A Model for Enhancing Emotional Literacy through Playful Learning with a Robot Dog
Katriina Heljakka, Anu Lamminen, Pirita Ihamäki
Abstract
In this study, we investigated the enhancement of social-emotional literacy of preschool children in dog-assisted learning situations, in which we involved a robotic dog and a living dog. The paper first reports the results of a short research intervention conducted in spring 2020, which explored how the assistance of a commercial robotic dog and a living dog contribute to the development of social-emotional skills as part of playful learning. Our experimental research intervention involved (n=16) 5-7-year old Finnish children who were divided into two randomly drawn groups. With the guidance of two early childhood educators and the help of the two dogs, preschool children performed tasks related to social-emotional skills designed, implemented, observed and documented by the teachers. Based on the findings of the study, a Model for Enhancing Emotional Literacy with a Robot Dog was developed. With the model, the contribution of our research is in offering new perspectives on how a robotic dog alongside a living dog can be effectively used in early education to support enhancement of emotional literacy.