Humanoid Robots as Learning Assistants? Useability Perspectives of Grade 6 Students

Abstract

Abstract Despite the increasing number of robots in educational settings, they are relatively new, with ambiguous research findings regarding a robot’s influence on students’ learning, psychosocial aspects, and gender differences. In this study, 17 Grade 6 students in a Norwegian school participated in a human–robot interaction (HRI) session with mathematics and programming tasks followed by focus group interviews to explore their experiences. Thematic analysis resulted in four main themes: (1) Technical aspects, (2) Robots as educational assistants, (3) Robot features, and (4) Attitudes regarding robots. Overall, the students found the robot entertaining, providing mastery experiences in mathematics and programming. Some technical difficulties were experienced, and the robot’s lack of facial expressions, emotions, and tailored feedback created interaction challenges. Gender differences regarding interest in people versus things were found. The implementation of robots in education shows potential, however, more research is needed, especially longitudinal exploring the impact of HRI in education.