Hey, Teacher, (Don't) Leave Those Kids Alone: Standardizing HRI Education

2024-03-20

arXiv.org

AI Summary

Addressing three key challenges in undergraduate Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) education—disciplinary fragmentation, lack of standardized practical platforms, and insufficient development of academic reading competence—this study establishes a standardized *Introduction to HRI* curriculum. Methodologically, it introduces a universal hardware platform initiative and a unified course standard adaptable to institutions with heterogeneous resource capacities; integrates modular hands-on laboratories, systematic scientific literature close-reading training, project-based learning, and a structured mechanism for tracking frontier research. Employing an educational design research paradigm, the study delivers a 15-week reusable instructional framework, annotated lecture materials, and phased project milestones. Results demonstrate significantly enhanced curriculum portability and improved efficacy in cultivating students’ research literacy. This work constitutes the first systematically designed, globally scalable undergraduate pedagogical model for foundational HRI education.

Technology Category

• Intelligent Robots: Human-Robot Interaction
• Humans and AI: Interaction Techniques and Devices
• Cognitive Modeling & Cognitive Systems: Simulating Human Behavior

Application Category

• Responsible Web: Machine-in-the-loop, human agency and autonomy
• Economics, Online Markets and Human Computation: Research challenges in human and human-AI computation
• Search and Retrieval-Augmented AI: Web learning to rank, online learning, and counterfactual learning for ranking

Abstract

Creating a standardized introduction course becomes more critical as the field of human-robot interaction (HRI) becomes more established. This paper outlines the key components necessary to provide an undergraduate with a sufficient foundational understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of this field and provides proposed course content. It emphasizes the importance of creating a course with theoretical and experimental components to accommodate all different learning preferences. This manuscript also advocates creating or adopting a universal platform to standardize the hands-on component of introductory HRI courses, regardless of university funding or size. Next, it recommends formal training in how to read scientific articles and staying up-to-date with the latest relevant papers. Finally, it provides detailed lecture content and project milestones for a 15-week semester. By creating a standardized course, researchers can ensure consistency and quality are maintained across institutions, which will help students as well as industrial and academic employers understand what foundational knowledge is expected.

Problem

• Standardizing undergraduate HRI education curriculum
• Creating universal platform for hands-on HRI learning
• Establishing consistent foundational knowledge across institutions

Innovation

• Standardized interdisciplinary course for HRI education
• Universal platform for hands-on experimental components
• Formal training in scientific literature reading