Creativity Matters

On Monday, February 3rd, we had the pleasure of meeting with students from the IT Systems Administration and IT Systems Development programs. The purpose of this gathering was to connect these talented students with potential supervisors and topics for their final theses. 🤝📚

As part of the TILK project, we have decided to closely examine the thesis process at IT College and address any concerns that may arise. This initiative aims to streamline the process and ensure that students receive the guidance and support they need to successfully complete their final projects. 🛠️✨

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Our research group proudly celebrates the success of our doctoral students in completing the assessment process. Their dedication, skill, and teamwork have been remarkable, marking a key milestone in their academic journey. We also extend our heartfelt thanks to the supervisors who have guided and supported our doctoral students every step of the way.

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🚀 Exciting News! 🚀

We are thrilled to announce the publication of our latest research paper: “A Systematic Literature Review on Applicability of Robot Assistants in Higher Education”.

📚 Authors: Fuad Budagov, Janika Leoste, Mohammad Tariq Meeran & Tarmo Robal

👉 Check out the paper here: A Systematic Literature Review on Applicability of Robot Assistants in Higher Education

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On December 17th, 2024 an inspiring brainstorming session took place at Voldemar Restaurant, bringing together IT College faculty members, students, and IT didactics research group to map out the challenges of the IT College thesis process and sketch out potential solutions. The seminar was organized as part of the TILK (Scientific Innovative Approaches and Meetings) project. Participants highlighted several key issues related to student preparation, supervision quality, and the thesis evaluation process.

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An event cosily named “LLM retreat for doctoral students and their supervisors” or more of a winter school (because what kind of retreat can you expect with supervisors next to you) was dedicated to large language models and their use in research and gather students from three major universities of Estonia: Tallinn University of Technology, Tartu University and Tallinn University.
The event offered both opportunities and challenges. The students were not only given a half-hour “Flash Presentation training”, but also required to make a flash presentation next morning.

Thanks to Assistant Professor Slavko Rakic

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🚀 Just Published! 📖

📄 Read the full article here: Nonverbal Behavior of Service Robots in Social Interactions
👩💻 Authors: Janika Leoste, Kristel Marmor, Mati Heidmets

Our study dives deep into the fascinating world of nonverbal communication in human-robot interactions (HRI), specifically focusing on socially capable service robots. Here’s what we uncovered:
✅ Types of service robots studied in HRI research
✅ Key nonverbal cues in interactions between humans and robots
✅ Research objectives, participant profiles, and data collection methods
✅ Insights shaping trust, self-efficacy, and overcoming cultural differences in HRI\

🔍 Key Takeaways: From our review of 39 academic papers (2006–2023), it’s evident that nonverbal communication plays a crucial role in fostering trust and improving the quality of interaction. However, there is significant room to further explore and enhance how service robots adapt to human expectations and cultural dynamics.
Let’s strengthen the bond between humans and robots through more meaningful and intuitive interactions!