A small article on the use of robots in education!

1. A learning experience from a robot!
Learning from a robot is also a form of digital learning, but with the interaction you might
expect from learning from a teacher. With a robot (in its broadest sense) that can
communicate as interactive as possible, you will have an infinite source of knowledge one
can learn from. First, I will show that through Web 2.0, cross media is improving people’s
skills on new technology and that from this, robots are a logic step in using cross media
possibilities to educate children in a fun and great environment. Secondly, I will show
through a research by Robins (2005) that robots can improve interaction between people
and robots and also between humans and humans. Combining these two steps, I will
introduce Papero, a small robot that can use cross media and interact between people.
Web 2.0
Online communities are places where people can share experiences and ideas. By doing
this, people become digital experts on their own and to improve the way they work with
new technologies. People are becoming less afraid of new media and technologies. Now,
with people becoming publisher, they can learn from each other, creating communities
on how to work with robots, creating online learning environments from which
educational updates can be downloaded for the robot (Lister, 2009: p. 209). In a sense,
robots improve interaction with media (Lister, 2009: p. 221), because audiences have
become active users of digital media and interaction within that new media.
Learning from robots
Robins (2005) has done an interesting field research where he and his research group
made robots that act as therapeutic and educational toys for children with autism. In this
project called “Project Aurora”, he wanted to find out whether or not children with autism
could be encouraged to imitate and to improve social interaction skills (Robins, 2005: p.
105). The interactions with robots provided a simplified, safe, predictable and reliable
environment where the complexity of interaction could be controlled and gradually
increased (Robins 107). The result of this research was that autistic children improved
their social interaction skills with other people. These kids learned to use the robot for
robot-human interaction and human-human interaction, sometimes even using the robot
as a mediator to communicate to others (Robins 115).
Papero
From the above, it is a small step to an example of a robot that combines new media and
interaction with people. Papero is developed to investigate interaction between people
and robots. NEC researched a robot that can live with us, to be a companion for all ages
(NEC Papero, http://www.nec.co.jp/products/robot/en/index.html). Papero can talk,
recognize faces and react to touch. Papero can walk around autonomously and charge
itself and can do games and quizzes with you, convey messages from one to another and
communicate upon request with PC’s and mobile phones through wireless communication
(NEC Papero, http://www.nec.co.jp/products/robot/en/functions/index.html). The video’s
show that Papero can be used with a lot of ease, improving interaction between human
and humans and robots. In this case, children will benefit, because they learn through
games basis interaction skills and they learn how to work with new media and
technology. (NEC, Papero, Childcare Robot Introduction Video (2005),
http://www.nec.co.jp/products/robot/en/video/index.html) (NEC PaPeRo, YouTube,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NegLUk7BnH0)
Conclusion
A lot of research has to done in the future in improving interaction between humans and
robots and the improvement of the skills of the robot itself. But it is interesting to see
that with new technologies we can now already interact and learn from robots as if it
were your own teachers or best friends.
Charly Rozenberg, 2009, Trends and Strategies of the Creative Industries, EUR

2. Literature:
Lister, M., J. Dovey, S. Giddings, I. Grant & K. Kelly (2009) New Media. A critical
Introduction. Second Edition. London: Routledge
Robins, B. et al, 2005. Robotic assistants in therapy and education of children with
autism: can a small humanoid robot help encourage social interaction skills? Univ Access
Inf Soc (2005) 4: p. 105–120
NEC Papero
http://www.nec.co.jp/products/robot/en/index.html
http://www.nec.co.jp/products/robot/en/functions/index.html
http://www.nec.co.jp/products/robot/en/video/index.html
YouTube, NEC PaPeRo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NegLUk7BnH0