| Mobile system to motivate teenagers' physical activity | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 1-10 | |
| Sonia M. Arteaga; Mo Kudeki; Adrienne Woodworth; Sri Kurniawan | |||
| This paper reports a mobile persuasive application to motivate teenagers to
start and continue being physically active. Being physically active can lead to
reduced risks of having weight and cardiovascular problems; however efforts in
this direction had variable success. Designing technology that will be engaging
and motivating for teenagers requires an understanding of the factors that
contribute to behavior adoption in teenagers. To understand these, we approach
the design from several theoretical models: Theory of Planned Behavior, Theory
of Meaning Behavior, and Personality Theory. We found that 1) Personality
traits affect perceptions on physical activities and the usefulness of devices
that motivate them; 2) Favored motivational phrases are universal across
traits; 3) Those who tried our prototype was generally positive and stated that
they would use it on their own; 5) The characteristics of games that are
desired are: social or competitive, outdoor, simple to learn and with large
variations. Keywords: big 5 personality model, persuasive technology, physical activity,
technology acceptance model, theory of planned behavior | |||
| Collective digital storytelling at school as a whole-class interaction | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 11-19 | |
| Nicoletta Di Blas; Paolo Paolini; Amalia Sabiescu | |||
| There is a growing interest in the use of cooperative technologies for
education. In formal education, however, such an introduction is more difficult
than it may look at first sight. There are few successful cases of
implementation of cooperative technologies in schools, with proper integration
in the curriculum. This paper draws on empirical data from a large-scale
project based in Italy, involving the development of digital narratives by
school children, as part of their curricular activities. The project is in its
fourth year of implementation, and it involved hundreds of classes (and
thousands of pupils) every year. The paper examines several different aspects
and benefits related to the implementation of digital storytelling at school,
focusing upon two specific issues: 1) How digital storytelling can become
"collective", i.e. involving the whole class, rather than individuals or small
groups; 2) How digital storytelling can be integrated within the regular
curricular activities at school, generating substantial learning benefits. Keywords: children, computer supported collaborative learning, digital storytelling,
eLearning, educational applications | |||
| Mobile collaboration: collaboratively reading and creating children's stories on mobile devices | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 20-29 | |
| Jerry Alan Fails; Allison Druin; Mona Leigh Guha | |||
| This paper discusses design iterations of Mobile Stories -- a mobile
technology that empowers children to collaboratively read and create stories.
We present the design and discuss the impact of different collocated
collaborative configurations for mobile devices including: content splitting
and space sharing. We share design experiences that illustrate how Mobile
Stories supports collaboration and mobility, and identify how the collocated
collaborative configurations are best suited for reading and sharing tasks. We
also identify how creative tasks foster more mobility and dynamic interactions
between collaborators. Keywords: children, collaboration, collaborative configurations, constructionism,
mobile devices, narrative systems, stories, user interfaces | |||
| In my own words: configuration of tangibles, object interaction and children with autism | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 30-38 | |
| William Farr; Nicola Yuill; Eric Harris; Steve Hinske | |||
| An Augmented Knights Castle (AKC) play set was adapted so that children with
autism can configure programmable elements. This is compared with a
non-configurable AKC. When the system is configurable, less solitary play and
more cooperative play occurred. Configurability is a key factor in design for
children with autism allowing greater individual control and more socially
oriented behaviour. We suggest that tangibles provide a safety net for
encouraging social interaction as they allow for a broad range of interaction
styles. Keywords: autism, configuration, object interaction, social interaction, tangibles | |||
| How do you play with a robotic toy animal?: a long-term study of Pleo | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 39-48 | |
| Ylva Fernaeus; Maria Håkansson; Mattias Jacobsson; Sara Ljungblad | |||
| Pleo is one of the more advanced interactive toys currently available for
the home market, taking the form of a robotic dinosaur. We present an
exploratory study of how it was interacted with and reflected upon in the homes
of six families during 2 to 10 months. Our analysis emphasizes a discrepancy
between the participants' initial desires to borrow a Pleo and what they
reported later on about their actual experiences. Further, the data suggests an
apparent tension between participants expecting the robot to work as a 'toy'
while making consistent comparisons with real pet animals. We end by discussing
a series of implications for design of this category of toys, in order to
better maintain interest and engagement over time. Keywords: Pleo, children, home, long-term, robot, robotic toys | |||
| Video play: playful interactions in video conferencing for long-distance families with young children | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 49-58 | |
| Sean Follmer; Hayes Raffle; Janet Go; Rafael Ballagas; Hiroshi Ishii | |||
| Long-distance families are increasingly staying connected with free video
conferencing tools. However research has highlighted a need for shared
activities for long-distance family communication. While video technology is
reportedly superior to audio-only tools for children under age 7, the tools
themselves are not designed to accommodate children's or families' needs. This
paper introduces four design explorations of shared play activities over video
conferencing that support family togetherness between children and remote adult
family members. We build on research in CSCW and child development to create
opportunities for silliness and open-ended play between adults and young
children. Our goal is to scaffold interaction across distance and generations. Keywords: CSCW, books, children, family communication, games, play, video conferencing | |||
| Let robots do the talking | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 59-68 | |
| Sjef Fransen; Panos Markopoulos | |||
| This paper describes an investigation of different variations of the robotic
intervention protocol, a method for obtaining verbalization data from children
during evaluation that involves using a social robot as a proxy for a test
facilitator to prompt, ask, and help children thus encouraging them to
verbalize their thoughts and experiences. A number of variations of this
verbalization protocol were implemented and tried out, leading to guidelines
for the application of the method and for the implementation of social robots
aimed to support it. Keywords: children, evaluation methods, robot, verbalization method | |||
| User interfaces for tangible characters: can children connect remotely through toy perspectives? | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 69-78 | |
| Natalie Freed; Winslow Burleson; Hayes Raffle; Rafael Ballagas; Naomi Newman | |||
| What if children's make-believe characters could keep in touch when the
children were apart? We propose a novel concept for children's use of
technology through imagination play: user interfaces designed to be used by
children's character toys rather than directly by the children ("doll-computer
interfaces"). We apply this model to the challenge of remote communication for
children with an enhanced dollhouse containing small-scale interfaces for the
dolls with a variety of fully functional multimodal communication functions.
