Using Telepresence Robots for Doctoral Education: Student and Faculty Experiences

Abstract

ABSTRACT Advancements in educational technology have increased opportunity and access for students who wish to pursue doctoral education through a variety of delivery options and have resulted in increased enrollments in doctoral programs over the past decade. However, doctoral retention and graduation rates remain dismal. Online and asynchronous programs can be isolating and unmotivating for students while in-person and synchronous programs do not allow the flexibility that working adults often need. To address this tension, the authors studied a doctoral program that utilized telepresence robots for distance learning in a synchronous hybrid learning environment. This phenomenological research used survey and focus groups to study both student and faculty perceptions of and experiences learning and teaching with telepresence robots in a synchronous hybrid environment. The study found that, while there were frequent interruptions to student learning due to technology issues, both in-person and distance learners were able to develop high levels of social presence due to a cohort model and residency requirements. Overall, students expressed high levels of satisfaction with this program model. However, faculty who taught in the program were largely unknowledgeable about telepresence technology when they began teaching in the program and did not develop pedagogies or praxis specific to telepresence robots or the synchronous hybrid environment. Recommendations include experiential learning opportunities for students and faculty using telepresence robots to improve instruction as well as the overall learning experience for the distance learners and professional development and support for faculty as they develop new pedagogy and praxis appropriate for this learning environment.