Research Initiation Award: Social Motivation Approach for Rehabilitation Through Educational Robotics (SMARTER) research

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Research Initiation Awards provide support for junior and mid-career faculty at Historically Black Colleges and Universities who are building new research programs or redirecting and rebuilding existing research programs. It is expected that the award helps to further the faculty member's research capability and effectiveness, improves research and teaching at the home institution, and involves undergraduate students in research experiences. The award to the University of the District of Columbia will support research that seeks to obtain new scientific knowledge on social, cognitive and behavioral relationships in social-educational robotics using social motivation approach for managing learning/cognitive disabilities. The overarching goal of the Social Motivation Approach for Rehabilitation Through Educational Robotics (SMARTER) research is to obtain new scientific knowledge on social, cognitive and behavioral relationships in educational robotics using social motivation approach for managing learning/cognitive disabilities, social interaction difficulties, and developmental disorders (e.g., Autism Spectrum Disorder or ASD) in the middle and high District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS), and the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) in Washington, DC. Touchless robotic technology has emerged as a critical support system for educational, therapeutic, and emotional needs during the COVID-19 global pandemic. SMARTER research project will advance the theory and practice of social cognition research in educational robotics using social motivation theory and simulation theory of cognition, and the results of the SMARTER research will lead to a better understanding of cognitive rehabilitation amongst DCPS students and UDC undergraduates. Specific research objectives of the SMARTER research project are to: (1) examine social-behavioral relationships and social cognition in ASD individuals through social-educational robotics; (2) investigate robotic anthropomorphism and intentionality targeted at ASD students; and (3) develop curriculum-related interactive scenarios designed for improving cognitive rehabilitation through educational robotics’ interventions targeting ASD students in DCPS and UDC. SMARTER research will utilize mixed methods approach, such as surveys, focus groups, interviews, structured content analysis, and structural equation modeling. The project will focus on synthesizing social cognition and educational robotics’ intervention results targeted at DCPS and undergraduate UDC students in Washington DC. The most significant impact of the SMARTER research is strengthening the research capacity at UDC for undergraduate students and faculty in the interdisciplinary education, social-cognition and robotics fields, and providing research training and opportunities for UDC undergraduate students.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.