Unsure robots make better teachers than know-alls

Unsure robots make better teachers than know-alls - tech - 08 September 2012 - New Scientist@import "/css/gridmain.css"; @import "/css/article.css";@import "/css/comlist.css";@import "/data/images/ns/haas/haas.css";/* specific to this article view */#maincol {border-top:solid #A7A7A7 1px; padding-top:15px;}/* Basic commenting CSS*/.combx {margin:10px 0 0 0;padding:10px 20px 10px 10px;}#compnl {border-top:solid #A7A7A7 1px;}/* comment styles for article page only *//* form styles */#comform {margin:20px 50px 20px 10px;}#comform label{width: 90px;text-align: right;}#comform div.userhelp {margin:0 0 2px 115px;}#comform input.textinput, #comform textarea {width:300px;}#comform div.floatclear, #comformlogin div.floatclear {margin-bottom:10px;}#comform input#comcancel{margin:0 10px 0 0;}#comform input#compreview{margin:0 10px 0 0;}#comform textarea {height:95px;}#comformlogin {margin:20px 100px 20px 100px;}#comformlogin label{width: 120px;}#comformlogin input.textinput {width:150px;}#snv_tech a {background: url('/img/bg/snv_tech.jpg') no-repeat; color:#fff;}/* article social media */#sharebtns {width:440px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:20px; padding:15px 0 15px 10px; background:#F2F2F2;}#sharebtns div.floatleft {margin-right:10px;}#sharebtns .stumble {margin-top:1px;}.grpTools img {margin-right:8px; margin-top:9px;}#fblike {margin-top:41px;} Tech    Log in

EmailPassword Remember me

Your login is case sensitive

I have forgotten my password

Register nowActivate my subscriptionInstitutional loginAthens loginclose

My New ScientistHomeNewsIn-Depth ArticlesBlogsOpinionTVGalleriesTopic GuidesLast WordSubscribeDatingLook for Science JobsSPACETECHENVIRONMENTHEALTHLIFEPHYSICS&MATHSCIENCE IN SOCIETYCookies & Privacy

Home|Tech|News

Unsure robots make better teachers than know-alls08 September 2012 byDouglas HeavenMagazine issue 2881. Subscribe and saveFor similar stories, visit theRobotsTopic Guide THE best way to learn is to teach. That old maxim has been put to the test by a classroom robot that helps Japanese children learn English.

Shizuko Matsuzoe and Fumihide Tanaka at the University of Tsukuba, Japan, observed 19 children aged between 4 and 8 interacting with a humanoid robot. The children took part in a learning game in which they had to draw the shape corresponding to English words such as "circle", "square", "crescent" and "heart".

From a room next to the classroom, the researchers operated a French-built Nao robot so that it appeared weak and feeble, and encouraged the children to take on the role of carers. The robot also either behaved as an instructor, drawing the correct shape for the child, or made mistakes and acted as if it didn't know the answer.

When the robot got a shape wrong, the child could "teach" the robot how to draw it by guiding its hand. The robot then either "learned" the English word for that shape or continued to make errors.

Matsuzoe and Tanaka found that the children did best when the robot appeared to learn from them. This also made the children more likely to want to continue learning with the robot. They will present their results at the Ro-Man conference in Paris this month.

New ScientistNot just a website!Subscribe to New Scientist and get:New Scientist magazine delivered every weekUnlimited online access to articles from over 500 back issuesSubscribe Now and SaveIf you would like to reuse any content from New Scientist, either in print or online, please contact the syndication department first for permission. New Scientist does not own rights to photos, but there are a variety of licensing options available for use of articles and graphics we own the copyright to.

Have your say

Only subscribers may leave comments on this article. Please log in.

email:password:Remember me  

Only personal subscribers may leave comments on this article

Subscribe now to comment.

All comments should respect the New Scientist House Rules. If you think a particular comment breaks these rules then please use the "Report" link in that comment to report it to us.

