Investigating the Impact of Humor on Learning in Robot-Assisted Education

Abstract

Social robots have shown significant potential in enhancing learning experiences, and humor has been proven to be beneficial for learning. This study investigates the impact of both the presence and timing of humor on students’ learning outcomes and overall learning experience. A total of 24 participants were randomly assigned to one of the three conditions: (C1) interact with a robot with no humor, (C2) interact with a robot with humor at pre-defined moments during the lesson, and (C3) interact with a robot that triggers humor based on engagement levels. The results revealed that the humor at pre-defined moments condition (C2) led to significantly better learning outcomes and longer interaction times compared to the other two conditions. While the adaptive humor in Condition C3 did not significantly outperform Condition C1, it showed positive effects on participants’ perceived learning effectiveness and engagement. These findings contribute to the understanding of how humor, when strategically timed, can enhance the effectiveness of social robots in educational settings.