Promoting Critical Thinking Dispositions in Children and Adolescents Through Human-Robot Interaction with Socially Assistive Robots

The current paper describes a preliminary concept according to which robotic tutors are employed for promoting critical thinking dispositions in children and adolescents between the age of 10 and 18. Although critical thinking is among the most essential 21st-century skills, still is a challenging task for educators to achieve. However, robotic tutors motivate users and facilitate knowledge gains and behavioral changes due to their personalized behavior towards users’ needs. Still, they have not been employed for promoting critical thinking. Here we present an experimental set-up according to which a robotic tutor introduces stimuli to the learner and engages in discussion resulting in the evidence-based inquiry. The robot employs questions, hints, and gestures through the discussion for the promotion of critical thinking dispositions. A holistic approach to critical thinking instruction is employed, yet without explicitly teaching critical thinking skills. Implications are discussed concerning the evaluation and measurement of critical thinking dispositions.