If you are having a technical problem posting a comment, please contact technical support.

ADVERTISEMENT

MoreLatest newsFBI launches $1 billion face recognition project10:12 07 September 2012

The Next Generation Identification programme will include a nationwide database of criminal faces and other biometrics

Up, up and away: Chimeric bicycles take to the skies10:03 07 September 2012

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's the start of a new extreme sport – pedal-powered flying

AI cyber-fighter: does it feel human, punk?11:21 06 September 2012

A software bot designed to act human by mimicking consciousness is poised to go into battle in the Unreal Tournament arena

Tough, super-stretchy gel could make better implants10:30 06 September 2012

A new water-based gel is one of the stretchiest materials yet made, and it is durable enough to offer hope for better medical implants

see all related stories

MoreLatest newsNot so moist Mars: Clays may come from lava, not lakes18:00 09 September 2012

Some ancient clays on the Red Planet are a better match to volcanic flows than water-crafted minerals – hurting the likelihood of conditions for early life

Muscles that do nothing can keep you warm and thin18:00 09 September 2012

Muscles can burn energy without contracting, thanks to sarcolipins – proteins that could shed light on the body's thermostat and how we shed excess fat

A genetic blueprint of your unborn baby10:00 08 September 2012

Sequencing the whole genome of a fetus could provide a medical early warning on a previously unknown scale - but it also brings dilemmas, says Harriet A. Washington

Catcher of elusive neutrinos takes shape at Fermilab18:26 07 September 2012

Huge plastic blocks were being set in place this week to help catch some of the most elusive, mysterious particles known

see all latest news

Most readMost commented FBI launches $1 billion face recognition project Space-time ripples record black hole crashes Evolution could explain the placebo effect 13 things that do not make sense Acupuncture treatment is not as safe as advertised Most readMost commented Destroying the powerful and destructive race construct If 2013 breaks heat record, how will deniers respond? Hail Jeremy Hunt, the new minister for magic Up, up and away: Chimeric bicycles take to the skies Food for thought: Eat your way to dementia TWITTERNew Scientist is on Twitter

Get the latest from New Scientist: sign up to our Twitter feed

LATEST JOBS SRG: Clinical Project Physician - Switzerland Paramount Recruitment: C# Software Engineer / Software Developer - .NET Paramount Recruitment: Editorial Manager - Agency with Fantastic Working Environment MedImmune: Scientist II - Virology (MSAT) SEC Recruitment: CRA-SCRA This week's issueSubscribe

For exclusive news and expert analysis, subscribe to New Scientist.

Gain full online accessCurrent issue contentContent of past issues08 September 2012

ADVERTISEMENT

Back to top

Login

EmailPassword Remember me

Your login is case sensitive

I have forgotten my password

Register nowActivate my subscriptionInstitutional loginAthens loginclose

About usNew ScientistSyndicationRecruitment AdvertisingStaff at New ScientistAdvertiseRBI JobsUser HelpContact UsFAQ / HelpDisclaimerTs & CsCookiesPrivacy PolicySubscriptionsSubscribeRenewGift subscriptionMy accountBack issuesCustomer ServiceLinksSite MapBrowse all articlesMagazine archiveNewScientistJobsThe LastWordRSS FeedsOnline StoreAndroid AppMobile site homeScience JobsBiology JobsChemistry JobsClinical JobsSales JobsEarth & Environment JobsEngineering JobsMaths & IT JobsGraduate Jobs© Copyright Reed Business Information Ltd.

