Pedagogy of Robotics in the Social Professions in Europe

The use and potential use of artificial intelligence, decision support systems and social robotics is increasing across Europe.

While the technological challenges are substantial, there is progress in key areas: prototypes and marketable products have been developed; and debates have commenced on the ethical, economic, philosophical and social challenges. While these technologies will be used by, or alongside, a range of social professionals, there has been little thought of how this might impact on their everyday work, career development and professional identity.

Minimal consideration has been given to how these challenges can be incorporated into the education and training of such professionals, including curriculum content; pedagogy and standards.

Through exploration, research and transnational collaboration, it is the purpose of the PRoSPEro-project, to create meaningful resources to be used in the creation of new standards and pedagogies when educating for a future with social robotics in care settings.

Objectives

The objectives of this project are to:

1. Identify and critically assess the existing knowledge base re. the use of social robotics in social care and social professional settings, with a focus on identifying materials of use to those in the field
2. Bring together in a transdisciplinary environment: social robotics researchers and creators; social professional students and educators; practitioners and policy makers, to share expert knowledge and to develop mutual understanding of the current status and future potential of social robotics
3. Engage in pedagogical activity and reflection to identify the most effective and complementary approaches to facilitating social professionals to engage in the ethical, practical and social issues related to social robotics
4. Create learning resources that can be used in a range of educational settings across European HEIs
5. Disseminate knowledge developed through the project to a broad audience, including interested members of the public, practitioners and policy makers, as well as those in HE settings
6. Develop a sustainable network of those interested in social robotics as applied to social care
   

Primary target groups: students and educators in social professional programmes, in particular social work; social care/education/pedagogy; elder care; selected medical areas (eg gerontology; nursing); education (early years; youth work).

Secondary target groups: social professionals; policy makers; non-HE educators; general public.

Position paper: 

(in pres):

Scoping reviews

Comprehensive reviews of literature and data that specifically address the intersection of social robotics, social care, and the social professions.
Manuscripts are in preparation:

Scoping review 1: AI and social robots (pdf)

Scoping review 2: Technology (pdf)

Scoping review 3: Ethics (pdf)

Scoping review 4: Statistics and trends in social robots (pdf)

Scoping review 5: Pedagogy for technological change pdf)

Educating for the future

Closing symposium of the PRoSPEro project
Location: Holstebro, November 18 2021

How do we create exciting education for our students becoming social professionals?

At this final symposium, we are happy to present and test a series of teaching resources for social- and health care professions, developed by international researchers engaged in the PRoSPEro project.

How to teach social robotics in non-technical subjects

Multiplier Event of the European-wide PRoSPEro project

Location: Virtually from Wroclaw, June 16, 2021

The aim of the Multiplier Event is to discuss how to teach non-technical students to work in an environment where robotics is increasingly prevalent.Registration before June 13th at:
https://www.dsw.edu.pl/how-teach-social-robotics-non-technical-subjects 

(Video som “header”, ligger under filerne, aftalt, at det lægges i videomodul over harmonikamodul)

Multiplier event 3: Galway, Ireland 

Social Robotics in Dementia Care - Current Challenges and Future Possibilities. 
20. January, 2021

Watch the interview at youtube

Meeting 8. Location: Holstebro DK. Date: July 2020

Final project meeting. Check-off all WPs and deliverables complete and all administrative/financial matters in order.

End-of-project symposium [multiplier event E6] to include all partners, students and staff of VIA and Holstebro municipality, and local practitioners; policy-makers. Finalise project monitoring and evaluation

Meeting 7. Location: Wroclaw PL. Date: March 2020.

Fourth and final iteration of Workshop A [multiplier event E4]. Finalisation of case study 1 of WP5 ('robot baby') [intellectual output O7].

Presentation of output of WP6 [intellectual output O9] and introduction to NAO robot. Second presentation from Flash Robotics. Meetings with staff and students of U.

Lwr Silesia, and local practitioners, to discuss project.

Finalise academic paper 2 [intellectual output O11]. Complete ongoing project monitoring and evaluation.

Multiplier event 2, Valencia, Spain, November, 2019

SOCIAL ROBOTICS, ETHICS AND EDUCATION IN SOCIAL PROFESSIONS

14. November, 2019

Meeting 6. Location: Dublin IE Date: November 2019.

Third iteration of Workshop A [multiplier event E3]. Commence planning for academic paper 2 [intellectual output O11].

Meetings with staff and students of Dublin HEIs and practitioners from Alzheimer Society of Ireland, to discuss project, within context of local European Robotics week event.

Finalise Case study 2 of WP5 (Dementia & social robotics) [intellectual output O8]. Report on progress of WP6.

Complete ongoing project monitoring and evaluation.

Multiplier event 1, Aarhus Denmark, 23. and 24. May 2019

SOCIAL ROBOTICS, ETHICS AND EDUCATION IN SOCIAL PROFESSIONS

Meeting 5. Location: Enschede NL. Date: March 2019

Workshop B (Major symposium on research in social robotics)[multiplier event E5].

Finalise academic paper 1 [intellectual output O10]. Finalise WP4 [intellectual output O6] and report from partners on process of WP5 and WP6. Complete ongoing project monitoring and evaluation.

Meeting 4. Location: Valencia ES. Date: November 2018

Second iteration of Workshop A [multiplier event E2]. Finalise planning for Workshop B [multiplier event E5].

Report from partners on progress of WP4 and WP5. Meetings with staff and students of U. Valencia, and local practitioners, to discuss project, within context of local European Robotics week event. Commence planning for academic paper 1 [intellectual output O10]. Complete ongoing project monitoring and evaluation.

Meeting 3. Location: Aarhus DK. Date: May 2018

First iteration of Workshop A [multiplier event E1].

Discussion and planning for Workshop B of WP3 [multiplier event E5]; initial planning for WP4 and WP5.

Report from PL partner in relation to WP6. Meetings with staff and students of VIA UC, and local practitioners, to discuss project.

Present workshop at FESET seminar: 'Ethical dilemmas in socio-educational care work: Challenges in a rapidly changing world' [intellectual output O12]. Complete ongoing project monitoring and evaluation.

Meeting 2. Location: Wroclaw P. Date: Jan 2018

Finalisation and discussion of WP2 [Intellectual outputs O1-O5].

Further discussion of WP3 and outline of workshop A [multiplier event E1] schedule and format. Initiate discussion of WP 6.

Presentation from Flash Robotics.

Meetings with staff and students of U. Lwr Silesia, and local practitioners, to discuss project. Commence work on FESET conference paper [intellectual output O12].

Complete ongoing project monitoring and evaluation.

Meeting 1. Location: Sligo IE. Date: Sept 2017.

Kick-off meeting. Establishment of all management processes and evaluative mechanisms.

Discussion of WP2 and WP3 actions, milestones and deliverables. Clarification and agreement on all budgetary matters including identification of dedicated finance contacts for each partner.

Presentation from staff and students of mechanical engineering in relation to personal service robotics research and development.

Meeting 0. Location: Enschede NL (U. Twente) (January 2017)

Planning meeting for the project, focusing on clarification of project objectives and development of WPs, budgeting. Initial exposure to real-world social robotics research.