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

研究启动奖为传统黑人学院和大学的初级和中期职业教师提供支持，他们正在建立新的研究项目或重新指导和重建现有的研究项目。期望该奖项有助于提高教师的研究能力和效率，改善所在机构的研究和教学，并使本科生参与研究经验。该奖项授予哥伦比亚特区大学，将支持旨在利用社会动机方法管理学习/认知障碍，在社会教育机器人中获得关于社会、认知和行为关系的新科学知识的研究。通过教育机器人康复的社会动机方法（SMARTER）研究的总体目标是利用社会动机方法在哥伦比亚特区公立学校（DCPS）的中学和高中管理学习/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）中获得关于教育机器人的社会、认知和行为关系的新科学知识。以及华盛顿哥伦比亚特区大学（UDC）。在新冠肺炎全球大流行期间，非接触式机器人技术已成为满足教育、治疗和情感需求的关键支持系统。smart研究项目将运用社会动机理论和认知模拟理论，推进教育机器人社会认知研究的理论与实践，smart研究结果将有助于更好地理解DCPS学生和UDC本科生的认知康复。smart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)针对ASD学生研究机器人的拟人化和意向性；(3)针对DCPS和UDC的ASD学生，通过教育机器人的干预，开发与课程相关的互动场景，以改善认知康复。更聪明的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建模。该项目将重点综合针对华盛顿特区DCPS和UDC本科生的社会认知和教育机器人的干预结果。smart研究最重要的影响是加强了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。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识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.