View the original article here

Unsure robots make better teachers than know-alls

Unsure robots make better teachers than know-alls - tech - 31 August 2012 - New Scientist@import "/css/gridmain.css"; @import "/css/article.css";@import "/css/comlist.css";@import "/data/images/ns/haas/haas.css";/* specific to this article view */#maincol {border-top:solid #A7A7A7 1px; padding-top:15px;}/* Basic commenting CSS*/.combx {margin:10px 0 0 0;padding:10px 20px 10px 10px;}#compnl {border-top:solid #A7A7A7 1px;}/* comment styles for article page only *//* form styles */#comform {margin:20px 50px 20px 10px;}#comform label{width: 90px;text-align: right;}#comform div.userhelp {margin:0 0 2px 115px;}#comform input.textinput, #comform textarea {width:300px;}#comform div.floatclear, #comformlogin div.floatclear {margin-bottom:10px;}#comform input#comcancel{margin:0 10px 0 0;}#comform input#compreview{margin:0 10px 0 0;}#comform textarea {height:95px;}#comformlogin {margin:20px 100px 20px 100px;}#comformlogin label{width: 120px;}#comformlogin input.textinput {width:150px;}#snv_tech a {background: url('/img/bg/snv_tech.jpg') no-repeat; color:#fff;}/* article social media */#sharebtns {width:440px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:20px; padding:15px 0 15px 10px; background:#F2F2F2;}#sharebtns div.floatleft {margin-right:10px;}#sharebtns .stumble {margin-top:1px;}.grpTools img {margin-right:8px; margin-top:9px;}#fblike {margin-top:41px;} Tech    Log in

EmailPassword Remember me

Your login is case sensitive

I have forgotten my password

Register nowActivate my subscriptionInstitutional loginAthens loginclose

My New ScientistHomeNewsIn-Depth ArticlesBlogsOpinionTVGalleriesTopic GuidesLast WordSubscribeDatingLook for Science JobsSPACETECHENVIRONMENTHEALTHLIFEPHYSICS&MATHSCIENCE IN SOCIETYCookies & Privacy

Home|Tech|News

Unsure robots make better teachers than know-alls16:41 31 August 2012 byDouglas HeavenFor similar stories, visit theRobotsTopic Guide The best way to learn is to teach. Now a classroom robot that helps Japanese children learn English has put that old maxim to the test.

Shizuko Matsuzoe and Fumihide Tanaka at the University of Tsukuba, Japan, set up an experiment to find out how different levels of competence in a robot teacher affected children's success in learning English words for shapes.

They observed how 19 children aged between 4 and 8 interacted with a humanoid Nao robot in a learning game in which each child had to draw the shape that corresponded to an English word such as 'circle', 'square', 'crescent', or 'heart'.

The researchers operated the robot from a room next to the classroom so that it appeared weak and feeble, and the children were encouraged to take on the role of carers. The robot could then either act as an instructor, drawing the correct shape for the child, or make mistakes and act as if it didn't know the answer.

When the robot got a shape wrong, the child could teach the robot how to draw it correctly by guiding its hand. The robot then either "learned" the English word for that shape or continued to make mistakes.

Robot learner aids learning Matsuzoe and Tanaka found that the children did best when the robot appeared to learn from them. This also made the children more likely to want to continue learning with the robot. The researchers will present their results at Ro-Man - an international symposium on robot and human interactive communication - in September.

"Anything that gets a person more actively engaged and motivated is going to be beneficial to the learning process," says Andrea Thomaz , director of the Socially Intelligent Machines lab at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta. "So needing to teach the robot is a great way of doing that."

The idea of students learning by teaching also agrees with a lot of research in human social learning, she says. The process of teaching a robot is akin to what happens in peer-to-peer learning, where students teach each other or work in groups to learn concepts – common activities in most classrooms.

If you would like to reuse any content from New Scientist, either in print or online, please contact the syndication department first for permission. New Scientist does not own rights to photos, but there are a variety of licensing options available for use of articles and graphics we own the copyright to.

Have your say

Only subscribers may leave comments on this article. Please log in.

email:password:Remember me  

Only personal subscribers may leave comments on this article

Subscribe now to comment.

