An investigation of the differences between robot and virtual learning companions´ influences on students´ engagement

We investigate the differences of the influences between robot and virtual learning companions on students´ engagement. From the analysis of our experimental result and interview, we found that virtual learning companion and robot learning companion both rose up students´ motivation and engagement. The differences between these two types of learning companions is that one of them made subjects more concentrated on the task and the other extended subjects´ time on task. We shall offer some advices for the researchers who design learning companion systems.