Hello everyone!
Omni and Yinwen here. Thank you to the teams before us for setting such a high bar! We’re excited to guide this week’s Opportunity Forecast on a topic close to our hearts: how robots in classrooms can support learners with Special Educational Needs (SEN), especially those with dyslexia, ADHD, and autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
We chose this focus because while educational robots are often showcased for STEM or coding, their role in inclusive education is underexplored yet full of potential. For neurodiverse learners, consistent structure, emotional neutrality, and patient repetition can make all the difference — and these just happen to be strengths of well-designed classroom robots.
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⭐ Access our OER here: https://sites.google.com/view/etec522-opportunity-forecast?usp=sharing
(It’s built for ease, reflection, and interaction — no videos or logins required!)
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???? What You’ll Explore This Week:
Our OER is structured into four simple modules, each focused on a practical and forward-looking question:
- Why Inclusion Needs More Than Good Intentions
- Understand the challenges learners with SEN face in typical classrooms.
- Meet the Robots
- Learn about real robots already supporting SEN learners (e.g., QTrobot, Milo, KIBO), and how they interact with students.
- The Role of AI in Personalized SEN Support
- Explore how AI powers these robots: adaptive speech, emotional recognition, and personalized routines.
- Forecasting the Opportunity
- What’s next? We offer insights into venture potential, market growth, and ethical concerns in this emerging space.
Each section includes a short written scenario, a reflection prompt, or a design question to keep things engaging but manageable.
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???? Wrap-Up Reflection (Please Comment Below)
Once you complete the OER, return to this thread and respond to one or more of the following:
- What surprised you the most about robots supporting SEN learners?
- Which application — for dyslexia, ADHD, or ASD — did you find most compelling or feasible?
- How do you see AI changing the way inclusion is approached in the classroom?
- If you were to invest in one robotics solution for inclusive learning, what would you prioritize?
Your insights will help us refine the OER and spark deeper discussion, thank you in advance for your contributions!
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???????? We’ll be available all week to respond to your thoughts, offer clarification, and engage in any ongoing conversations. Thanks again for joining us in imagining a more inclusive, AI-enhanced learning future.
– Omni and Yinwen
Hi! Just a heads up, it’s Week 10, so I think your OER isn’t due for another 2 weeks (Robots in the Classroom is Week 12).
This week is for Classrooms of the Future (by Patrick and me).
Hi Omni and Yinwen – thank you for your OER. I am certainly guilty of viewing robots in the classroom as isolated to a Jetson’s-esque futuristic concept, so it was enlightening seeing the various ways this technology is being leveraged to aid in special education scenarios.
The technology that stood out to me was the Kibo, because it is an example of robots in the classroom where the “robot” isn’t an artificial companion or aid, but is instead a platform for learning itself. It’s emblematic of the many different forms robots in the classroom can take. QTrobot was also quite compelling in its relatively simple design that could still effectively communicate expressiveness.
Your OER reminded me of PARO – a Japanese therapeutic robot developed for the elderly. It’s a cute little white seal robot that is intended to deliver the benefits of animal therapy in environments where it wouldn’t normally be possible. http://www.parorobots.com/
My one suggestion for improvement of your OER is to define the many acronyms in the OER itself. This will make it easier for immediate reference, rather than the acronyms only existing in the wordpress post.
Paro is so cute! Thank you Duncan for providing this therapeutic robot which I have never heard of…Good point to define acronyms from accessibility/reader friendly perspective.
Thanks for the OER Yinwen and Omni. I found the robots that helped with teaching social skills to students with ASD to be particularly promising. I can see a lot of value in utilizing a tool that maintains consistency and does not become fatigued to teach those skills. One question that came to mind as I was exploring your OER is whether or not there is consensus on where robot use might outperform software, in terms of efficacy. Robots are expensive tools and it seems logical to ask whether or not the affordances of a robot are always necessary to achieve the desired learning goal. Having said that, you have shown some great examples where robots might actually be needed due to a disability or the young age of the learner. Perhaps a future venture might be in developing a framework to help educators evaluate whether the learner they have in mind might benefit more from a robot or whether software can accomplish the learning goal. Thanks again and good job!