Using this interface as a technology probe, we explore a variety of design
decisions with remote pairs of children. Our preliminary results suggest that
toy-perspective and manipulable toy elements are particularly helpful in
supporting play and successful use of communication technologies, while the
"true-to-life" toy aspects are sensitive to individual frames of reference and
more flexible interfaces that still fit within the toy context lead to creative
communication strategies. We found that different communication channels
offered interesting tradeoffs between uninterrupted play and rich verbal
description. We also learned that the concept appeals to a wide age range but
that the youngest children may need additional scaffolding for successful
remote play. Keywords: children, doll-computer interfaces, remote play, storytelling, tangible
interfaces | |||
| Paper-based multimedia interaction as learning tool for disabled children | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 79-88 | |
| Franca Garzotto; Manuel Bordogna | |||
| The purpose of our research is to support cognitive, motor, and emotional
development of severely disabled children in the school context. We designed
and implemented a set of novel learning experiences that are both low-cost and
easily customizable, and combine the visual communication paradigm of Augmented
Alternative Communication (ACC) with multimedia tangible technology. Using an
application framework developed at our lab (called "Talking Paper"), teachers
and therapists can easily associate conventional paper based elements (e.g.,
PCS cards, drawings, pictures) to multimedia resources (videos, sounds,
animations), and create playful interactive spaces that are customized to the
specific learning needs of each disabled child. Paper based elements work as
visual representations for the concepts children must learn, as communication
devices, and as physical affordances for interacting with multimedia resources.
The paper presents the approach and its application in a real school context,
highlighting the benefits for both disabled and non disabled children. The
latter were involved as co-designers of multimedia contents and learning
activities. Their creative participation favored group-binding and increased
tolerance and sense of community in the classroom, so that the overall project
became a means for real inclusive education. Keywords: augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), design, disabled children,
inclusive education, learning, multimedia, paper-based interaction, tangibles | |||
| Us hunters: interactive communication for young cavemen | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 89-97 | |
| Stelios Kourakis; Narcís Parés | |||
| This paper presents a multi-user virtual heritage application that allows
children to experience and learn the hunting strategies depicted in a cave
painting from 6000 B.C. The application is based on a multi-touch vertical
screen that allows for full-body interaction through carefully defined gestures
that provide sufficient ecological naturalness and experimentation freedom to
the users. This paper gives a detailed account on the experience and
interaction design, agent programming and multi-touch technology. Keywords: archaeology, cave paintings, children, educational interactive applications,
full-body experiences, gestural interaction, interactive communication,
multi-user interaction, museology, virtual heritage | |||
| Bridging the gap between children and tabletop designers | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 98-107 | |
| Javier Marco; Sandra Baldassarri; Eva Cerezo | |||
| This paper presents a case study of the design lifecycle of games involving
tangible interaction toys handled on an active surface tabletop. The games are
oriented to 3-6 year old children, so special care has been taken in the
methods used to involve them in a child-centered design lifecycle. The
iterative nature of this design paradigm was supported by frequent test
sessions where data relating to usability and fun was captured and analyzed in
order to guide successive design iterations until a finished product was
achieved. The aim is to guide designers intending to involve children in
similar tabletop game creation projects. Details are given of how data
collected from test sessions with children revealed usability problems and
helped to create, evolve and improve the games. Keywords: children, evaluation methods, tabletop, tangible, usability, user center
design | |||
| Considering context, content, management, and engagement in design activities with children | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 108-117 | |
| Emanuela Mazzone; Netta Iivari; Ruut Tikkanen; Janet C. Read; Russell Beale | |||
| In this paper we describe three different design activities carried out for
the design of a music device for children. The studies involved researchers
from different disciplines as well as children from different schools. We
reflected on what happened during the design activities and we looked at the
outputs produced by the children in order to understand the feasibility of the
activities from two perspectives: whether they contributed to the design of the
product and whether they suitably involved children in the process. In relation
to the design of the product, information gathered during the activities was
associated either to the context or to the content of the design. In relation
to the design method, the study enabled us to identify aspects of both
children's' engagement and researchers' management that affected the success of
the activities. We used these factors to create what we consider a useful
framework for meaningful design activities. Keywords: children, design methods, design requirements, music interfaces,
participatory design | |||
| Detecting and modeling play behavior using sensor-embedded rock-climbing equipment | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 118-127 | |
| Hisakazu Ouchi; Yoshifumi Nishida; Ilwoong Kim; Yoichi Motomura; Hiroshi Mizoguchi | |||
| Many injures during childhood are related to the use of playground
equipment. Until recently, scientific data of how children actually use
playground equipment were scarce. Childhood injury cases were not examined
thoroughly from the perspective of how equipment can be modified for improving
safety without ruining its attraction to children. To design age-appropriate
and safer playground equipment, it is essential that scientific data on the
interaction between children and this equipment be accumulated. Herein we
report on studies to develop new playground equipment by applying sensor
technology to examine the science behind children's interaction with playground
equipment. We developed a rock-climbing wall equipped with force sensors to
record the physical behavior of children while on the wall, thus allowing
measurement of these behaviors in a more natural environment. Fifty force
sensors installed in the developed rock-climbing wall are able to collect a
large amount of data while children are playing with the equipment. The
behavior data of 623 children were recorded in the present study. Herein, we
also report on a child behavior prediction model created from the collected
data. Keywords: child behavior model, embedded sensor network, full-body interaction,
playground equipment | |||
| Assessment of the involuntary motion of children with motor impairments to improve the accessibility of an inertial interface | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 128-137 | |
| Rafael Raya; Ramón Ceres; Javier O. Roa; Eduardo Rocon | |||
| The computer is considered a very useful tool for physical and cognitive
rehabilitation. However, people with disabilities have limitations to control
properly conventional user interfaces because of their motor diseases. This
paper is in the framework of a project to create an alternative computer
interface, especially addressed to children with Cerebral Palsy (CP). The
interface is a head mouse based on inertial technology. Although the inertial
interface succeeds as mouse pointer for healthy users, children with CP have
involuntary movements, such as spasms or tremor, which limit the control. In
this paper, the inertial interface is used to analyze the pathological patterns
of three children with CP (hypertonic-athetoid, hypertonic-dystonic and
hypotonic-athetoid cases) in terms of kinematic parameters and spectral
analysis of the pathological motion. Finally, two filtering techniques are
designed and evaluated to reduce the effects of the involuntary motion and
improve the accessibility of the interface as mouse pointer. Keywords: alternative and augmentative communication, cerebral palsy, inertial,
interface, involuntary movements, rehabilitation | |||
| Lo-fi prototyping to design interactive-tabletop applications for children | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 138-146 | |
| Jochen Rick; Phyllis Francois; Bob Fields; Rowanne Fleck; Nicola Yuill; Amanda Carr | |||
| Interactive tabletops are an exiting new platform for supporting children's
collaboration. With design guidelines and standardized interaction principles
still immature, there is a considerable need for iterative prototyping to
define the task and interface. Lo-fi prototypes -- using cardboard, paper, etc.
