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[2602.12873] Knowledge-Based Design Requirements for Generative Social Robots in Higher Education
Summary
The article explores design requirements for generative social robots in higher education, emphasizing the need for knowledge-based frameworks to ensure effective and responsible tutoring.
Why It Matters
As generative social robots become more integrated into educational settings, understanding their design requirements is crucial for maximizing their effectiveness while minimizing risks such as misinformation and privacy concerns. This research provides a structured approach to align robot capabilities with educational goals and ethical standards.
Key Takeaways
- Identifies twelve design requirements for generative social robots in education.
- Emphasizes the importance of self-knowledge, user-knowledge, and context-knowledge.
- Addresses potential risks of generative systems, including hallucinations and privacy violations.
- Provides a framework for aligning robot functionalities with pedagogical expectations.
- Highlights the need for responsible AI practices in educational technologies.
Computer Science > Human-Computer Interaction arXiv:2602.12873 (cs) [Submitted on 13 Feb 2026] Title:Knowledge-Based Design Requirements for Generative Social Robots in Higher Education Authors:Stephan Vonschallen, Dominique Oberle, Theresa Schmiedel, Friederike Eyssel View a PDF of the paper titled Knowledge-Based Design Requirements for Generative Social Robots in Higher Education, by Stephan Vonschallen and 3 other authors View PDF HTML (experimental) Abstract:Generative social robots (GSRs) powered by large language models enable adaptive, conversational tutoring but also introduce risks such as hallucina-tions, overreliance, and privacy violations. Existing frameworks for educa-tional technologies and responsible AI primarily define desired behaviors, yet they rarely specify the knowledge prerequisites that enable generative systems to express these behaviors reliably. To address this gap, we adopt a knowledge-based design perspective and investigate what information tutor-ing-oriented GSRs require to function responsibly and effectively in higher education. Based on twelve semi-structured interviews with university stu-dents and lecturers, we identify twelve design requirements across three knowledge types: self-knowledge (assertive, conscientious and friendly per-sonality with customizable role), user-knowledge (personalized information about student learning goals, learning progress, motivation type, emotional state and background), and context-knowledge (learning ...
