Small humanoid robot called QT which was used to conduct a series of test. Credit: University of Waterloo
Key points:
- A robot showed positive results for helps students with learning disabilities stay focused.
- The human-like robot, named QT, has features that made it suitable for working with young students, especially those with disabilities.
- Researchers say there is “great potential for using robots in the public education system.”
Engineering researchers at the University of Waterloo are successfully using a robot to help keep children with learning disabilities focused on their work.
In recent years, educators have explored the use of social robots to help students learn, but most often, their research has focused on children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. As a result, little work has been done on the use of socially assistive robots for students with learning disabilities—until now.
Focusing on learning disabilities, researchers from Waterloo and the Learning Disabilities Society in Vancouver conducted a series of tests with a small humanoid robot called QT. According to the researchers, the robot’s ability to perform gestures using its head and hands, accompanied by its speech and facial features, makes it very suitable for use with children with learning disabilities.
For the study, the researchers divided 16 students with learning disabilities into two groups. In one group, students worked one-on-one with an instructor only. In the other group, the students worked one-on-one with an instructor and a QT robot. In the latter group, the instructor used a tablet to direct the robot, which then autonomously performed various activities using its speech and gestures.
While the instructor controlled the sessions, the robot took over at certain times, triggered by the instructor, to lead the student.
Besides introducing the session, the robot set goals and provided self-regulating strategies, if necessary. If the learning process was getting off-track, the robot used strategies such as games, riddles, jokes, breathing exercises and physical movements to redirect the student back to the task.
“Students who worked with the robot were generally more engaged with their tasks and could complete their tasks at a higher rate compared with the students who weren’t assisted by a robot,” said project leader Kerstin Dautenhahn, professor of electrical and computer engineering at Waterloo.
Not only did students show improvement, but both the students and instructors said they valued the positive classroom contributions made by the robot. The team says further studies with QT are planned.
Information provided by University of Waterloo.