Social robots for education

Social robots are specifically designed to interact with humans by engaging in social behaviors. In education, these machines are progressively adopted to support learning processes. Despite this trend, there is a lack of research that maps the implementation of social robots for education in real s...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Ferrer, Iliana|||0000-0002-7326-0415, Aymerich Franch, Laura|||0000-0001-7627-5770
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2026
País:España
Institución:Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Repositorio:Dipòsit Digital de Documents de la UAB
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:dnet:uabarcelona_::432c39b6b6d53b8cce3abf9d2d1b1b0e
Acceso en línea:https://ddd.uab.cat/record/328014
https://dx.doi.org/urn:doi:10.1007/s11423-026-10611-4
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Social robots
Educational robots
Human-robot interaction
Human computer interaction
Descripción
Sumario:Social robots are specifically designed to interact with humans by engaging in social behaviors. In education, these machines are progressively adopted to support learning processes. Despite this trend, there is a lack of research that maps the implementation of social robots for education in real settings. To address this gap, we used a documentary research method to identify and classify cases of social robot deployments in educational contexts worldwide. In total, we traced back and analyzed 206 cases of social robots deployed in 28 countries, involving 43 different robot models. These robots were identified in kindergartens, primary and secondary schools, universities, and occupational therapy centers, among other institutions. The most prevalent functions of these robots are edutainment, entertainment, teaching programming skills, and offering psychological support. This study provides a comprehensive overview of social robots' current applications in the educational sector, with implications for future adoption.