The Beauty and the Machine, Joining Aesthetics and Robotics in Education – 2
We are investigating the interplay between aesthetics and robotics to enhance motivation and skills in digital education.
Duration: January 2025 – December 2025
Status: Ongoing
Educational Level: Primary Level, Tertiary Level
Topic: Digital Skills & Literacy, Digital Tools
Keywords: Robotics, Aesthetics, STEAM, Arts, Teaching
Initial Situation
Digital skills are essential in education and will become even more important in the future. Educational robots can support the development of these skills in a STEM context, bringing high motivation, transversal skills and interdisciplinary topics to pupils. Despite these key elements, educational robots are still not common in classes because (future) teachers often do not feel connected to this technology or confident enough to integrate it into their teaching. There has been a lot of research that wants to change this. However, there is a lack of research regarding the potentials of combining aesthetics and robotics. Studies have shown that aesthetics can lead to positive emotions which have a huge potential to increase the integration of educational robots in schools, especially among (future) female teachers. Our research project addresses this specific research gap with the following research question: To what extent does the combination of robotics and aesthetics influence pre-service teachers’ motivation to integrate educational robots into their digital education lessons, specifically via positive emotions? In an experimental study, we investigated pre-service teachers’ shift in motivation and skills regarding the use of educational robots after applying an aesthetic approach.
Previous Project
The Beauty and the Machine – 2 builds on the exploratory phase in 2024 of the preceding project The Beauty and the Machine – 1, which investigated how aesthetic costumes for the Thymio robot influence the motivation and skills of prospective teachers in working with educational robots.
Follow-up Project
In the follow-up project The Beauty and the Machine – 3, the findings will be further explored through three studies: qualitative interviews to analyse motivation, an experimental design involving practising teachers, and an exploratory study on the effects on primary school pupils.
Objectives
Our objective is to have validated educational materials that help to foster teachers’ digital motivation and skills. The material builds on scientific findings which hold information about the specific factors that increase motivation and skills. The materials adopt the benefits of combining aesthetics and robotics (e.g., more positive emotions) which foster pre-service teachers’ motivation to integrate educational robots into their future lessons. We further aim to disseminate our educational materials widely through targeted project communication, both internally and externally.
Method
In the spring semester of 2025, we replicated the 2024 exploratory study with an overall improved design. We again investigated pre-service teachers’ shift in motivation and skills regarding the use of educational robots, applying an aesthetic approach. Study participants were again students from PHBern. As part of the improved design, the study took 90 minutes, included an improved costume but also an overall different storytelling based on this costume, used less challenging tasks, was based on an increased number of participants (more than 120! pre-service teachers participated in the study), measured motivational aspects as latent variables, and included more measurement points to enhance study validity.
Planned Translation
The rapid translation between research and practice is a key component of our project by design as we have already developed educational materials as part of the research project. Those educational materials can be used right away in teacher training or in classes. The materials have been tested among pre-service teachers who have already received a well-elaborated workshop as part of their study participation. To speed up the translation process, our communication experts from BFH will support the exchange of research findings with practitioners, using a variety of communication tools (e.g., Instagram, LinkedIn, website, ROTECO). They will support the diffusion of our material as Open Educational Resources in the form of complete packages.
Our main goal is to increase the use of educational robots in compulsory classrooms by teachers. If more teachers use educational robots in their lessons, pupils benefit from better digital education lessons which offer hands-on, engaging learning experiences. There is a higher probability to interest pupils for STEAM, potentially increasing STEM career choices and thus contributing to efforts that tackle the shortage of skilled workers in this area. As a side effect, we also expect a better representation of robotics in compulsory schools. We plan to measure the impact of our project in future studies.
