ABSTRACT
A social robot broadly speaking needs two elements: its embodiment on various dimensions and its ability to interact with humans on an emotional and cognitive level. While social skills most certainly are part and parcel of education, there remains the question of how a social robot could be incorporated into an educational application. There are a number of variations in robot tutoring that have been explored using controlled studies in university laboratories and field trials. The Swiss CoWriter project studied how children could improve their handwriting through teaching a less able robot. The project is interesting not only because it presents the robot as a novice, but also because it uses the robot to teach fine motor skills. Distance-learning formats are currently widely used and represent a special opportunity for learners and teachers to attend and give classes regardless of large geographical distances, medical restrictions, or restrictions imposed by authorities.
