Effects of Generative AI-Empowered Collaborative Robot Project-Based Learning on Students’ Learning Achievements and Higher Order Thinking Tendencies in Professional Training

Recent advancements in robot project-based training have attracted considerable interest in professional education, particularly in fields such as nursing and healthcare. Fostering students’ higher-order thinking skills, such as critical thinking and decision-making, through educational robotics is essential for achieving the goals of vocational training. However, learners often face challenges in designing and programming effective, interactive robots tailored to healthcare-specific tasks. To address this gap, this study proposed a Generative AI-empowered collaborative robot project-based training (GenAI-CRPT) approach to support healthcare education. A quasi-experimental study was conducted at a university to examine the impact of the GenAI-CRPT approach on students’ learning achievement and higher-order thinking tendencies, including critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration, and design thinking. The experimental group (n = 25) participated in the GenAI-CRPT intervention, while the control group (n = 25) engaged in a conventional collaborative robot project-based training method. Results revealed that students in the experimental group significantly outperformed those in the control group in all assessed areas, including learning achievement, critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration, and design thinking. Epistemic Network Analysis (ENA) indicated that the experimental group engaged in more integrated learning processes, where collaboration and reflective practices played pivotal roles in enhancing cognitive engagement and problem-solving performance.