MotiBo: The Impact of Interactive Digital Storytelling Robots on Student Motivation Through Self-Determination Theory

Synthesis: Fung and Lui (2026) examine the impact of MotiBo, an interactive digital storytelling system incorporating a human-like robot, on student engagement and creativity. Recognizing that storytelling can enhance motivation and engagement but that conventional methods often lack interactive elements, the study compares engagement across three modalities: paper-based, PowerPoint, and robot-assisted (MotiBo) storytelling. Using a quasi-experimental design with three groups of students over a five-day learning period, the study finds that students using MotiBo exhibit statistically significant improvements in behavioral and cognitive engagement compared with traditional methods.

Key Findings

• Creativity is increasingly recognized as an important skill in education, and storytelling can enhance motivation and engagement — but conventional storytelling methods often lack interactive elements.
• MotiBo is an interactive digital storytelling system incorporating a human-like robot to add interactivity.
• A quasi-experimental design compared engagement across three modalities: paper-based, PowerPoint, and robot-assisted (MotiBo) storytelling, with three groups of students over a five-day learning period.
• Students using MotiBo showed statistically significant improvements in behavioral and cognitive engagement compared with traditional methods.

Study Design & Method

This is a quasi-experimental study. The researchers compared student engagement and creativity across three storytelling modalities: paper-based, PowerPoint-based, and robot-assisted storytelling using the MotiBo system (a human-like interactive digital storytelling robot). Three groups of students participated over a five-day learning period. The study measured behavioral and cognitive engagement, and considered creativity as an outcome, analyzing differences across the three conditions.

What this means for practice

• Instructors. Adopt robot-assisted storytelling where the target is behavioral and cognitive engagement: the MotiBo group improved 27.06% and 30.00% on those scales (both p < .05), while intrinsic motivation rose 20.21% without reaching significance (p = .07).
• Instructors. Let children choose the storytelling language (Cantonese, Mandarin, or English) so they create in a preferred language rather than translating.
• Instructors. Run the format as short daily sessions — one five-picture story per day, about 20 minutes, across five days — with bounded attempts (three tries of 10 seconds each) to keep pacing predictable.
• Instructors. Use the robot as a communication bridge for reticent learners: one student reluctant to speak to the instructor readily answered the robot's questions.
• Designers. Build in instant feedback and motivational praise animations and keep the robot's gestures human-like, since these were the features students named when explaining their preference.

Limitations

The study is quasi-experimental (non-random assignment) with a five-day learning period, limiting causal inference and insight into long-term effects. The specific sample and student population are not detailed in the abstract. Findings focus on engagement measures, and the relationship to deeper learning outcomes and creativity requires further investigation.

Citation

Fung, K. Y., & Lui, T. L. R. (2026). MotiBo: The impact of interactive digital storytelling robots on student motivation through self-determination theory.