Application of Social Robots in Higher Education: A Long-Term Study

Abstract

Abstract Learning in higher education is challenging for many students because self-directed learning and self-motivation are required. Research on social robots has already shown benefits for students’ learning outcomes and experience. In this context, changes in students’ attitudes and behavior over time remain unexplored but may potentially influence the learning process. To address this issue, we conducted a long-term field experiment by integrating a robot-supported tutoring into an existing university course in the STEM area during one semester with five tutoring sessions. Our results show that the learners’ perception of the robot changes over time and indicates a Novelty Effect as well as a Mere-Exposure Effect on relevant scales. This highlights the need for long-term studies and repeated encounters with robots in educational settings. Additionally, participants of the tutoring reported a subjective knowledge gain and had better exam grades than the average of the course.