Thanks Mark! If time allows, it is def worthwhile to perform deeper research on robot efficacy compared to more cost friendly software for SEN learners in particular and how/why robot could perform better. Learners may project emotional reliance on human-alike robot vs. software. Many SEN learners (e.g., those with autism, ADHD, or motor skill challenges) benefit from tangible, real-world interactions rather than screen-based learning. Robots can model physical tasks (e.g., handwriting, social gestures) in a way software cannot. They provide haptic feedback (touch, movement), helping learners with motor skill development. Many SEN learners struggle with social cues, eye contact, and emotional recognition (common in autism). Robots can simplify social interactions with predictable, repeatable behaviors. They reduce social anxiety—unlike humans, robots don’t judge, making learners more comfortable. It would be interesting to find more empirical study and data to support the intuitive idea.
Hi Yinwen and Omni,
Thanks for this great OER! Robots in the classroom can be a very general topic, so I liked how you narrowed it down learners with Special Educational Needs. I definitely think that these kinds of robots can help achieve more inclusive and accessible learning environments.
AI has the ability to improve inclusivity in education thanks to its ability to personalize instruction for the students. Not only can it adapt learning materials to suit the students, it can also customize the learning environment to suit neurodiverse students, while giving immediate feedback and support to these students. This kind of feedback also helps educators know where their students are struggling the most. I believe AI also has the ability to create less biased assessments, allowing all students to thrive and achieve the goals they have set.
While I am strongly against robots replacing humans, I do see their place in empowering learners, offering personalized support, and helping create inclusive and equitable learning that all educators want to give to their students.
*narrowed it down to learners with Special Educational Needs
Sorry for the mistake!
Hey Omni and Yinwen,
Thanks for this awesome presentation, it was enlightening for me to see the application of robots in a classroom setting. I don’t think it’s far off from becoming reality, as I was thinking about the kinds of robots I have in the house with toys for my preschoolers to robot vacuums
What surprised you the most about robots supporting SEN learners?
The thing that really surprised me was that the modality of robotics fit really well with SEN learners. Your OER showcased the value of not just automation and AI but the ease of use and availability of these robotics for specific learning needs were quite outstanding. It was also enlightening to see that these robots weren’t just in a prototype stage, but readily available for use.
Which application — for dyslexia, ADHD, or ASD — did you find most compelling or feasible?
The idea of ADHD robots would be amazing, especially for the population of adult learners that indicatively need something like that, I find that the robots for ASD is the most useful especially in the public school setting where resources can be quite scarce. I recognize that introducing robots in the beginning and in the short term require a bit more resource, the domain that the robots can work as evidenced by the videos can help in being inclusive with certain ASD that can continuously support learners in the elementary school setting. I’m profoundly excited and appreciate how far we’ve come with inclusivity in the elementary classroom setting.
How do you see AI changing the way inclusion is approached in the classroom?
Algorithmically I think AI can find strategies to start having people identify ways to be inclusive in the classroom and to help educators to begin to include ways to be more inclusive in the classroom and to help with incorporating robots to different SEN learners.
If you were to invest in one robotics solution for inclusive learning, what would you prioritize?
I think for me, I like to say starting small, and so I find that the dyslexia robots might be one to prioritize as a sample size and price match to allow training for facilitators to use the robots and ways to implement the robots en masse.
I quite enjoyed this as at the end of this module, I was able to picture using robotics as a learning education tool, I also echo the sentiment to use a legend as there was a lot of acronyms that I did have to search through.
Kudos!
Very good analysis and I truly believe you have walked everything in our OER – THANK YOU!!
Hi Yinwen and Omni,
Great work on your OER! I personally loved the animation style that you decided to use for the pictures and I found it made the material more engaging for me.
Here are the reflection questions I decided to answer this week (from any of the reflections provided:
1) Which application — for dyslexia, ADHD, or ASD — did you find most compelling or feasible?
