The ‘Robot Bookworm’ project of the NI’s Academy Assistants (NIAA) has been successfully piloted. Nina Sangers (Language, literature and communication), Lisa van der Sande (Education studies) and Mike Ligthart (Computer Science) conducted this pilot featured on the VU’s news page, where you can read more.

• This robot aims to help primary school students improve their reading skills and motivation. The robot, called Robot Bookworm, helps pupils find suitable books and has weekly conversations with them about the reading process and the content of the book.
• Reading crisis: Dutch students read less and less, which can cause problems at school and in society. Reading motivation and support are important factors for reading success. Social robots are a promising tool to provide personalized and engaging support for reading.
• Interdisciplinary project: The researchers are from the fields of Social AI, Pedagogical and Educational Sciences and Language, Literature and Communication. They launched the pilot on 12 October at the Bosschool in Bergen, during the national Children’s Book Week.