Writing-Teaching Robots

The Co-Writer Project is an effort by Swiss researchers and educators to use robots to help children learn to write. The research revolves around the fact -- something not many people know -- that children and people in general learn better when they teach their skills to others. Accordingly, this project actually lets children teach a robot how to write, therefore solidifying their own understanding of language.

The underlying idea is that children who are having a hard time forming alphabets on their own can lose motivation, but having someone -- or something -- to teach will help them maintain their interest levels. For children who are progressing well, the Co-Writer Project is a chance to further boost their self-esteem and keep them thinking about writing in different ways through their interactions with the robot.