運用智慧機器人輔助老幼共學對改善幼兒感覺統合與老人憂鬱情緒之效果研究

A Study on the Effect of Using Intelligent Robots to Assist the Intergenerational Learning on Improving the Sensory Integration of Young Children and the Depression of the Elderly

人口老化已是現今全球所共同面臨的問題，此時，代間學習能促進年輕世代與老年世代的彼此認識與瞭解。然而，國內目前代間學習多半以社區年長者與國中、小學生為對象，較少以日間照顧機構及幼兒園幼兒為實施對象者。是以本研究乃執行一個以幼兒園幼兒與日間照顧中心年長者一同參與的代間學習方案，並透過智能機器人輔助教學，營造老幼交流的環境，且以單組前後測實驗方式，分別於屏東縣某日間照顧中心及幼兒園招募30名年長者與29名中班至大班的幼童共同參與，執行為期六週的代間學習方案，探討代間學習介入對高齡者情緒狀態與認知功能的影響，以及探討代間學習介入對於幼兒的感覺統合功能之改善效果，評估工具分別為老年憂鬱量表、簡易心智量表與兒童感覺統合功能評量表。本研究所獲之結論為：代間學習能有效舒緩老人之憂鬱情緒、能有效提升幼兒感覺統合功能，但尚未明顯提升老人認知功能；並建議：政府與民間協力規劃年長者與幼兒照顧服務機構的代間學習、增益智慧機器人在代間學習方案中所扮演的角色、未來研究可延長代間教育方案的進行時數。

The ageing of the population is a particular issue faced by the world today. From current studies, it reveals that an intergenerational learning could promote mutual understanding between the younger and the older generations. However, many conducted in Taiwan were carried out with community elders and students from elementary or junior high schools, with day care institutions or kindergartens rarely included. To improve this, this study investigated an intergenerational learning program involved with kindergarten children and elders from two institutions. With a help of intelligent robot-assisted teaching, this research, lasting for six weeks, created a communicative environment for the both under a single-group experiment with 30 elders from a day care center and 29 children from a kindergarten in Pingtung, Taiwan. It was intended to explore the impact of intergenerational learning intervention on the emotional state and cognitive function of the elderly, as well as the same on the sensory Integration function of the young children. The tools used included the geriatric depression scale, mini-mental state examination, and the child sensory integration function rating scale. The results showed that the program did improve the emotional depression of the elderly, but it seemed not improve the cognitive function yet. However, various sensory integration functions of young children observed were improved after the program.