-- are easy to develop, flexible to adjust during design sessions, and
intuitive for users to manipulate. Using them can be a valuable step in
designing tabletop applications.
In this paper, we detail the design process of two tabletop applications, concentrating on the role of lo-fi prototyping. TransTime is a pattern game for 5-6 year olds to engage how time progresses. OurSpace is a design tool for 7-9 year olds to arrange desks and assign seats for students in their classroom. By comparing the experiences, we arrive at a better understanding of the benefits, challenges, and limits of using lo-fi prototypes to design interactive-tabletop applications for children. Keywords: co-located collaboration, interactive tabletops, lo-fi prototyping | |||
| Noising around: investigations in mobile learning | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 147-155 | |
| Peta Wyeth; Ian MacColl | |||
| In this paper we present an account of children's interactions with a mobile
technology prototype within a school context. The Noise Detectives trial was
conducted in a school setting with the aim of better understanding the role of
mobile technology as a mediator within science learning activities. Over eighty
children, aged between ten and twelve, completed an outdoor data gathering
activity using a mobile learning prototype that included paper and digital
components. They measured and recorded noise levels at a range of locations
throughout the schools. We analyzed the activity to determine how the
components of the prototype were integrated into the learning activity, and to
identify differences in behavior that resulted from using these components. We
present design implications that resulted from observed differences in
prototype use and appropriation. Keywords: design, educational technology, mobile learning, prototyping | |||
| Laddering with young children in User eXperience evaluations: theoretical groundings and a practical case | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 156-165 | |
| Bieke Zaman; Vero Vanden Abeele | |||
| In this paper, we investigate the usefulness and feasibility of Laddering
with young children in User eXperience evaluations. We start with a revision of
theoretical literature and guidelines. Developmental literature suggests that
children aged two to seven years old have the cognitive capabilities to perform
as Laddering interviewees. Next, we put these findings to the test via a
practical case. The results of our case study demonstrate that only the older
children, aged five years and older, were able to construct meaningful ladders.
As for the type of ladders created, our results are in line with literature;
children are inclined to attribute external reasons to product preferences
rather than internal reasons, and consequently create ladders of attributes and
consequences, not reaching for values. Keywords: UX, evaluation methods, laddering, user eXperience, young children | |||
| Learning environmental factors through playful interaction | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 166-173 | |
| Zhihui Zhang; Paul Shrubsole; Maddy Janse | |||
| In this paper we describe the design of an educational game for learning
about energy and the environment using an interactive board called TagTiles.
Learning activities, manipulation of tangible objects and the use of physical
activity were combined as elementary components to develop a playful and
engaging learning environment in which 8 to 10 year old children could learn
independently, whilst also linking these learning activities to their daily
behaviors. A contextual environment, RFID tagged cubes, kinetic energy
generator, randomization function, and RFID tagged cards were used as basic
building blocks for the game environment. The final game was evaluated in a
classroom. Keywords: digital game board, educational game, game design guidelines, physical
activity, tangible interface | |||
| Zydeco: using mobile and web technologies to support seamless inquiry between museum and school contexts | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 174-177 | |
| Clara Cahill; Alex Kuhn; Shannon Schmoll; Alex Pompe; Chris Quintana | |||
| Museums and other out-of-school settings, are ideal contexts for children to
engage in authentic scientific inquiry. However, students need support to
successfully do inquiry outside of the classroom, and to make connections
between what they are learning in and outside of school. Zydeco is a new system
that aims to support students in seamlessly conducting inquiry across contexts.
