Driving is believing: Using telepresence robots to access makerspace for teachers in rural areas

Abstract

This study explored two different ways for K‐12 school teachers to access educational makerspace through virtual fieldtrips. K‐12 school teachers from rural areas of the Southeast USA were divided into two groups. The experimental group (n = 48) drove telepresence robots to take their fieldtrip, while the comparison group (n = 23) watched the same fieldtrip through a recorded video. Analyses of the quantitative and qualitative data, collected through surveys and written reflections, showed that the experimental group reported significantly higher scores in embodiment, social presence and engagement (ie, behaviour, emotion and cognition) than the comparison group, and that actual driving the robots for the virtual fieldtrips was highlighted as a favored experience. Educational significance and implications are discussed. What is currently known about this topic With makerspaces gaining increasing attention in K‐12 education, professional development (PD) opportunities are needed to help teachers understand makerspaces and related technologies. Teachers in rural areas are faced with the challenges of accessing makerspace resources and opportunities, especially during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Little research has explored teacher makerspace PD in rural areas. Maker resource deficiency in rural areas and the COVID‐19 pandemic call for an alternative approach to the makerspace PD, particularly for teachers in rural areas. What this paper adds Explored the use of telepresence robots for rural teachers to access an authentic makerspace through virtual fieldtrips. Examined the effects of virtual fieldtrip to access makerspaces on K‐12 teachers' embodiment, social presence and engagement. Examined the aspects of the telepresence fieldtrip that were most valuable to K‐12 teachers. Investigated the factors that contribute to teachers' engagement in a virtual fieldtrip. Implications for practitioners Telepresence robot was an effective tool that enabled teachers in rural areas to explore authentic makerspaces through a virtual trip over distance. To help teachers conceptualize the idea of makerspace, it is important to allow teachers to move in the physical makerspace and interact with the environment. To design an engaging fieldtrip that triggers active learning, more attention should be given to how to develop the emotional aspect of a fieldtrip experience. Embodiment plays an important role in virtual fieldtrips. When teachers have a higher level of embodiment, they are more likely to be emotionally and cognitively engaged in a fieldtrip experience.

Telepresence robots from the perspective of psychology and educational sciences

“…Chen et al (2022) investigated two different ways in which K12 school teachers access the educational makerspace through virtual field trips. Teachers in the experimental group drove TPRs to take their fieldtrip, whereas teachers in the control group watched a recorded video of the same field trip.…”

“…These 12 studies included a wide variety of research strategies and methods, such as experiment (Janard and Marurngsith, 2017; Chen et al , 2022), institutional and mixed-method case study (Rinfret, 2020; Liao et al , 2022), online survey (Khadri, 2021), developmental research (Zhang et al , 2018), simulation (Mudd et al , 2020), semi-structured interviews (Jadhav et al , 2018; Johannessen et al , 2022), mixed methods approach with the interview data, field notes, transcripts of conversations captured on video (Liao and Lu, 2018), video analysis (Jakonen and Jauni, 2022) and a review paper (Chang, 2019). The study subjects consisted of students (e.g.…”

“…One of the main benefits of TPRs is facilitating the access to education in specific situations, such as supporting students with health problems and disabilities (Jadhav et al , 2018) or in situations where physical access to education is either temporarily or permanently impeded (Chang, 2019; Rinfret, 2020). It was evident that TPRs can provide remote learners with a greater sense of social presence and engagement compared to traditional videoconferencing tools (Chen et al , 2022; Jakonen and Jauni, 2022). The research findings also showed that TPRs are suitable for many aspects of patient care and provide access to cultural assets, such as in museums (Chang, 2019; Mudd et al , 2020).…”

Exploring the power of telepresence: enhancing education through telepresence robots

“…TPRs offer an innovative and immersive way to conduct virtual field trips, enhancing the educational experience by providing students with the opportunity to explore distant locations in real-time. Chen et al (2022) compared teachers using TPRs for virtual field trips to those watching pre-recorded videos. The TPR group showed higher scores in embodiment, social presence and engagement, indicating a preference for TPRs in virtual field trips.…”

Keeping distance with a telepresence robot: A pilot study

“…Previous research is mainly based on qualitative research of people's perceptions and experiences through analyzing interviews, written reflections and video recordings. Very few studies have so far compared multiple experimental conditions to reveal the effect of TPRs (Chen et al, 2022). The relevant empirical research about the underlying process that may explain group cooperation and communication via TPRs (Schouten et al, 2022) needs also supplementing as most of the existing research is done in computer science, focusing on the technological aspects of TPRs.…”