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

研究启动奖为历史上黑人学院和大学的初级和中级职业教师提供支持，他们正在建立新的研究项目或重新定向和重建现有的研究项目。预计该奖项将有助于进一步提高教师的研究能力和效率，改善家庭机构的研究和教学，并使本科生参与研究经验。 授予哥伦比亚特区大学的奖项将支持旨在获得社会教育机器人中社会，认知和行为关系的新科学知识的研究，使用社会激励方法管理学习/认知障碍。 通过教育机器人康复的社会动机方法（SMARTER）研究的总体目标是使用社会动机方法获得关于教育机器人中社会，认知和行为关系的新科学知识，用于管理学习/认知障碍，社会互动困难和发育障碍（例如，自闭症谱系障碍或ASD）在中，高哥伦比亚特区公立学校（DCPS），和大学的哥伦比亚特区（UDC）在华盛顿，DC。在COVID-19全球大流行期间，无接触机器人技术已成为教育、治疗和情感需求的关键支持系统。SMARTER研究项目将使用社会动机理论和认知模拟理论推进教育机器人中社会认知研究的理论和实践，SMARTER研究的结果将使DCPS学生和UDC本科生更好地理解认知康复。SMARTER研究项目的具体研究目标是：（1）通过社会教育机器人技术研究ASD个体的社会行为关系和社会认知;（2）研究针对ASD学生的机器人拟人化和意向性;以及（3）开发旨在通过针对DCPS和UDC的ASD学生的教育机器人干预改善认知康复的与机器人相关的互动场景。SMARTER研究将采用混合方法，如调查，焦点小组，访谈，结构化内容分析和结构方程模型。该项目将集中于综合社会认知和教育机器人的干预结果，目标是华盛顿DC的DCPS和本科UDC学生。SMARTER研究的最重要影响是加强了UDC本科生和教师在跨学科教育、社会认知和机器人领域的研究能力，并为UDC本科生提供研究培训和机会。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

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.