All comments should respect the New Scientist House Rules. If you think a particular comment breaks these rules then please use the "Report" link in that comment to report it to us.

If you are having a technical problem posting a comment, please contact technical support.

Things work best when teacher doesn't know best (Image: Sinopix/Rex Features)

ADVERTISEMENT

MoreLatest newsWaste water harnessed to make electricity and plastics09:00 03 September 2012

The treatment of waste water can be used to create energy and biodegradable plastics

Bendy battery lets you wear gadgets' power supply11:08 30 August 2012

Flexible battery design lets you wear your gadget's power source on the wrist, neck or any part of the body you fancy

Let's get lost: Apps that help you wander to happiness08:00 30 August 2012

From GPS to book recommendations, technology is eradicating uncertainty from life. But what if happiness depends on taking chances?

Visual programming means anyone can be a coder10:00 29 August 2012

Coding by tweaking on-screen shapes and drawings could revolutionise computer programming, making it accessible to all

see all related stories

MoreLatest newsMoon's magnetic umbrellas may shield future spaceships18:43 03 September 2012

New insights into lunar anomalies could inspire deflector shields for spaceships that would protect astronauts against solar storms

Today on New Scientist: 3 September 201218:00 03 September 2012

All today's stories on newscientist.com, including: stem cells return some feeling to paralysed patients, satellite images of Brazil's ravaged rainforests, the ultimate food scare, and more

Retracing the stardust trail17:34 03 September 2012

In The Stardust Revolution, Jacob Berkowitz explains how stars have shaped the universe and asks if we may soon discover life outside the solar system

Brain diabetes: the ultimate food scare15:51 03 September 2012

Big trouble lies ahead if Alzheimer's is proven to be a form of diabetes

see all latest news

Most readMost commented Epigenetics gives clues to human cancer susceptibility Two dead stars provide low-tech way to test Einstein Rosacea may be caused by mite faeces in your pores Mirrors take root in pitch-black nanotube forest Protein discovery could lead to 'genomic debuggers' Most readMost commented Fracking could be combined with carbon capture plans Rosacea may be caused by mite faeces in your pores Big burn theory: Why humans spontaneously combust Bonobo genius makes stone tools like early humans did Food for thought: Eat your way to dementia TWITTERNew Scientist is on Twitter

Get the latest from New Scientist: sign up to our Twitter feed

LATEST JOBS PIC: Laboratory Technician SEC Recruitment: Senior Statistical Programmers | Perm | UK or Germany SEC Recruitment: Senior Lead Programmer |Germany |Global Company Meet Recruitment: Regulatory Affairs Publisher, Vienna Meet Recruitment: Fantastic Senior Regulatory Affairs function @ top Pharma, Berks/Bucks This week's issueSubscribe

For exclusive news and expert analysis, subscribe to New Scientist.

Gain full online accessCurrent issue contentContent of past issues01 September 2012

ADVERTISEMENT

Back to top

Login

EmailPassword Remember me

Your login is case sensitive

I have forgotten my password

Register nowActivate my subscriptionInstitutional loginAthens loginclose

About usNew ScientistSyndicationRecruitment AdvertisingStaff at New ScientistAdvertiseRBI JobsUser HelpContact UsFAQ / HelpDisclaimerTs & CsCookiesPrivacy PolicySubscriptionsSubscribeRenewGift subscriptionMy accountBack issuesCustomer ServiceLinksSite MapBrowse all articlesMagazine archiveNewScientistJobsThe LastWordRSS FeedsOnline StoreAndroid AppMobile site homeScience JobsBiology JobsChemistry JobsClinical JobsSales JobsEarth & Environment JobsEngineering JobsMaths & IT JobsGraduate Jobs© Copyright Reed Business Information Ltd.

