Robots and Children that Learn Together : Improving Knowledge Retention by Teaching Peer-Like Interactive Robots

Abstract

Despite growing interest in Learning-by-Teaching (LbT), few studies have explored how this paradigm can be implemented with autonomous, peer-like social robots in real classrooms. Most prior work has relied on scripted or Wizard-of-Oz behaviors, limiting our understanding of how real-time, interactive learning can be supported by artificial agents. This study addresses this gap by introducing Interactive Reinforcement Learning (RL) as a cognitive model for teachable social robots. We conducted two between-subject experiments with 58 primary school children, who either taught a robot or practiced independently on a tablet while learning French vocabulary (memorization) and grammatical rules (inference). The robot, powered by Interactive RL, learned from the child's evaluative feedback. Children in the LbT condition achieved significantly higher retention gains compared to those in the self-practice condition, especially on the grammar task. Learners with lower prior knowledge benefited most from teaching the robot. Behavioural metrics revealed that children adapted their teaching strategies over time and engaged more deeply during inference tasks. This work makes two contributions: (1) it introduces Interactive RL as a pedagogically effective and scalable model for peer-robot learning, and (2) it demonstrates, for the first time, the feasibility of deploying multiple autonomous robots simultaneously in real classrooms. These findings extend theoretical understanding of LbT by showing that social robots can function not only as passive tutees but as adaptive partners that enhance meta-cognitive engagement and long-term learning outcomes.