Zydeco includes an online web component that allows students to define goals,
questions, and categorical information for their science investigations. This
information is uploaded to a handheld device, which allows students to
photograph, tag, and annotate information in a museum. Students can then access
their museum work in the classroom to complete their investigations. Here we
describe the Zydeco system, highlighting strategies for addressing challenges
of mediating inquiry across class and museum contexts. Keywords: informal learning, learner-centered design, mobile devices, mobile learning,
museums, nomadic inquiry, scaffolding | |||
| jogo: an explorative design for free play | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 178-181 | |
| Emma Creighton | |||
| This paper presents jogo, an explorative design that uses sound as a medium
to encourage children to play and socially interact in a physically embodied
sense. Open-ended play materials are explored as a way of encouraging free
play. A simple, intuitive yet engaging platform provides a combination of low
barrier to learning and motivation in the interaction. A prototype of jogo has
been developed to investigate how the provision of a tangible play experience
can encourage children to play freely in a more physical way, while socially
interacting with others around them. Keywords: collaboration, free play, social interaction, sound play, tangible user
interface | |||
| BeeSign: designing to support mediated group inquiry of complex science by early elementary students | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 182-185 | |
| Joshua A. Danish; Kylie Peppler; David Phelps | |||
| All too often, designers assume that complex science and cycles of inquiry
are beyond the capabilities of young children (5-8 years old). However, with
carefully designed mediators, we argue that such concepts are well within their
grasp. In this paper we describe two design iterations of the BeeSign
simulation software that was designed to help young children learn about
honeybees collect nectar from a complex systems perspective. We summarize
findings from two studies that suggest that this design has been successful in
teaching and motivating these young children and demonstrates how activity
theory can guide design. Keywords: complex systems, inquiry, interactive whiteboards, science education,
simulation, young children | |||
| TechSportiv: using a smart textile toolkit to approach young people's physical education | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 186-189 | |
| Nadine Dittert; Heidi Schelhowe | |||
| Physical Education as a school subject is usually not connected to
theoretical analysis and cognitive skills, even though the formal description
of movements can support good performance. In this paper, we present an
approach whereby construction of new and technologically enhanced equipment for
sports allows young people to gain an insight into the theoretical side of
specific body movements.
The following describes an activity-oriented approach to investigate one's own movement and to explore formalized models of physical exercise through construction of tangible materials and computer programs. Experience with a toolkit for constructing technologically enhanced sports wear and accessories are presented. Keywords: children, construction kits, constructionism, education, physical education | |||
| Informing design for tangible interaction: a case for children with learning difficulties | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 190-193 | |
| Taciana Pontual Falcão; Sara Price | |||
| The advent of new technologies is expanding the possibilities for a richer,
multi-sensory interaction to support children with learning difficulties in
schools. However, little research has yet investigated how such innovative
interaction can enhance the learning experience of these children. Effectively
informing research and design of innovative educational, technological
resources for children with learning difficulties requires relevant field
study. Findings from a qualitative classroom study indicate the potential of
tangible technologies to enhance these children's experiences by providing a
variety of modes of representation, and opportunities for collaboration,
physical engagement and hands-on exploration. They also provide an effective
foundation for investigating how tangible interaction can help to structure
exploratory learning: a recommended but problematic approach for these
children. Keywords: ICT, learning difficulties, tangible technologies | |||
| SMART-games: a video game intervention for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 194-197 | |
| Marientina Gotsis; Judith Piggot; Diana Hughes; Wendy Stone | |||
| In this paper, we describe the design of a preliminary prototype and pilot
results of the SMART-Games suite, a video game intervention for children with
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs). The prototype, consisting of a stuffed animal
game controller with an on-screen video game, emphasizes empathy and related
social skills. The proposed design aims to accommodate users across the autism
spectrum through adaptive modules focused on core deficits: sensory and motor
skills, imitation and turn-taking, joint attention and theory of mind. Response
from the preliminary pilot suggests that the application appeals to the target
audience and further development is underway. Keywords: autism, children, therapy, video games, virtual reality | |||
| Investigating the impact of design processes on children | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 198-201 | |
| Mona Leigh Guha; Allison Druin; Jerry Alan Fails | |||
| While there is a wealth of information about children's technology and the
design processes used to create it, there is a dearth of information regarding
how the children who participate in these design processes may be affected by
their participation. In this paper, we motivate why studying this impact is
important and look at the foundation provided by past research that touches on
this topic. We conclude by briefly proposing methods appropriate for studying
the impact of the design process on the children involved. Keywords: children, cooperative inquiry, design processes | |||
| Co-designing with children: a comparison of embodied and disembodied sketching techniques in the design of child age communication devices | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 202-205 | |
| Fabian Hemmert; Susann Hamann; Matthias Löwe; Josefine Zeipelt; Gesche Joost | |||
| In this paper, we present a qualitative comparison of different sketching
techniques, assessing their suitability for co-designing interaction design
with children. It presents a study conducted in an experimental field research,
in which children aged 6-12 were engaged in a co-design process, aimed to the
creation of novel communication devices or services that fit their particular
needs. The study compared embodied, physical sketching (body storming that was
documented as photo stories) with disembodied, drawn sketching (comics), as for
their creative results, and how the children, reportedly, felt during the
creation process. The results indicate that embodied sketching techniques were
more suitable for the children, both as for the quality of the results, and for
the subjective experience of the children while designing. Keywords: children, communication devices, design process, embodiment, mobile phone,
sketching | |||
| Make a Riddle and TeleStory: designing children's applications for the siftables platform | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 206-209 | |
| Seth Hunter; Jeevan Kalanithi; David Merrill | |||
| We present the design of Make a Riddle and TeleStory, educational
applications developed on the Siftables platform for children aged 4-7 years.
