Human-robot interactions to promote play and learning

Research shows that children construct much of their knowledge through active manipulation of the environment, which allows them to connect abstract concepts to observable outcomes. Despite these findings, although the integration of novel pedagogical technologies into classroom settings has begun, the technologies predominantly have focused on instruction in virtual contexts. To date, however, little is known about novel technologies that step outside of the virtual realm into the physical classroom, thereby leveraging findings on embodied mathematical cognition to influence educational practices. As a first step in filling this gap, we present the Active Learning Environment with Robotics Tangibles (ALERT) framework. Our system relies on human-robot interaction and tangible instruction to motivate and trigger learning in students through a variety of activities that integrate play and instruction in mixed reality environments. Here we describe some of the activities supported by ALERT, and discuss plans for evaluating the pedagogical utility of the system.