For many children, reading aloud can be disturbing. Fear of tripping over text, misnomers judged in front of a group of peers, can inspire anxiety and suppress confidence. one New research Researchers from the University of Chicago, the University of Illinois, the University of Chicago and the University of Wisconsin-Madison have proposed a surprising ally – robots – that could relieve that stress.
With artificial intelligence Does it destroy learning? The effort required to think critically, this research may suggest that machine learning can play another role in the classroom. With generated AI tools and Chatbot Commonly used to cheat or create assignments for students, social robots can support the emotional and social aspects of learning, helping young students build confidence and basic skills such as reading aloud.
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In an experiment with 52 children between 8 and 11 years old, the team analyzed how children read short stories aloud in three different environments: alone, human adults and a social robot called Misty. The researchers found that children showed fewer signs of anxiety when reading to robots than human adults — stable sounds, calmer heart rate, cooler facial temperatures. One student in the study said: “Even if I made a mistake, I know that wouldn’t be mad at me.”
Researchers have turned physiological indicators to a way to capture children’s anxiety more accurately than self-reports.
“If you ask a 10-year-old, ‘Are you nervous?’ They are most likely to refuse, either because they don’t want to admit it, or because they are still developing the ability to identify and name their emotions.” Lauren Wright explain. “In educational research, we can use these techniques to study not only how students learn under different conditions, but also how they feel about learning behavior.”
Interestingly, students’ understanding remains the same throughout the environment, which means that the sedation effect of the robot does not affect their overall learning.
Not every child likes Misty’s mechanical sound or expressionless face, but most children describe the robot as “a cute, fun and less stressful audience.” “Robots are easier because you feel less judgment because the robot has no feelings,” one student said.
These findings suggest a future where robots are not only teaching tools, but can act as emotional buffers, helping children build confidence in moments that would otherwise feel scary. However, it is uncertain whether these robots can improve reading comprehension.
