Children’s Questions to Robots as an Educational Opportunity - Design Implications
摘要
We examine the role of spontaneous questions from children directed at or about social robots, specifically NAO and Misty, within educational settings. Focusing on children aged 3 to 6, the study compares different age groups to explore how their inquiries and behaviors reflect their understanding of and relationship with robots. The analysis combines quantitative data, based on the number of questions asked to robots and adults, with qualitative insights into the content of the questions and the broader behavioral trends across age groups. The results show that as children grow older, their interactions become more expressive, both verbally and physically. 6-year-olds, in particular, demonstrated increased physical engagement and more abstract or imaginative questioning. In contrast, younger children tended to initiate conversations grounded in familiar topics such as food or family. These developmental differences suggest a shift toward more complex and socially nuanced interactions with age. Based on these findings, the article proposes age-sensitive design guidelines to support interaction designers in creating more responsive and developmentally appropriate robotic systems for young users.