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S.Korea schools get robot English teachers
Here's the logical next step in the Gates/Duncan education plan. Note who is applauding Robot Teacher.
By Jung Ha-Won
SEOUL — Almost 30 robots have started teaching English to youngsters in a South Korean city, education officials said Tuesday, in a pilot project designed to nurture the nascent robot industry.
Engkey, a white, egg-shaped robot developed by the Korea Institute of Science of Technology (KIST), began taking classes Monday at 21 elementary schools in the southeastern city of Daegu.
The 29 robots, about one metre (3.3 feet) high with a TV display panel for a face, wheeled around the classroom while speaking to the students, reading books to them and dancing to music by moving their head and arms.
The robots, which display an avatar face of a Caucasian woman, are controlled remotely by teachers of English in the Philippines -- who can see and hear the children via a remote control system.
Cameras detect the Filipino teachers' facial expressions and instantly reflect them on the avatar's face, said Sagong Seong-Dae, a senior scientist at KIST.
"Well-educated, experienced Filipino teachers are far cheaper than their counterparts elsewhere, including South Korea," he told AFP.
Apart from reading books, the robots use pre-programmed software to sing songs and play alphabet games with the children.
"The kids seemed to love it since the robots look, well, cute and interesting. But some adults also expressed interest, saying they may feel less nervous talking to robots than a real person," said Kim Mi-Young, an official at Daegu city education office.
Kim said some may be sent to remote rural areas of South Korea shunned by foreign English teachers.
She said the robots are still being tested. But officials might consider hiring them full time if scientists upgrade them and make them easier to handle and more affordable.
"Having robots in the classroom makes the students more active in participating, especially shy ones afraid of speaking out to human teachers," Kim said.
She stressed the experiment was not about replacing human teachers with robots. "We are helping upgrade a key, strategic industry and all the while giving children more interest in what they learn."
The four-month pilot programme was sponsored by the government, which invested 1.58 billion won (1.37 million dollars).
Scientists have held pilot programmes in schools since 2009 to develop robots to teach English, maths, science and other subjects at different levels with a desired price tag of five to eight million won.
Sagong stressed that the robots, which currently cost 10 million won each, largely back up human teachers but would eventually have a bigger role.
The machines can be an efficient tool to hone language skills for many people who feel nervous about conversing with flesh-and-blood foreigners, he said.
"Plus, they won't complain about health insurance, sick leave and severance package, or leave in three months for a better-paying job in Japan... all you need is a repair and upgrade every once in a while."
Hi, I'm Robo-teacher: Droids with human faces wheeled into class to teach English
By Daily Mail Reporter
Pupils often assume their teachers don't really exist outside the school gates, now robot classroom assistants could make this a reality.
Almost 30 egg-shaped robots have started teaching English at primary schools in South Korea.
The 3.3ft high machines have a TV panel that displays a female Caucasian face and can wheel around the classroom while speaking to the students. The robots are also able to read books and dance to music moving their head and arms.
But despite appearances the robots, developed the Korea Institute of Science of Technology, are not autonomous beings.
They are actually controlled remotely by English teachers living in the Philippines, who can see and hear the children via a remote control system.
Cameras then detect the teachers' facial expressions and reflect them on the avatar's face.
The robots will teach after-school classes at 21 schools in the south-eastern city of Daegu.
'Well-educated, experienced Filipino teachers are far cheaper than their counterparts elsewhere, including South Korea,' Sagong Seong-Dae, a senior scientist at KIST.
Enlarge Educational officials in Daegu applaud the robot teacher, which can move its arms and wheel around the floor
Educational officials in Daegu applaud the robot teacher, which can move its arms and wheel around the floor
Apart from reading books, the robots use pre-programmed software to sing songs and play alphabet games with the children.
Education official Kim Mi-Young, said: 'The kids seemed to love it since the robots look, well, cute and interesting. But some adults also expressed interest, saying they may feel less nervous talking to robots than a real person.'
Ms Mi-Young said some may be sent to remote rural areas of South Korea shunned by foreign English teachers.
She said the robots are still being tested. But officials might consider hiring them full time if scientists upgrade them and make them easier to handle and more affordable.
'Having robots in the classroom makes the students more active in participating, especially shy ones afraid of speaking out to human teachers,' she said.
She stressed the robots, which cost £5,600 each, will provide extra support for teachers but not replace them.
The four-month pilot programme was sponsored by the government, which invested £900,000.
Mr Seong-Dae added: 'They won't complain about health insurance, sick leave and severance package, or leave in three months for a better-paying job in Japan... all you need is a repair and upgrade every once in a while.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1342152/Robot-teachers-human-faces-roll-classroom-run-English-lessons.html#ixzz19PWxdSLC
— Jung Ha-Won
AFP and Daily Mail
2010-12-28
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jbMp_5XD7gDfTZmU5kMFgBse296Q?docId=CNG.081ed8ef951580bf2ea69716935b211d.581
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