Abstract:

This paper explores the pedagogical use of smart bots such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs or “flying bots”) to enhance undergraduate engagement in courses related to artificial intelligence, sustainability, and smart cities. Framed by the principles of Engagement Theory (Kearsley & Shneiderman, 1998), which emphasizes meaningful learning through active, collaborative, and authentic tasks along the behavioral, affective and cognitive dimensions, we examine how hands-on interactions with flying bots can foster student motivation, awareness, and action on complex socio-technological challenges, such as urban climate change and sustainability.

The study focuses on aerial bots as tangible learning tools. Flying bots (drones) are increasingly used in smart city applications, from tree inspection and parcel delivery to biodiversity monitoring and emergency response. We discuss a microdrone co-developed by SUTD faculty and Singapore’s NParks for inspecting trees in hard-to-reach forest canopies, helping arborists avoid physical climbing. This real-world innovation inspired a project-based learning approach in an AI for Business course, where students explored the design, ethics, and societal implications of UAVs.

To assess the impact of this approach, we propose a mixed-methods study involving approx. 200 undergraduates across four interdisciplinary courses. Students will be divided into two groups:
(1) a control group exposed to curated videos about bots and sustainable smart cities, and
(2) an experimental group engaged in building and deploying bot prototypes for aerial tree inspectoons, including drones with environmental messaging functions. Surveys and semi-structured interviews will capture cognitive, emotional, and behavioral engagement outcomes.

Research Questions:
1. Do smart (flying) bots engage students to critically reflect on the promises and perils of sustainable smart city solutions and climate action?
2. Can bots, especially those with climate-related use cases, increase students’ awareness of and responsiveness to environmental issues such as the effect of climate change on tropical trees (which may lead to disrupted growth and ecosystem imbalances)?
3. Does the hands-on participation in bot-related activities such as UAV tree monitoring promote deeper learning and pro-environmental behaviors among students?

We put forward two hypotheses:
H1: Students who engage in hands-on bot deployments will report significantly higher levels of engagement and climate awareness than those in the control group.
H2: Participation in bot-based projects will positively influence students’ intentions to adopt sustainable behaviors (e.g., eco-friendly energy usage, transport or consumption).

This study aims to contribute to educational innovation by showcasing how engagement through emerging technologies such as UAVs can strengthen learning outcomes and social responsibility among undergraduates. The results will inform future teaching strategies that integrate real-world technologies with sustainability education, particularly within the context of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

References:
[1] Greg Kearsley and Ben Shneiderman (1998): Engagement Theory: A Framework for Technology-Based Teaching and Learning, Educational Technology (September-October). https://malat-webspace.royalroads.ca/rru0023/wp-content/uploads/sites/70/2018/12/Kearsley-1998-Engagement-theory-A-framework-for-technology-based-teaching-and-learning.pdf

Keywords:

Bots, UAVs, Student Engagement, Higher Education.