User perspectives of robotic telepresence technology in schools: A systematic literature review

ABSTRACT

There is a growth in the use of robotic telepresence technology, allowing users to remotely access an environment, to support the inclusion/attendance of school pupils experiencing physical/emotional difficulties in the UK. Educational psychologists (EPs) are likely to encounter robotic telepresence technology due to their role in supporting pupil inclusion. Despite the Department for Education exploring this technology as a form of alternative provision, there is a lack of research exploring perceptions around robotic telepresence technology. The current review explores perspectives of users. Database searches were conducted between July 2021 and September 2021, identifying studies published within the last ten years. Eleven papers met the inclusion criteria. The review identified four inductive themes: potential for robotic telepresence technology to promote inclusion; potential for robotic telepresence technology to facilitate engagement; technical design factors influencing utility; and acceptability of robotic telepresence technology to users. Findings are discussed alongside implications for educational psychologists/future research.

KEYWORDS:

• Telepresence
• robotic avatar
• user perspectives
• emotional based school avoidance
• physical/emotional health
• schools

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Department for Education [National College for Teaching and Learning (NCTL)].