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Telepresence Robots in Higher Education – The Current State of Research

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Robotics in Education (RiE 2022)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems ((LNNS,volume 515))

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Abstract

Distance learning may lead to decreased social presence of students in higher education, potentially causing deterioration of both student learning out-comes and their mental health. Telepresence robotics is seen as an approach that, through the embodied agent of a robotic body, enhances student social presence in the classroom, improving the quality of classroom interaction. In the literature review, we analyzed the current state of research on using telepresence robots in higher education, and, based on existing papers, studied the strengths and weaknesses of using these robots in higher education. Based on our findings, we suggest that the literature in this area is scarce, requiring further studies in the future. The current telepresence robots struggle in relaying flawless telepresence experience, but can still be recommended in certain scenarios. We conclude that despite telepresence robotics being a promising technology, longitudinal studies are required to reach better understanding about the features that telepresence robots should have when used in higher education and about the best use methods.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Tallinn University of Technology, Ehitajate tee 5, 12616, Tallinn, Estonia

    Janika Leoste, Kaido Kikkas, Kalle Tammemäe, Martin Rebane, Edmund Laugasson & Kristiina Hakk

Authors
  1. Janika Leoste
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  2. Kaido Kikkas
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  3. Kalle Tammemäe
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  4. Martin Rebane
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  5. Edmund Laugasson
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  6. Kristiina Hakk
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Janika Leoste .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Practical Robotics Institute Austria, Vienna, Austria

    Wilfried Lepuschitz

  2. Practical Robotics Institute Austria, Vienna, Wien, Austria

    Munir Merdan

  3. Practical Robotics Institute Austria (PRIA), Vienna, Austria

    Gottfried Koppensteiner

  4. Slovak University of Technology (STU), Bratislava, Slovakia

    Richard Balogh

  5. Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic

    David Obdržálek

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Leoste, J., Kikkas, K., Tammemäe, K., Rebane, M., Laugasson, E., Hakk, K. (2022). Telepresence Robots in Higher Education – The Current State of Research. In: Lepuschitz, W., Merdan, M., Koppensteiner, G., Balogh, R., Obdržálek, D. (eds) Robotics in Education. RiE 2022. Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems, vol 515. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-12848-6_12

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