Developing Design Guidelines for Educational Robots: Insights from User Research with Preschool Children
Children aged 4–6 are in a key stage of brain development. During this period, the prefrontal cortex—the part of the brain that controls important skills like paying attention and controlling behaviour—undergoes major changes (Moriguchi & Hiraki, 2020). In China, parents are increasingly focused on their children’s learning during these years, leading to high demand for educational tools like robots. Research shows robots work better than screen-based tools (e.g., tablets) for keeping children engaged and social (Belpaeme et al., 2018). However, many parents and teachers worry about the quality of existing robots, as there are no clear design rules specifically for 4–6- year-olds, even though studies prove children this age learn fastest (Liu et al., 2021). To address this gap and align with global efforts to improve educational technology (UNESCO, 2019), this study aims to create practical design guidelines for robots that match the unique learning needs of 4–6-year-old children. This study aims to address this gap by creating design guidelines for educational robots targeting children aged four to six in China. The study employs a mixed- methods approach, combining a review of existing literature with direct data collection. Methods include observing 97 children using two types of educational robots in two kindergartens in Shenzhen, China, conducting a questionnaire survey with 114 parents, interviewing 14 kindergarten teachers and three robotics experts, and conducting a focus group with nine parents. These steps ensure a detailed understanding of user needs. The research outcome is a set of design guidelines that simplify and standardise the development of educational robots for young children. These guidelines help improve product quality, support educational robot designers in creating user-friendly robots for children aged 4-6, By focusing on both practical needs and theoretical foundations, this study contributes to more reliable and effective educational robot products for early childhood development.
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