Siftables are hybrid tangible-graphical user interface devices with motion and
neighbor sensing, graphical display, and wireless communication. Siftables
provide a unique opportunity to give children responsive feedback about the
movement and arrangement of a distributed set of objects. We contrast the use
case that includes an external display to their use as a standalone application
platform. We outline design strategies for communicating information about the
affordances of the Siftables and methods of providing dynamic feedback to
encourage manipulation and to increase engagement during application use for
hybrid tangible-graphical user interfaces. Keywords: augmented reality, digital manipulatives, embodied media user interface,
make a riddle, sensor network, siftables, tangible user interface (TUI),
telestory, ubiquitous computing | |||
| My Green Pet: a current-based interactive plant for children | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 210-213 | |
| Sungjae Hwang; Kibeom Lee; Woonseung Yeo | |||
| The difficulty that children have in perceiving plants as living entities
has been verified by several studies. As an initial attempt to address this
issue, we propose "My Green Pet", an interactive plant for children. Through
this, children enjoy human-like interactions with the plant and also perceive
that this particular plant is living. This is achieved by personifying a
regular plant by giving it human feelings and emotions, such as pain, joy,
laughter, etc. The interactive plant is implemented over a current-based
framework, which enables it to recognize multiple gestures and give audio and
visual feedback to the user. The effectiveness of the interactive plant on the
conception of plants on children was studied with a simple user test. We
observed the children interacting with "My Green Pet" and noticed interactions
resembling those between people. We also noticed the children being
increasingly curious about the plant, resulting in spending more time with "My
Green Pet". A straight-forward questionnaire done by children revealed that the
children's perception of life in plants greatly differed after showing "My
Green Pet". Keywords: children, current-based, interaction, interface, plant | |||
| Fröbel's forgotten gift: textile construction kits as pathways into play, design and computation | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 214-217 | |
| Yasmin B. Kafai; Kylie A. Peppler; Quinn Burke; Michael Moore; Diane Glosson | |||
| Reflecting on one of Fröbel's overlooked "gifts", sewing and
embroidery, this paper explores a recent renaissance in commercially available
textile construction kits for children. Through a survey of such kits, we argue
that revisiting embroidery in this digital age is a powerful leverage to
introduce computation into material culture. In particular, we highlight the
evolution of recent children's textile construction kits beginning with the
Barbie Fashion Designer in 1996 then moving onto more recent developments, like
the LilyPad Arduino, that combines computation, ICT, fashion and craft. We
discuss the implications of these designs for learning, play, and broadening
participation in computing fields. Keywords: computational crafts, e-textiles, gender, play | |||
| Designing technologies with children with special needs: Children in the Centre (CiC) framework | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 218-221 | |
| Eija Kärnä; Jussi Nuutinen; Kaisa Pihlainen-Bednarik; Virpi Vellonen | |||
| The Children in the Centre (CiC) framework, introduced in this paper,
facilitates successful multidisciplinary research and design collaboration in
computer science and special education with partners in non-academic contexts.
The CiC framework emphasizes the active role of children and their families in
the research and design processes. Practical tips for including children with
special needs in the design and development of technologies are also described. Keywords: action research, children with special needs, design research, empowerment,
participation, technology design and development | |||
| Exploring rules and underlying concepts while engaged with collaborative full-body games | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 222-225 | |
| Chronis Kynigos; Zacharoula Smyrnaiou; Maria Roussou | |||
| In this paper, we describe the theoretical background, educational design
and preliminary evaluation of children's interactions with a set of
collaborative full-body digital games, which are set in an informal science
education fun park, the Polymechanon. Twelve 10-year olds were observed while
interacting in groups with the games, and two of the games were studied closely
by interviewing the children. Results indicate that children perceive the rules
of the games and the underlying concepts in different ways and the longer they
play the more their verbal interactions change from actions-centred to
concept-centred. Keywords: embodied schemas and metaphors, full-body interaction, gestural interfaces,
informal education, learning | |||
| A collaborative approach to the design and evaluation of an interactive learning tool for children with special educational needs | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 226-229 | |
| Beatriz López-Mencía; David Pardo; Alvaro Hernández-Trapote; Luis Hernández; Jose Relaño | |||
| We have developed an educational software tool (Aprendiendo) to reinforce
the learning process of children with special educational needs. This tool
makes use of a variety of interactive technologies such as Embodied
Conversational Agent and multimedia elements (video images from a WebCam,
pictures and photos). In this paper we propose a multidisciplinary approach to
system design and the evaluation of the users' experience, involving the
engineers, teachers therapists and the children themselves, and combining
Wizard-of-Oz with other techniques commonly employed in this educational
context. We illustrate our approach with a real user evaluation of
Aprendiendo's emotions module. Keywords: educational software, embodied conversational agents, emotions, evaluation
scheme, reinforcement learning | |||
| An e-sewing tutorial for DIY learning | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 230-233 | |
| Emily Lovell; Leah Buechley | |||
| This paper presents an e-sewing tutorial that details how to sew circuits
into fabric. The tutorials are intended for an audience of young adults without
access to workshops or classroom activities on this topic. Development of the
tutorials was motivated by the emergence of online learning as a useful
educational pathway for students. We reflect upon our introductory explorations
with self-motivated learners and how these explorations may inform future
development of online support materials. Keywords: DIY, e-sewing, e-textiles, education, electronic textiles, informal
learning, lilypad arduino, online learning, tutorial | |||
| KaleiVoiceKids: interactive real-time voice transformation for children | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 234-237 | |
| Oscar Mayor; Jordi Bonada; Jordi Janer | |||
| In this paper we describe the adaptation of an existing Real-time voice
transformation exhibit to the special case of children as the interacting
subjects. Many factors have been taken into consideration to adapt the body
interaction design, the visual feedback given to the user and the core
technology itself to fulfill the requirements of children. The paper includes a
description of this installation that is being used daily by hundreds of
children in a permanent museum exhibition. Keywords: children, interactive, museum installation, real-time, voice transformation | |||
| Touch-screen technology for children: giving the right instructions and getting the right responses | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 238-241 | |
| Lorna McKnight; Daniel Fitton | |||
| While devices such as iPhones, iPads and Surface tables enable a wide range
of interaction possibilities, we do not yet have a set of widely understood
terminology that conveys the new and unfamiliar touch-screen gestures required
for interaction. In this paper we explore terminology for touch-screen gestures
and in particular the implications for child users. An initial study exploring
touch-screen language with 6-7 year-olds is presented as an illustration of
some of the key problems that designers need to be aware of. The children were
able to perform a range of touch-screen gestures and transfer metaphors from
other contexts but mistakes were observed. From this study we present a set of
suggestions as to how designers of touch-screen applications can support
children more effectively. Keywords: CCI, children, gestures, instructions, language, touch-screens, usability | |||
| Craftopolis: blending tangible, informal construction into virtual multiuser communities | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 242-245 | |
| Jane Meyers; Jeffrey LaMarche; Michael Eisenberg | |||
| The last decade has seen a blossoming of creative online activities for
children in which groups, or communities, of youngsters participate within
(e.g.) multiplayer games, social networks, shared programming environments, and
so forth. Despite the marvelous features of these environments, they all share
the limitation of being exclusively "virtual" in their design: children can
play in virtual worlds, create virtual buildings and farms, or design programs,
but they cannot experiment or create with tangible materials in these
activities. In this paper, we present a prototype of a shared online children's
"world" in which the basic elements are tangible, informal, "rooms" or
constructions that can be controlled computationally and accessed over the
World Wide Web. This system, Craftopolis, enables users to make their own
computationally-enriched physical models (e.g., of dollhouse rooms, dioramas,
game boards, and so forth), using any materials whatever, and to link those
rooms into a shared online space. Keywords: Craftopolis, children's crafts, multiuser environments, tangible interaction | |||
| BeeSim: leveraging wearable computers in participatory simulations with young children | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 246-249 | |
| Kylie Peppler; Joshua Danish; Benjamin Zaitlen; Diane Glosson; Alexander Jacobs; David Phelps | |||
| New technologies have enabled students to become active participants in
computational simulations of dynamic and complex systems (called Participatory
Simulations), providing a "first-person" perspective on complex systems.
