The Future of Teaching? Asimov's Three laws and the Hypothetical Robot Teacher
There is no denying that the influence and use of technology in relation to teaching and learning increased significantly during the Co-Vid-19 periods of isolation and lockdown. The screen became the classroom; the teacher (and the students), rendered as apparitions of virtuality. Nevertheless, des...
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Liverpool John Moores University
2021-10-01
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| Series: | PRISM |
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| Online Access: | https://openjournals.ljmu.ac.uk/prism/article/view/442 |
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| author | Nicola Robertson |
| author_facet | Nicola Robertson |
| author_sort | Nicola Robertson |
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There is no denying that the influence and use of technology in relation to teaching and learning increased significantly during the Co-Vid-19 periods of isolation and lockdown. The screen became the classroom; the teacher (and the students), rendered as apparitions of virtuality. Nevertheless, despite the barriers of distance and screen, there remained (and indeed remains) something distinctly human about these interactions. What if the teacher on the screen – and, indeed, in the classroom – was not human? Remotely controlled robotic teachers have been trialled in China, with positive feedback from students; yet teaching remains a profession that has been deemed at low risk of automation. This paper will consider Isaac Asimov’s three laws of robotics as a foundational base for predicting the behaviour of a potential, autonomous, robot teacher; comparing the predictions in relation to behaviours deemed as necessary for the successful practice of teaching. To do this, the paper will set out the three hypothetical scenarios, in order to explore – and hopefully determine – whether a ‘robot’ could effectively carry out key teaching activities. The speculative responses to these questions will hopefully inspire further discussion and discourse.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-64f3d442e2014bbf9b5b3f4b7954854c |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2514-5347 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2021-10-01 |
| publisher | Liverpool John Moores University |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PRISM |
| spelling | doaj-art-64f3d442e2014bbf9b5b3f4b7954854c2025-02-03T03:18:07ZengLiverpool John Moores UniversityPRISM2514-53472021-10-0141The Future of Teaching? Asimov's Three laws and the Hypothetical Robot TeacherNicola Robertson0University of Strathclyde There is no denying that the influence and use of technology in relation to teaching and learning increased significantly during the Co-Vid-19 periods of isolation and lockdown. The screen became the classroom; the teacher (and the students), rendered as apparitions of virtuality. Nevertheless, despite the barriers of distance and screen, there remained (and indeed remains) something distinctly human about these interactions. What if the teacher on the screen – and, indeed, in the classroom – was not human? Remotely controlled robotic teachers have been trialled in China, with positive feedback from students; yet teaching remains a profession that has been deemed at low risk of automation. This paper will consider Isaac Asimov’s three laws of robotics as a foundational base for predicting the behaviour of a potential, autonomous, robot teacher; comparing the predictions in relation to behaviours deemed as necessary for the successful practice of teaching. To do this, the paper will set out the three hypothetical scenarios, in order to explore – and hopefully determine – whether a ‘robot’ could effectively carry out key teaching activities. The speculative responses to these questions will hopefully inspire further discussion and discourse. https://openjournals.ljmu.ac.uk/prism/article/view/442TeachingRoboticsTechnologyAsimov |
| spellingShingle | Nicola Robertson The Future of Teaching? Asimov's Three laws and the Hypothetical Robot Teacher PRISM Teaching Robotics Technology Asimov |
| title | The Future of Teaching? Asimov's Three laws and the Hypothetical Robot Teacher |
| title_full | The Future of Teaching? Asimov's Three laws and the Hypothetical Robot Teacher |
| title_fullStr | The Future of Teaching? Asimov's Three laws and the Hypothetical Robot Teacher |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Future of Teaching? Asimov's Three laws and the Hypothetical Robot Teacher |
| title_short | The Future of Teaching? Asimov's Three laws and the Hypothetical Robot Teacher |
| title_sort | future of teaching asimov s three laws and the hypothetical robot teacher |
| topic | Teaching Robotics Technology Asimov |
| url | https://openjournals.ljmu.ac.uk/prism/article/view/442 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT nicolarobertson thefutureofteachingasimovsthreelawsandthehypotheticalrobotteacher AT nicolarobertson futureofteachingasimovsthreelawsandthehypotheticalrobotteacher |