{
  "id": 240572,
  "title": "Social robots may support learning and reduce teachers' workload, pilot trial finds",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/06/social-robots-may-support-learning-and-reduce-teachers-workload-pilot",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-08-06T21:40:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Phys.org",
    "slug": "phys-org",
    "url": "https://phys.org/news/2026-08-social-robots-teachers-workload-trial.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A pilot trial conducted at NTNU's Educational Technology Laboratory has shown social robots like Pepper can effectively reduce teachers' workload and serve as better motivators than human teachers in educational settings. Pepper, a socially equipped humanoid robot, was able to motivate pupils during a task where they had to find various objects in images. The robot's friendly demeanor, natural movements, and advanced sensor technology allowed it to engage participants more effectively than a human assistant. While the study found that feedback from both robots and humans had a positive impact on visual attention and performance, responses from the robot appeared to have a greater impact. Social robots like Pepper can also be used in other contexts to engage people in physical and mental exercises, promoting brain health. However, the researchers emphasized that social robots should not replace human teachers, but rather be used as tools to supplement and enhance educational experiences. The study, published in Lecture Notes in Computer Science, involved 15 participants aged 16 to 40, with eye-tracking technology and pupil dilation measurements used to analyze their subconscious behaviors and responses to feedback from the robot and human assistant.",
  "summary": "When Pepper the social robot was given the chance to try its hand as a teaching assistant, it showed that it can be even better than a human teacher at motivating pupils and helping them learn.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}