Promoting the Inclusion of Remote Students in Danish Hybrid Learning Settings via Robot Moderation

Being absent from school can negatively impact the wellbeing of students. Telepresence robots can help absentees join their classes remotely and maintain their social connections. Nonetheless, remote students might still feel like bystanders during group activities. We investigate whether using a moderator can improve the inclusion of remote students. In a between-subject experiment, 84 participants (56 on-site, 28 remote) completed a language learning task in small hybrid groups. In the experimental condition, a robot moderator facilitated the group work, while in the baseline condition participants completed their task without a moderator. Analysis of video data shows that participants in experimental condition experienced significantly closer physical proximity and more frequent eye-level communication. The findings suggest that moderation positively influenced group dynamics and benefited remote students.