View the original article here

Unsure robots make better teachers than know-alls

Unsure robots make better teachers than know-alls - tech - 31 August 2012 - New Scientist@import "/css/gridmain.css"; @import "/css/article.css";@import "/css/comlist.css";@import "/data/images/ns/haas/haas.css";/* specific to this article view */#maincol {border-top:solid #A7A7A7 1px; padding-top:15px;}/* Basic commenting CSS*/.combx {margin:10px 0 0 0;padding:10px 20px 10px 10px;}#compnl {border-top:solid #A7A7A7 1px;}/* comment styles for article page only *//* form styles */#comform {margin:20px 50px 20px 10px;}#comform label{width: 90px;text-align: right;}#comform div.userhelp {margin:0 0 2px 115px;}#comform input.textinput, #comform textarea {width:300px;}#comform div.floatclear, #comformlogin div.floatclear {margin-bottom:10px;}#comform input#comcancel{margin:0 10px 0 0;}#comform input#compreview{margin:0 10px 0 0;}#comform textarea {height:95px;}#comformlogin {margin:20px 100px 20px 100px;}#comformlogin label{width: 120px;}#comformlogin input.textinput {width:150px;}#snv_tech a {background: url('/img/bg/snv_tech.jpg') no-repeat; color:#fff;}/* article social media */#sharebtns {width:440px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:20px; padding:15px 0 15px 10px; background:#F2F2F2;}#sharebtns div.floatleft {margin-right:10px;}#sharebtns .stumble {margin-top:1px;}.grpTools img {margin-right:8px; margin-top:9px;}#fblike {margin-top:41px;} Tech    Log in

EmailPassword Remember me

Your login is case sensitive

I have forgotten my password

Register nowActivate my subscriptionInstitutional loginAthens loginclose

My New ScientistHomeNewsIn-Depth ArticlesBlogsOpinionTVGalleriesTopic GuidesLast WordSubscribeDatingLook for Science JobsSPACETECHENVIRONMENTHEALTHLIFEPHYSICS&MATHSCIENCE IN SOCIETYCookies & Privacy

Home|Tech|News

Unsure robots make better teachers than know-alls16:41 31 August 2012 byDouglas HeavenFor similar stories, visit theRobotsTopic Guide The best way to learn is to teach. Now a classroom robot that helps Japanese children learn English has put that old maxim to the test.

Shizuko Matsuzoe and Fumihide Tanaka at the University of Tsukuba, Japan, set up an experiment to find out how different levels of competence in a robot teacher affected children's success in learning English words for shapes.

They observed how 19 children aged between 4 and 8 interacted with a humanoid Nao robot in a learning game in which each child had to draw the shape that corresponded to an English word such as 'circle', 'square', 'crescent', or 'heart'.

The researchers operated the robot from a room next to the classroom so that it appeared weak and feeble, and the children were encouraged to take on the role of carers. The robot could then either act as an instructor, drawing the correct shape for the child, or make mistakes and act as if it didn't know the answer.

When the robot got a shape wrong, the child could teach the robot how to draw it correctly by guiding its hand. The robot then either "learned" the English word for that shape or continued to make mistakes.

Robot learner aids learning Matsuzoe and Tanaka found that the children did best when the robot appeared to learn from them. This also made the children more likely to want to continue learning with the robot. The researchers will present their results at Ro-Man - an international symposium on robot and human interactive communication - in September.

"Anything that gets a person more actively engaged and motivated is going to be beneficial to the learning process," says Andrea Thomaz , director of the Socially Intelligent Machines lab at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta. "So needing to teach the robot is a great way of doing that."

The idea of students learning by teaching also agrees with a lot of research in human social learning, she says. The process of teaching a robot is akin to what happens in peer-to-peer learning, where students teach each other or work in groups to learn concepts – common activities in most classrooms.

If you would like to reuse any content from New Scientist, either in print or online, please contact the syndication department first for permission. New Scientist does not own rights to photos, but there are a variety of licensing options available for use of articles and graphics we own the copyright to.

