Student Acceptance Including Ethical Evaluation of Social Robots in Higher Education

In educational environments, social robots demonstrate promising potential. The acceptance of such technology by students is pivotal for their effective incorporation into educational processes. Utilizing the ICAP (Interactive, Constructive, Active, Passive) framework and extant research on the roles of social robots, we developed eight vignettes that describe potential applications of social robots in higher education settings, such as the role of teaching assistant. These vignettes were administered to students in an introductory university course, prompting them to respond based on the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) and to gauge their ethical assessment. Relying on a sample of N = 361 students, we performed a confirmatory factor analysis. Consistent with our theoretical background, we discerned eight distinct scenarios. Students predominantly rejected the idea of social robots serving as presenters. Conversely, acceptance was noticeable for roles like that of a teaching assistant. A latent profile analysis further enabled us to pinpoint four distinct profiles, each bearing significant conceptual implications. One specific profile stood out, encompassing students who accept social robots not as a means of instruction, e.g., as a tutor, but as a tool, e.g., to promote computational thinking.