Adding More Value Than Work: Practical Guidelines for Integrating Robots into Intercultural Competence Learning
Zhennan Yi, Sophia Sakakibara Capello, Randy Gomez, Selma Šabanović
TL;DR
This study investigates how social robots can meaningfully support intercultural competence development in K-12 settings. Using two-phase participatory design workshops with 17 teachers and the Haru robot, the authors apply reflexive thematic analysis to identify how robots add value, how to embed them in classroom routines, and what infrastructural supports are needed. The resulting practical guidelines emphasize leveraging robots to complement teachers, providing easy-to-use standardized materials, adopting top-down curriculum alignment, and ensuring transparency to stakeholders. These insights offer a pathway for sustainable, ethical, and effective robot-assisted intercultural education in real-world schools, guiding future in-situ deployments and HRI design.
Abstract
While social robots have demonstrated effectiveness in supporting students' intercultural competence development, it is unclear how they can effectively be adopted for integrated use in K-12 schools. We conducted two phases of design workshops with teachers, where they co-designed robot-mediated intercultural activities while considering student needs and school integration concerns. Using thematic analysis, we identify appropriate scenarios and roles for classroom robots, explore how robots could complement rather than replace teachers, and consider how to address ethical and compliance considerations. Our findings provide practical design guidelines for the HRI community to develop social robots that can effectively support intercultural education in K-12 schools.