As technology use becomes more prevalent, it is essential to understand how technology can assist in the learning process for children.
Study Compares How Preschoolers Learn from Humanoid and Non-Humanoid Robots
A recent study by Concordia researchers published in the Journal of Cognition and Development examines this exact question by comparing how two preschoolers, three-year-olds and five-year-olds, learn from humanoid and non-humanoid robots.
According to the story by Phys.org, the researchers found that the three-year-olds showed no preference for either the robot or the human, while the five-year-olds were much more likely to endorse the information provided by the robot.
Investigating Children's Preference for Learning From a Robot or Human
These results suggest that as children age, they prefer learning from competent agents, even if those agents are robots. As technology becomes increasingly integrated into children's lives, it has become more and more important to understand how children learn from robots.
Recent research from Concordia University researchers has shed light on this subject, testing the preference of three-year-olds and five-year-olds to learn from a competent robot or an incompetent human, as also detailed in an article by Science Daily.
Children's Ability to Remember Labels Provided by a Humanoid Robot and a Human
In the study, the children participated in Zoom meetings featuring a humanoid robot named Nao and a human sitting side-by-side. The robot and human were given a list of familiar items, and each was asked to provide the correct identification.
After this, the children were given a list of unfamiliar items. Both the robot and human-provided inventing labels for the objects, and the children were then asked to recall the object's name, endorsing either the robot's or human's label.
Five-Year-Olds Show Preference for Robot-Provided Terms
It was found that while the three-year-olds showed no preference for one word over another, the five-year-olds were much more likely to state the term provided by the robot than the human.
The researchers repeated the experiment using a truck-shaped robot called Cozmo and found similar results, although the robot's anatomy didn't play a role in the children's responses.
Read Also: This Soft Robot Mimics Caterpillars, Explores Tight Spaces
The Importance of Incorporating Robots Into Educational Environments
The researchers then administered a naive biology task in which the children had to indicate if robotic creatures had either biological or mechanical organs inside. While the three-year-olds were confused, the five-year-olds correctly indicated that only mechanical parts belonged inside the robots showing an understanding of robots' machine-like qualities.
These findings demonstrate that, even by age five, children understand the difference between humans and robots and are more likely to select a competent source to learn from-even if the source is robotic.
This data further emphasizes the importance of incorporating robots into educational environments in the early stages of learning. As technology advances, we must ensure that children understand what robots are and how they can be used effectively as a tool to facilitate education.
Related Article: Robotic 'Shark' Consumes Plastic Trash, Helps Clean London River
