Project meetings
Project partners have regular meetings to share their project status and progress, assess current/potential problem areas and brainstorm solutions, manage project timeline and make sure deadlines are met, and build teamwork and rapport among the team members, among others. On this page, we share some details regarding our project meetings.
1. Introductory meeting (Online)
Due to the covid-19 pandemic and travel restrictions, we held our kick-off meeting online via Zoom on February 2, 2022. The meeting began with a review of the overall aims of the project by the project leader. Then, all partners introduced themselves, presented a brief overview of their organization or institute, and reviewed their role and prospective contributions to the project. Some other details regarding the project were also discussed.
2. Lüneburg, Germany
The meeting was held in Leuphana University of Lüneburg on 12th and 13th of May, 2022. All the partners from Denmark, Germany, Italy, Cyprus, Romania, and Latvia were represented in the meeting. During this meeting, we discussed a variety of topics, including:
- administration information and budget management
- transnational project meetings and multiplier events
- findings of relevant research and different approaches to needs analysis
- potential research questions and study design from the perspectives of (a) school administrators and stakeholders, (b) classroom teacher and students, (c) remote children, and (d) robot development and design recommendations
- different methods of data collection such as video ethnography, classroom observation, questionnaires, interviews, and usability testing, and
- informed consent forms
All the presentation and documents have been made available in full detail to all the partners.
3. Riga, Latvia
The project meeting, hosted by Valsts Izglitibas Satura Centrs in Riga, was held on the 19th and 20th of September. The main agenda of the meeting was to discuss the integration of telepresence robots in the classroom. The partners presented their experiences with using the GoBe and Double2 robots in university and school settings, and identified some key criteria for successful implementation, such as portability, audio quality, and visibility. They also developed hypothetical scenarios for using the robots to support students with various needs, such as those undergoing chemotherapy, participating in intercultural exchange, or taking a short-term leave. The partners also discussed the development of questionnaires and interview guidelines for collecting data on the robot's usability and effectiveness. Finally, they agreed to a new date for their meeting in Cyprus and discussed the possibility of combining their project meeting with a teacher-training activity in Denmark.
This project meeting took place in Cyprus on December 13 and 14, 2022. The main goals of the meeting were to present the final version of the first deliverable, discuss design recommendations for robots, and explore the use of social robots to facilitate interaction and empathy. Partners provided updates on their progress in the project and discussed design recommendations for robots from the perspectives of school, classroom, and remote children.
Key takeaways
- The first deliverable is complete and ready for dissemination.
- Partners are making progress on developing design recommendations for robots.
- There is a growing interest in using telepresence robots to support students with various needs.
- There is a need for further research on the use of social robots to facilitate interaction and empathy.
5. Odense, Denmark
The meeting was held Blue Ocean Robotics in Odense, Denmark on May 15-17, 2023. The main agenda of the meeting was to discuss the progress of the project, share experiences with implementing telepresence robots in schools, and brainstorm ideas for future implementation.
6. Timisoara, Romania
The meeting was held in Timisoara, Romania on October 16-18, 2023. The partners discussed the overall structure of the deliverables, planned the final conference, and discussed the details of several deliverables.
