Being “There” Takes Work: Distrbuted Work through Articulation, Recognition, and Pedagogy in Telepresence Robot Classrooms

Telepresence robots are increasingly deployed in higher education to support participation when students cannot be physically co-present. Unlike conventional video-conferencing, telepresence robots enable embodied remote attendance by placing a mobile camera–microphone–screen device in the classroom that can be positioned, oriented, and driven by a remote participant. However, the promise of “being there” often collides with the interactional realities of classrooms, where participation depends on fine-grained coordination of talk, attention, and access to shared materials. We report findings from an ethnographic study of a graduate class in which telepresence robots were available for a full term alongside in-person attendance. Our analysis shows that inclusion is not delivered by the robot but accomplished through distributed labour by remote drivers, co-located peers, instructors, and supporting technologies. We conceptualise inclusion across three dimensions - operational, interactional, and pedagogical, showing how classrooms bridge the social–technical gap and informing telepresence design for education.