Earlier this week I was unable to attend class for medical reasons, but in-turn had the opportunity to attend one of my classes via robot. It’s not everyday that one gets to pilot a robot, so I more than happy to sign up.  After downloading an app and connecting to UVic’s server, I was able to the 3-hour lecture from home via a Beam Telepresence Robot. This robot gave me the ability to  communicate with my instructor and peers via webcam and to move freely around the classroom using my keyboard.  My face was displayed also on a small screen, which allowed for visual communication both ways.

This opportunity allowed  me to reflect on the benefits and caveats of using this type of technology in schools. The largest benefit I felt was the social aspect of being able to communicate with my peers and the educators. That in itself was much more valuable than covering the material by myself.  I could usually hear the what the educator was saying, but noises in the environment clipped a fair bit, especially during work periods.  A higher quality microphone could reduce the loss of clarity in speech.  On a similar note, I could see people clearly, but could not read text from the projector. As a result, learners should have access to class material if they use a telelpresence robot.  My professor anticipated this issue, and sent the material beforehand. If educators were to use smart boards, or similar technology, it could be helpful to use an app that allows desktop video to be remotely shared. That could allow learners using the robot to keep pace with their peers more easily.

My biggest concern regarding the efficacy of telepresence robots is the quality of internet connection that learners and educational institutions have. I am fortunate to have a strong connection, but when I opened additional tabs in my browser there was a noticeable drop in the quality of my video and audio streams. Learners with poor connections, or schools with a heavy load on their connection might have quality issues when if the robots are used in any volume. Families without internet access could also have difficulty using beam technology, which would disadvantage their children if they missed school.

All in all, I enjoyed my experience with a Beam Telepresence Robot. While their use is limited in some ways, the technology is fairly new and will likely improve over time.  I believe they have value in allowing learners to connect socially with their peers and educator, and can help to keep them up to speed.  There could be some interesting uses for the technology, schools across the world could coordinate “facetime pen-pals” or a similar programs as a way to practice languages or to just connect with different people.

The view my classmates had when communicating with me.