Abstract:

With the rapid development of educational robotics technology, numerous empirical studies have explored its applications in higher education. This paper provides a systematic review of 41 empirical studies on the use of educational robots in higher education, analyzing them from five dimensions: the distribution of academic disciplines;the types, functions, and roles of robots in educational settings;the purpose of robot applications;the types of data collected and the reported effects of robot applications;and the identified issues and challenges. The analysis revealed five major academic disciplines, four types of robots, three application roles, four application purposes, five types of research data, four aspects of application effects, and three categories of issues and challenges across the studies reviewed. Based on these findings, this paper further explores the prospects of educational robots in higher education, with the aim to provide directional guidance for future research and practice.

Key words: educational robots, higher education, application trends, future prospects, systematic review