Preschool Learning with Artificial Intelligence (PLAI): Exploring Children´s Interaction with AI Toys and Robots

Abstract

The project PLAI work combines qualitative and quantitative methods to analyse children's interaction with intelligence toys and robots from an educational and psychological point of view. Current trends in digital play research focus on the effect of learning tools (i.e. video games and intelligence robots) on children's development and/or learning skills. This paper reports on the work in progress of exploring children's interaction with artificially intelligence toys and robots and their potential contribution to children´s learning journey. Furthermore, this study examines how these technologies facilitate the interactive learning process in educational settings. In the first stage, the project aims to build a conceptual framework for children's digital play and digital games-based learning experiences with these devices. In the second stage, the study of the AI features of toys and robots that potentially improve learning experiences is conducted through a content analysis – a specific instrument is developed to examine AI features. The final stage will involve performing a field study on child-robot interaction in a natural setting – a technique of gesture and movement analysis is employed for the recorded video of child-robot interaction.