Have your say

Only subscribers may leave comments on this article. Please log in.

email:password:Remember me  

Only personal subscribers may leave comments on this article

Subscribe now to comment.

All comments should respect the New Scientist House Rules. If you think a particular comment breaks these rules then please use the "Report" link in that comment to report it to us.

If you are having a technical problem posting a comment, please contact technical support.

Things work best when teacher doesn't know best (Image: Sinopix/Rex Features)

ADVERTISEMENT

MoreLatest newsWaste water harnessed to make electricity and plastics09:00 03 September 2012

The treatment of waste water can be used to create energy and biodegradable plastics

Bendy battery lets you wear gadgets' power supply11:08 30 August 2012

Flexible battery design lets you wear your gadget's power source on the wrist, neck or any part of the body you fancy

Let's get lost: Apps that help you wander to happiness08:00 30 August 2012

From GPS to book recommendations, technology is eradicating uncertainty from life. But what if happiness depends on taking chances?

Visual programming means anyone can be a coder10:00 29 August 2012

Coding by tweaking on-screen shapes and drawings could revolutionise computer programming, making it accessible to all

see all related stories

MoreLatest newsMoon's magnetic umbrellas may shield future spaceships18:43 03 September 2012

New insights into lunar anomalies could inspire deflector shields for spaceships that would protect astronauts against solar storms

Today on New Scientist: 3 September 201218:00 03 September 2012

All today's stories on newscientist.com, including: stem cells return some feeling to paralysed patients, satellite images of Brazil's ravaged rainforests, the ultimate food scare, and more

Retracing the stardust trail17:34 03 September 2012

In The Stardust Revolution, Jacob Berkowitz explains how stars have shaped the universe and asks if we may soon discover life outside the solar system

Brain diabetes: the ultimate food scare15:51 03 September 2012

Big trouble lies ahead if Alzheimer's is proven to be a form of diabetes

see all latest news

Most readMost commented Epigenetics gives clues to human cancer susceptibility Two dead stars provide low-tech way to test Einstein Rosacea may be caused by mite faeces in your pores Mirrors take root in pitch-black nanotube forest Protein discovery could lead to 'genomic debuggers' Most readMost commented Fracking could be combined with carbon capture plans Rosacea may be caused by mite faeces in your pores Big burn theory: Why humans spontaneously combust Bonobo genius makes stone tools like early humans did Food for thought: Eat your way to dementia TWITTERNew Scientist is on Twitter

Get the latest from New Scientist: sign up to our Twitter feed

LATEST JOBS PIC: Laboratory Technician SEC Recruitment: Senior Statistical Programmers | Perm | UK or Germany SEC Recruitment: Senior Lead Programmer |Germany |Global Company Meet Recruitment: Regulatory Affairs Publisher, Vienna Meet Recruitment: Fantastic Senior Regulatory Affairs function @ top Pharma, Berks/Bucks This week's issueSubscribe

For exclusive news and expert analysis, subscribe to New Scientist.

Gain full online accessCurrent issue contentContent of past issues01 September 2012

ADVERTISEMENT

Back to top

Login

EmailPassword Remember me

Your login is case sensitive

I have forgotten my password

Register nowActivate my subscriptionInstitutional loginAthens loginclose

About usNew ScientistSyndicationRecruitment AdvertisingStaff at New ScientistAdvertiseRBI JobsUser HelpContact UsFAQ / HelpDisclaimerTs & CsCookiesPrivacy PolicySubscriptionsSubscribeRenewGift subscriptionMy accountBack issuesCustomer ServiceLinksSite MapBrowse all articlesMagazine archiveNewScientistJobsThe LastWordRSS FeedsOnline StoreAndroid AppMobile site homeScience JobsBiology JobsChemistry JobsClinical JobsSales JobsEarth & Environment JobsEngineering JobsMaths & IT JobsGraduate Jobs© Copyright Reed Business Information Ltd.

View the original article here