However, most existing Participatory Simulations have targeted older children,
teens, and adults assuming that such concepts are too challenging for younger
age groups. This paper, by contrast, presents a design for a Participatory
Simulation, called BeeSim, which makes use of wearable computers and targets
young children (7-8 years old) to model the behaviors of honeybee nectar
collection. In our preliminary user studies, we found that BeeSim contributed
to systems understanding and more easily managed group dynamics. Keywords: children, computer-supported collaborative learning, participatory
simulation, participatory simulations, systems thinking, wearable computers | |||
| Querying and navigating a database of images with the magical objects of the wizard Zurlino | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 250-253 | |
| Fabio Pittarello; Riccardo Stecca | |||
| This work is part of a research targeted at experimenting the use of
physical artifacts for the retrieval of multimedia information. Tangible
interfaces -- that couple physical artifacts to digital data -- are described
in different research works, and a number of studies focus on tangibles for
children. In spite of that, most of the work done for the kids is related to
gaming or learning. This work is focused on a less explored domain, that of the
access to information systems. We propose a tangible interface for enabling
preschoolers to query and navigate multimedia information. The approach was
tested with a class of 27 preschoolers, that where engaged in a game with the
magical objects of the wizard Zurlino. The experiment gave us interesting
insights about the suitability of the system for preschool children, its ease
of use and the need for support by educators. Keywords: affordance, data query and navigation, information systems, physical
interfaces, preschoolers | |||
| Introducing the FabLab as interactive exhibition space | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 254-257 | |
| Irene Posch; Hideaki Ogawa; Christopher Lindinger; Roland Haring; Horst Hörtner | |||
| This paper introduces an approach to include a fab lab into an interactive
exhibition space of a museum. Fab labs, as coined by Neil Gershenfeld, have
established a great point of view for educational access to modern means of
invention and technological empowerment. However realizations so far have been
mainly focused on technical equipment and peer- to-peer project based training.
Given the context of a museum, we focused on providing an open and easy for every visitor accessible design and fabrication space focusing on identified key elements like creative prototyping and shared creativity within the range of the realized integrative system. We describe our findings based on the work for the FabLab at the Ars Electronica Center (AEC) in Linz, Austria. Keywords: Fab Lab, education environment, emerging technologies, informal learning,
interactive exhibition, rapid prototyping, technological literacy | |||
| Comparing canonical and digital-based narrative activities in a formal educational setting | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 258-261 | |
| Elisa Rubegni; Paolo Paolini | |||
| This paper is about assessing how and under which conditions digital
technology interactions and activities can enhance socio-cognitive abilities in
children. We address this issue through a comparison between canonical and
digital-based narrative activities in a formal educational setting. The paper
is based upon a case study carried on in a primary school in Lugano (CH), where
children develop educational narratives in both traditional and
digital-assisted formats. Three are the main issues addressed: Valorization and
enhancement of different capabilities, Socialization and attitude change,
Pupils collaboration strategies. Keywords: digital storytelling, eLearning, educational applications, interaction
design | |||
| Enjoyable "LEGS" system deepens children's learning in a zoo | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 262-265 | |
| Mariko Suzuki; Itsuo Hatono; Tetsuo Ogino; Fusako Kusunoki; Hidefusa Sakamoto; Kazuhiko Sawada; Yasuhiro Hoki; Katsuya Ifuku; Taiji Kubo | |||
| The authors have developed a system called Learning Evolution in a zoo with
GPS equipped mobile phones (LEGS). In the LEGS system, GPS-equipped mobile
phones are used to learn about animals and their bodies from the viewpoint of
evolution in a zoo. This system makes use of GPS-equipped mobile phones to
display appropriate content about an exhibit by acquiring and saving
information about a user's current position and his/her history of past
activities. We examined differences between cases where junior-high students
use the proposed system and where they use exhibition panels. As a result, we
have found that using the LEGS system could activate students' thinking and
communication, and serve to deepen their understanding of the learning content,
so that students were able to enjoy animal observations. Keywords: GPS, educational applications, mobile phones, zoo | |||
| Design of an instrument for the evaluation of communication technologies with children | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 266-269 | |
| Svetlana Yarosh; Panos Markopoulos | |||
| In designing communication technology for children, it is important to
understand the affective benefits and costs introduced by a particular medium.
