Robots in Education and Care of Children with Developmental Disabilities: A Study on Acceptance by Experienced and Future Professionals

Springer Science and Business Media LLC - Tập 9 - Trang 51-62 - 2016
Daniela Conti1,2, Santo Di Nuovo2, Serafino Buono3, Alessandro Di Nuovo4,5
1Doctoral School in Neuroscience, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
2Department of Education Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
3Psychology Operative Unit, IRCCS “Maria SS” Oasi di Troina, Troina, Italy
4Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, University of Enna Kore, Enna, Italy
5Department of Computing, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, UK

Tóm tắt

Research in the area of robotics has made available numerous possibilities for further innovation in the education of children, especially in the rehabilitation of those with learning difficulties and/or intellectual disabilities. Despite the scientific evidence, there is still a strong scepticism against the use of robots in the fields of education and care of people. Here we present a study on the acceptance of robots by experienced practitioners (specialized in the treatment of intellectual disabilities) and university students in psychology and education sciences (as future professionals). The aim is to examine the factors, through the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model, that may influence the decision to use a robot as an instrument in the practice. The overall results confirm the applicability of the model in the context of education and care of children, and suggest a positive attitude towards the use of the robot. The comparison highlights some scepticism among the practitioners, who perceive the robot as an expensive and limited tool, while students show a positive perception and a significantly higher willingness to use the robot. From this experience, we formulate the hypothesis that robots may be accepted if more integrated with standard rehabilitation protocols in a way that benefits can outweigh the costs.

Tài liệu tham khảo

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