Telepresence Robots in the Classroom

Abstract

This study used the concept of shared affordance space to explore students’ perceptions of the use of a telepresence robot in a face-to-face classroom. Results from this qualitative pilot study suggest the telepresence robot has the potential to provide enough autonomy and agency for both the remote user and the in-class students to perceive a shared affordance space. Robot users and classmates use human pronouns to describe the robot user and discuss a process of adjusting to its presence. The physical configuration of the classroom can either facilitate or hinder this process. The research provides greater understanding of the experiences of students in a face-to-face classroom that includes remote students attending class using a telepresence robot. It can help educators design and implement these experiences in a way that creates a beneficial classroom experience for both in-class and remote learners.