"Who's that?": Identity Self-Perception and Projection in the Use of Telepresence Robots in Hybrid Classrooms

Robotic Telepresence (RT) is a promising medium for students who are unable to attend in-person classes. It enables remote students to be present in the classroom and interact with their classmates and instructors. However, it can be limiting to their identity self-perception and projection, which may have repercussions on the social dynamics and inclusion within the classroom. We present preliminary findings of a qualitative analysis of 12 observations and interviews with RT attendees. We examine RT design and use aspects that either supported identity self-perception and projection or limited it. Finally, we present telepresence robots design and use recommendations for the classroom context.