related to the learning experience and the learners’ perception of the robot. Third, when tackling the issue of the ideal educational robot design, it has become clear that people’s perception of robots is influenced by context- and person-specific factors. To trigger a higher acceptance of educational robots, robotics research should match potential end users’ educational robot design concepts, for example, machinelike appearance and functionality as well as privacy and safety requirements. Taken together, this dissertation presents a sound basis for identifying issues related to the implementation and application of educational robots. However, research is still far from having completed the development of strategies for implementing and using social robots in education meaningfully. Consequently, potential future research directions will be discussed in light of the obtained results

Virtually isolated: social identity threat predicts social approach motivation via sense of belonging in computer-supported collaborative learning

Collaboration improves multiple academic and social outcomes. Accordingly, computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) can be beneficial in distance education contexts to overcome the issues specific to online learning (e.g., underperformance, low identification with university). Distance universities often attract a substantial number of non-traditional students (e.g., students with disability, students with migration background). Despite their representation, non-traditional students face negative stereotypes and associated social consequences, including social identity threat, diminished sense of belonging, and less motivation for social interactions. In the context of online learning, where there is little individuating information, social categories like socio-demographic group memberships become salient, activating stereotypes. Consequently, socio-demographic group memberships can have detrimental consequences for the integration of non-traditional students. The purpose of the present study was to (a) determine the extent of social identity threat for students in higher distance education, (b) explore the social consequences of this threat in the same context, (c) validate these findings through longitudinal analyses embedded in a CSCL task, and (d) use learning analytics to test behavioral outcomes. In a longitudinal study with three measurement occasions over 8 weeks (N = 1,210), we conducted path analyses for cross-sectional associations and Random Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Models for longitudinal predictions. The results showed that non-traditional students mostly reported higher social identity threat than traditional students. While the expected longitudinal within-person effects could not be demonstrated, we found stable between-person effects: students who reported higher levels of social identity threat also reported lower sense of belonging and lower social approach motivation. Exploratory analyses of actual online collaboration during CSCL offer potential avenues for future research. We conclude that social identity threat and its social consequences play an important role in higher distance education and should therefore be considered for successful CSCL

Robots in education : an introduction to high-tech social agents, intelligent tutors, and curricular Tools

Robots in Education is an accessible introduction to the use of robotics in formal learning, encompassing pedagogical and psychological theories as well as implementation in curricula. Today, a variety of communities across education are increasingly using robots as general classroom tutors, tools in STEM projects, and subjects of study. This volume explores how the unique physical and social-interactive capabilities of educational robots can generate bonds with students while freeing instructors to focus on their individualized approaches to teaching and learning. Authored by a uniquely interdisciplinary team of scholars, the book covers the basics of robotics and their supporting technologies; attitudes toward and ethical implications of robots in learning; research methods relevant to extending our knowledge of the field; and more

Virtually isolated: social identity threat predicts social approach motivation via sense of belonging in computer-supported collaborative learning

Collaboration improves multiple academic and social outcomes. Accordingly, computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) can be beneficial in distance education contexts to overcome the issues specific to online learning (e.g., underperformance, low identification with university). Distance universities often attract a substantial number of non-traditional students (e.g., students with disability, students with migration background). Despite their representation, non-traditional students face negative stereotypes and associated social consequences, including social identity threat, diminished sense of belonging, and less motivation for social interactions. In the context of online learning, where there is little individuating information, social categories like socio-demographic group memberships become salient, activating stereotypes. Consequently, socio-demographic group memberships can have detrimental consequences for the integration of non-traditional students. The purpose of the present study was to (a) determine the extent of social identity threat for students in higher distance education, (b) explore the social consequences of this threat in the same context, (c) validate these findings through longitudinal analyses embedded in a CSCL task, and (d) use learning analytics to test behavioral outcomes. In a longitudinal study with three measurement occasions over 8 weeks (N = 1,210), we conducted path analyses for cross-sectional associations and Random Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Models for longitudinal predictions. The results showed that non-traditional students mostly reported higher social identity threat than traditional students. While the expected longitudinal within-person effects could not be demonstrated, we found stable between-person effects: students who reported higher levels of social identity threat also reported lower sense of belonging and lower social approach motivation. Exploratory analyses of actual online collaboration during CSCL offer potential avenues for future research. We conclude that social identity threat and its social consequences play an important role in higher distance education and should therefore be considered for successful CSCL

A systematic review of attitudes, anxiety, acceptance, and trust towards social robots

As social robots become more common, there is a need to understand how people perceive and interact with such technology. This systematic review seeks to estimate people’s attitudes toward, trust in, anxiety associated with, and acceptance of social robots; as well as factors that are associated with these beliefs. Ninety-seven studies were identified with a combined sample of over 13,000 participants and a standardized score was computed for each in order to represent the valence (positive, negative, or neutral) and magnitude (on a scale from 1 to − 1) of people’s beliefs about robots. Potential moderating factors such as the robots’ domain of application and design, the type of exposure to the robot, and the characteristics of potential users were also investigated. The findings suggest that people generally have positive attitudes towards social robots and are willing to interact with them. This finding may challenge some of the existing doubt surrounding the adoption of robotics in social domains of application but more research is needed to fully understand the factors that influence attitudes

Robots in education. Cooperative language learning with education robots

Reich-Stiebert N. Robots in education. Cooperative language learning with education robots. Presented at the 11th Workshop of the Fachgruppe Sozialpsychologie for doctoral students of Social Psychology, Zeppelin University