Yeah, I Can Play That - Aesthetic Education in Kindergarten Using a Social Robot

Abstract

There have been numerous attempts to investigate the potential of social robots for education in the field of child-robot interaction (cHRI). However, empirically based models for the integration of robot technologies into aesthetic education in early childhood, especially in music education, are rare. Our approach is based on a design-based research methodology (DBR) to investigate how a social robot can help promote the creative potential of young children, act as a supportive element, and enrich musical experiences. We therefore brought the social robot Pepper to a daycare facility for children as a companion for musical activities. Preliminary findings suggest that the robot's physical presence can influence attention, participation, and co-creative interaction. Given the limited data and the exploratory design approach, these results primarily serve to generate design hypotheses for subsequent iterations. In contrast to existing work, which predominantly addresses instructional or language-based learning processes, our approach focuses on co-creative musical interaction in the context of aesthetic education and audiation.