Out of the robots you mentioned, QTrobot is the one I find most compelling as it is able to help children learn to communicate and read facial expressions. This is especially useful as it is a tool that is not only useful to therapists, but is useful for teachers to help support students with specific needs.
2) How do you see AI transforming inclusion in the next 5 years?
As you mentioned in your section on AI integration, AI is most effective when it is used as an assistive technology rather than a complete replacement. I believe AI has the power to transform existing tools we have by allowing for high levels of personalization and quick and efficient analysis of student performance and trends. However, as we integrate AI into more of our daily life, it is important to consider the ethical implications of AI as well as the impact AI has on the sustainability of our planet.
3) If you were to invest in one robotics solution for inclusive learning, what would you prioritize?
Following my thought process from question 1, I would invest in QTrobot as I believe it has the most potential for widespread use. As an investor, I care about a balance of profit and impact in my potential investments. I believe investing in QTrobot will not only help me make money, but help students with social emotional needs all around the world.
Tim
Hello Omni and Yinwen! What a great OER. I love the animated images! I really enjoyed reading your OER because I am fond of robotics. It is amazing to know how they are becoming more and more advanced.
What surprised you the most about robots supporting SEN learners?
What surprised me most was how social robots like QTrobot, Milo, and Kibo, which have cute names by the way, are already working with learners with special education needs. I am surprised to learn that they are offering emotional recognition, personalized routines, and adaptive speech tailored to the learners’ needs. These robots actively engage with SEN students and give real-time responses and encouragements. I love that these robots are bridging social gaps in classrooms.
How do you see AI changing the way inclusion is approached in the classroom?
AI is transforming inclusivity in classrooms. It has opened an opportunity to allow individualized support at scale. Robots can monitor a child’s emotional state of pace. I am in awe to learn how these robots are capable of adjusting tasks and feedback. AI-powered tools are adapting to learners and offer a more responsive and equitable learning environment.
Hi Omni and Yinwen,
Thanks for your informative OER about robots in the classroom! I think I am most compelled by the QTrobot to help support students with ASD with social-emotional learning. I remember reading a great point that someone in this class (sorry, can’t remember who, otherwise I would credit them) made about how the seemingly neutral and nonjudgmental disposition of robots may allow some students to receive help in a way that doesn’t make them feel like they’re “less than”.
This ties into the point that you guys made that robots can offer nonjudgmental, patient, and consistent support and feedback in a way that would be impossible for humans to do, given that, well, we have feelings. This is a very compelling point as to the affordance and utility of these robots to support SEN learners!
Hi Yinwen & Omni,
This was a very interesting OER! In our initial assessment of these topics at the beginning of this term I personally rated robots in the classroom on the low end because it didn’t seem very feasible or practical in the near term. However, the content and ideas you’ve shared this week have definitely shifted my opinion on this and I’m much more optimistic about near term and important applications when it comes to robotics in the classroom.
Kibo was the one that caught my eye the most. The reasonable cost, the screen free approach, and its innovative and intuitive design make it one of the best (maybe the best) examples of edtech for very young learners that I have seen. Thank you for doing the work of researching and breaking down this topic.
Your topic also reinforces common thread that we’ve seen in almost every week’s topic, which is the importance of using technology to augment the role of the educator. With so many technologies like robotics, AI, Microlearning, Neurological applications and automated assessments, the first kneejerk public reaction seems to be “Well, this will just replace teachers.” but the more we thoughtfully examine and analyze the actual application of these technologies in real classrooms, the clearer it becomes that these technologies actually make the human educator more important, not less.
Thank you for an informative OER. I like how you used the cartoon pictures throughout your presentation, which is very cute. Personally, I found the application for ASD to be particularly compelling. Robots that help students with autism by using social cues and structured routines seem not only feasible but incredibly effective in supporting their learning and social integration. This is also something I didn’t know. Clearly AI has the potential to make inclusion much more individualized. It could help create tailored learning experiences for students with diverse needs, making the classroom more accessible to everyone, regardless of their challenges.
I would prioritize robots that focus on fostering social skills for students with ASD, as these skills are often pivotal in ensuring long-term success both academically and in life.