We present an Affective Benefits and Costs of Communication Technologies
Questionnaire appropriate for use with native English-speaking children aged
8-10. We discuss the iterative design and testing of the survey instrument and
provide the current survey items. Keywords: children, communication technologies, survey design | |||
| Teaching social competence: in search of design patterns | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 270-273 | |
| Massimo Zancanaro; Eynat Gal; Sarah Parsons; Tamar Weiss; Nirit Bauminger; Sue Cobb | |||
| COSPATIAL is a multi-disciplinary project that is using collaborative
virtual reality and tabletop devices for training social competence within the
theoretical framework of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy. Our ultimate objective
is to create a set of patterns for designing applications in collaborative
technologies that are suitable for children with autism as well as typically
developing children. We describe the rationale for CBT-informed design of
collaborative technologies and background related work. Initial steps towards
development of a design framework are presented, with illustrated examples from
one concept design application for each of the two technologies under
consideration. The project is ongoing and an iterative design process will be
used to develop and evaluate the applications and further refine the design
framework. Keywords: autism, collaborative virtual reality, scenario-based design, shared active
surface, social competence training | |||
| PIPLEX: tangible experience in an augmented reality video game | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 274-277 | |
| José María Blanco; Pascal Landry; A Sebastián Mealla C.; Emanuela Mazzone; Narcís Parés | |||
| In this paper we describe a work in progress of a mixed-reality framework
based on tangible interface applied to a video game designed for children. This
video game, called PIPLEX, lays on the ability of the users to solve a puzzle
through modelling malleable materials (namely plasticine and cardboard). We
explain the implementation of PIPLEX, its interaction rules and the physical
set-up. Additionally, we suggest future applications that can be developed in
the context of our framework. Keywords: haptic interfaces, human computer interaction, interaction design, mixed
reality, plastic interaction, plasticine, tangible user interfaces, video game | |||
| TRAZO: a tool to acquire handwriting skills using tablet-PC devices | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 278-281 | |
| Alberto deDiego-Cottinelli; Beatriz Barros | |||
| The purpose of the paper is to describe TRAZO, a system aimed at the
acquisition of handwriting skills using tablet-PC devices. This tool focuses on
the pre-writing phase and is aimed at 3-year-old children, who practice
different strokes following a sequence defined by the teacher. They usually
draw straight lines first, then curves, and then move on to a combination of
both. The system evaluates the exercises automatically, maintains a user model
and includes a monitoring tool to show the learning processes graphically. The
aim is to achieve hand coordination, visual perception; to learn to grip the
pencil properly, and to practice the direction and pressure of the pencil (or
any other object used to write). Keywords: automatic assessment, education, prewriting, user modeling | |||
| TeddIR: tangible information retrieval for children | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 282-285 | |
| Michel Jansen; Wim Bos; Paul van der Vet; Theo Huibers; Djoerd Hiemstra | |||
| Despite several efforts to make search engines more child-friendly, children
still have trouble using systems that require keyboard input. We present
TeddIR: a system using a tangible interface that allows children to search for
books by placing tangible figurines and books they like/dislike in a green/red
box, causing relevant results to be shown on a display. This way, issues with
spelling and query formulation are avoided. A fully functional prototype was
built and evaluated with children aged 6-8 at a primary school. The children
understood TeddIR to a large extent and enjoyed the playful interaction. Keywords: children, information retrieval, tangible user interfaces | |||
| Oriental well-being design | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 286-289 | |
| Youngmi Kim | |||
| Modern age children who was born as 'Bone Digital' has a lot of problems
from lack of concentration, impulsive behavior, and lack of social
participation stemming from too many products of civilization such as
computers, cell phones, Internet, and game consoles. In the orient, mental
training during childhood is aimed at these children by clearing their mind and
body, and enhancing their sense of order, independence, and concentration
through the sense of sight and touch. From this perspective, this work is a
'digilog' with an addition of digital elements to the oriental cymbidium. This
is an interesting interactive concept of play learning forming a visual
expression of an ink-and-wash painting oriental cymbidium from the touch of the
tip of one's fingers as brushing off dust from a cymbidium leaf. Because
various cymbidium leaves are drawn on the screen according to the speed when
brushing down the cymbidium leaves and the data of the angle of a break, this
is a well-being design for naturally learning culture in an attitude as if
directly drawing a cymbidium using brushes. Keywords: ethnographic, ink-and-wash painting, mental training, oriental art | |||
| The BEAM: a digitally enhanced balance beam for mathematics education | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 290-292 | |
| Zeina Atrash Leong; Michael S. Horn | |||
| In this demo we present the BEAM, a tangible user interface designed to help
teach mathematical concepts. This research considers the role of Montessori
pedagogy and traditions in the design of new, digitally enhanced educational
manipulative materials. Keywords: Montessori, education, mathematics, tangible interaction | |||
| Musical box: draw it yourself | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 293-295 | |
| Wu-Hsi Li | |||
| In this paper, two interaction designs are introduced. The first design
empowers children to create music by drawing on papers. A real-time
camera-based software is developed which performs the score in a spectrographic
style. The second design enables children to build their own digital musical
boxes that play the created music. The described webcam application is
implemented and released, and the proposed musical box will be demonstrated in
the conference. Keywords: composing interface, music, performing arts, toy design | |||
| Playing with toys on a tabletop active surface | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 296-299 | |
| Javier Marco; Eva Cerezo; Sandra Baldassarri | |||
| We present a new set of toys and games especially designed to bring tabletop
interaction closer to very young children. The use of these toys will be shown
in an especially designed tabletop device adapted to children aged between 3 to
6 years old. Nevertheless, it must be pointed out that these toys use a
tangible interaction approach that can be easily adapted to any tabletop device
based on visual recognition software. The final aim of this work is to combine
physical group activities with educative computer games, in a unique
interactive experience. Keywords: active surface, children, tabletop, tangible, token, toys, videogame | |||
| Tangible manipulatives and digital content: the transparent link that benefits young deaf children | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 300-303 | |
| Becky Sue Parton; Robert Hancock; Anita D. duBusdeValempré | |||
| In this paper a prototype system called 'Language Acquisition Manipulatives
Blending Early-childhood Research and Technology' (LAMBERT) is described. The
system allows children, in particular Deaf pre-schoolers, to play with toys
that trigger multimedia presentations designed to introduce and reinforce
American Sign Language (ASL) nouns through the use of Radio Frequency
Identification (RFID). A pilot study has been conducted and initial results
