About
I study how social and educational robots can help children learn foreign languages, and I bring more than a decade of French and English teaching into that work.
My doctoral research at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki looks at how the educational robot Ducky Code supports vocabulary learning in primary school, across English and French classes. I combine classroom observation, pre/post testing, focus groups and teacher interviews in a mixed-methods design. My background is in ICT in Education, and I am now extending this work towards AI- and LLM-enhanced language learning. I am looking for a postdoctoral position in Europe to continue this line of research.
Doctoral research · 2021 – present
Robot-Assisted Foreign Language Learning: The Contribution of the Ducky Code Educational Robot to Vocabulary Acquisition in Primary School
| English | French | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 5 | 12sessions | 7sessions |
| Grade 6 | 10sessions | 7sessions |
Each session is rated on five indicators, from 0 to 3.
In the classroom
The robot’s scripts and the images it shows were written and created with ChatGPT. Each script is set in the robot’s own world, so when the target vocabulary is daily routines, the robot talks about its own day. Students were tested on the vocabulary before and after each unit with short Wordwall quizzes.
Research directions
Bringing large language models into language teaching, building on classroom evaluation methods from my robot studies.
Multimodal feedback that combines LLMs with speech and prosody analysis, drawing on the spoken interaction in robot-assisted lessons.
How children engage with social and educational robots, and what makes a robot useful to the teacher as well as the student.
Rubric-based observation, pilot studies and teacher feedback as tools for judging whether a technology helps learners.
Publications & talks
Experience
Designed and ran a multi-group classroom study of the Ducky Code robot for vocabulary learning in English and French. Built the observation framework, ran focus groups and a teacher interview, and presented the work at international conferences.
Ran the pilot of the STIMEY EdTech platform (Science, Technology, Innovation, Mathematics, Engineering for the Young) in schools. Supported participating teachers, created learning materials and managed teacher and student registration.
Individual lessons for children and adults at levels A1–C2. Exam preparation for the State Certificate of Language Proficiency and the French module of the Pan-Hellenic Exams.
Designed and taught a French course for a vocational audience.
Taught English and French at all levels (A1–C2) in group classes.
Education
Training & skills
Contact
I welcome messages about postdoctoral positions, research collaborations and projects in robot- or AI-assisted language learning. A full CV and references are available on request.