Embodied AI in education: A review on the body, environment, and mind

A key feature of embodied education is the participation of the learners' body and mind with the environment. Yet, little work has been done to review the state of embodied education with Artificial Intelligence (AI). The goal of this systematic review is to examine the state of human and AI's triad engagement in education, that is the mind, body, and environment. Through a review of N = 38 articles retrieved from SCOPUS and Web of Science (WoS), we code and analyze which of mind, body, and environment is present in each engagement reported per reviewed study. Further, we examine which one of the technologies (which may include AI), human or human + technology is present in each engagement. We summarize the demographic and embodied trends in the reviewed studies. Findings of our review show among the body, mind, and environment triad, the mind is most significantly present in the studies. The reviewed studies are most often concerned with the technicality of embodied AI in education, concentrating on the algorithms and accuracy of facial expressions, speech, etc. Far less attention has been paid to other important learner needs. The contribution of this work is in presenting a blueprint for current research on embodied AI in education, identifying implications of research, and offering a classification that includes the environment-body-mind triad and three possible entities per triad, namely the human, technology/AI, or human + technology. Future work needs to examine the combinations in which the engagement triad and entities may be present and their impact on humans' well-being and research in the field overall.

Automated summary

This article reviews the relationship between embodied education and artificial intelligence, finding that the mind's participation is most significant. The research focuses more on the technical aspects of embodied AI in education, while paying less attention to other learner needs.