Children are fascinated with toys that move, so it is no surprise that researchers developing robots who can teach various activities are seeing the possibilities. The innovation is such that the machines are able to learn as they teach which makes them also effective in repetitive therapies that are used to treat developmental problems like autism. In other countries, they are using the robot to serve as an assistant in the classroom and experimenting with having them teach language. They are finding that in many cases, testing the youngsters' knowledge is showing an error reduction of more than 25%. Research in social robotics (a computer science devoted to enhancing communication between humans and machines) find that grade school students are increasing their accuracy when taught by a robot. In San Diego, researchers are working on a robot named RUBI to have 2 main components: mechanical and psychological. RUBI actually can cry when a child tries to harm it (like attempting to take its arms off). With the reaction, the children are backing off at the sound. Apparently it is the machine's behavior that matters in making the child and machine in sync.
As usual, technology advancement brings about an ethical social debate.
Do we really want our children being taught by robots? Would removing the human element to teaching be a problem if you achieve a greater effect to learning?
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Sunday, July 11, 2010
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