Transformation Using Telepresence in the Classroom

Abstract This paper explores best practices for computer-mediated communication through mobile telepresence robots in educational settings. We present findings from a longitudinal ethnographic study of a hybrid class where students and professors used telepresence robots to participate. We discuss the challenges of articulation work in telepresence robots, particularly around being perceived as courteous. We discuss Murray’s theory of transformation as a goal of telepresence to ensure remote students feel fully included in the classroom. We argue with regards to telepresence that when transformation occurs, you feel fully a part of the remote environment. Our contribution is the use of Grounded Theory (GT) to argue that prior research on articulation and courtesy work can be extended to explain how users overcome challenges that impede transformation. When transformation does occur, telepresence affords deeper embodied participation than possible with traditional videoconferencing applications.