St. Clair College is getting 2 new Temi robots. Here's how they help students with learning challenges
'Temi is awesome. It follows you to class. It can follow you everywhere,' one student says
St. Clair College is bringing on more of the specialized robots that make education and socialization easier for students with developmental disabilities and learning challenges.
The school announced Wednesday it will be getting two new Temi artificial intelligence assistance robots.
The devices can do things like guide students to class, read assignments and test questions aloud and be programmed to make presentations.
The school has been using the robots for the last year, and the new additions will bring the fleet up to six robots.
Kyle Schauer, a student in the Community Integration through Cooperative Education (CICE) program, says Temi is a big help.
"Temi is awesome. It follows you to class. It can follow you everywhere. It can take notes. It's the best," he said.
"It would be pretty confusing, I would say, if Temi wasn't around," said Evan Fairlie.
WATCH | St. Clair College students on how Temi robots help them:
Amruta Jagdale said Temi has assisted her academically but she also likes to listen to music with it. Temi also helps socially.
"It helps by making friends, [like] him and him," she said, pointing at Fairlie and Schauer.
The CICE program, which is for those with developmental and learning challenges, helps students develop employment and life skills while also attending academic courses. The program also includes work placements.
Stephanie DeFranceschi, the chair of the School of Community Studies, said the robots help students get past barriers and allow them to integrate with their peers at the college.
"We've had students for the first time say that they feel like they are part of the college life and and the college experience," she said.
In the classroom itself, the device can assist students who are non-verbal or have speech impediments that might make delivering a presentation difficult, said DeFranceschi.
"I have taught the students how to go ahead and load their presentation into the Temi robot through programming ... so they're in charge of it, they're doing the work, and so they stand in front of the class with the robot and press play and then the robot is saying their presentation," she said.
The school was able to purchase the new robots thanks to a $20,000 donation from Atura Power.
With files from Jacob Barker