indicate positive perceptions of the system among educators. Advanced features
of the system are currently under development and are delineated. Keywords: children, computer supported collaborative learning, digital storytelling,
eLearning, educational applications | |||
| Quadratic: manipulating algebraic expressions on an interactive tabletop | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 304-307 | |
| Jochen Rick | |||
| This paper introduces Quadratic -- a virtual manipulative for two people to
explore algebraic expressions on an interactive tabletop. Users assemble
rectangles out of fundamental components: 1, x, and x2. As the area of a
rectangle is both the product of its sides and the sum of its components, users
can explore how the product of two linear expressions (the rectangle's sides)
equals a quadratic equation (the rectangle's area). This virtual manipulative
adds several important features to the previously existing physical
manipulative: 1) negative pieces; 2) multiple palettes; 3) multiple linked
representations between the visual elements, the equivalent algebraic
expression, and the graph of that expression; 4) the ability to provide
feedback on posed challenges. Keywords: collaborative learning, interactive tabletops, manipulatives, mathematics
learning | |||
| Singing Fingers: fingerpainting with sound | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 308-310 | |
| Eric Rosenbaum; Jay Silver | |||
| Singing Fingers is a new system that allows children to fingerpaint with
sound. You paint by touching a screen with a finger, but color only emerges if
you make a sound at the same time. By touching the painting again, you can play
back the sound. This creates a new level of accessibility for recording,
playback and remixing of sound. We describe several ways in which Singing
Fingers can be used, including music making, exploration of sound, and
interactive storytelling. Keywords: audio, fingerpaint, multitouch, music, remix, touchscreen | |||
| Dermaland | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 311-314 | |
| Jill Scott; Mark Ziegler; Nikolaus Voelzow | |||
| Dermaland is an installation that combines different interaction paradigms
and devices that aims to promote children's awareness about the risks of UV
radiation on the human skin and on the environment. It allows children to learn
in a very unassuming way about two linked branches of science- dermatology and
ecology. The approach is intuitive and non-didactic, based on the experiential
value of the dramaturgy rather than on a set of obvious educational steps.
Through employment of simple augmented objects, robots and associated
projections of cellular representations, users tend to accumulate knowledge
over time. This research extends that of groups who study the extent to which
children can experience more abstract concepts through interactive play [2].
Dermaland was already shown at the Museum for Design in Zurich, Switzerland
from June-October 2009, and the interaction was observed and analyzed through
video analysis in this same environment. Keywords: children, dermatology, ecology, interactive learning, robotics and drama | |||
| The World is Canvas: a coloring application for children based on physical interaction | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 315-318 | |
| Satoru Tokuihsa; Yusuke Kamiyama | |||
| This paper focuses on the creativity of painting in artistic creativities
and aims to increase children's motivation in painting. This research assumes
that fun through physical interactions increases the motivation for children to
paint. We developed two approaches and implemented an iPhone application "The
World is Canvas". This application allows users to use any image as a draft for
coloring. We conducted user evaluation tests to validate these approaches, and
their effectiveness was proved. Keywords: children, fun, motivation, painting | |||
| vSked: an interactive visual schedule system for use in classrooms for children with autism | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 319-322 | |
| Michael T. Yeganyan; Meg Cramer; Lou Anne Boyd; Gillian R. Hayes | |||
| Children with autism often experience substantial challenges in
understanding, structuring, and predicting the activities in their daily lives.
The use of symbols to represent a series of activities, also known as visual
schedules, have been shown to be an effective intervention technique for
helping individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder. In this paper, we describe
the design and technical architecture for vSked, an interactive visual
scheduling tool that allows group interactivity with content generated through
end-user programming. We also outline a scenario that demonstrates how vSked
extends the benefits of traditional visual schedules through both interactivity
and automatic logging of use. This scenario also indicates the type of
experience a user might have during a demonstration session. Keywords: assistive technology, autism, children, computer supported collaborative
learning, education, visual schedules | |||
| Hacker's mentality: integrating games and hacking to build it fluency among middle school students | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 323-325 | |
| Ugochi Acholonu | |||
| The power of technology lies in its ability to enhance our ingenuity to
innovate and solve problems. However, this power is mute if an individual
cannot bend technology to serve their needs. The author describes a game
environment that facilitates middle school students' abilities to manipulate
technology by engaging students in the practice of hacking. Keywords: IT fluency, digital games, middle-school, task-based learning | |||
| Exploring the value of audience collaboration and game design in immersive virtual learning environments | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 326-330 | |
| Panagiotis Apostolellis; Thanasis Daradoumis | |||
| Informal learning in public spaces like museums and location-based
entertainment venues is increasingly popular during the last years. Especially
in technology-enhanced museums such properties as Virtual Reality, Game-Based
Collaboration, and Immersive Displays are considered to bear significant
educational value. After extensive literature review we have come to the
conclusion that little to no research has been carried out on the learning
outcomes of these powerful properties. Thus, the scope of our research is to
investigate the learning efficacy of an integrated schema of audience
collaboration and game design in immersive virtual reality environments. In
order to achieve this, we are going to build and evaluate a theoretical
framework that supports collaboration within an audience of 9-14 years old
children. Keywords: audience interaction, collaboration, games, informal learning,
location-based entertainment, virtual reality | |||
| Improving children's self-report in user-centered evaluations | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 331-334 | |
| Marco Pasch | |||
| The envisaged contribution of the research presented in this paper is to
improve users' self-report, a popular way to assess user experiences. The
starting point of the research is an assessment of the previously presented
Sensual Evaluation Instrument objects when used by children. Our assessment is
set in a naturalistic setting, i.e. a primary school in southern Switzerland.
Should the assessment be positive, we plan to explore further ways of using
physical objects to support self-report. This should result in establishing a
more robust version of self-report from children, which up to now suffers from
being dependent on facilitators and requiring children to possess high levels
of reflection and linguistic skills. Keywords: children, evaluation, self-report | |||
| Collective creation of games using free play technologies | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 335-339 | |
| Andrea Rosales | |||
| From the age of six children are developing important social skills, often
through play. However, many children now spend most of their leisure time
interacting through screens, rather than developing face-to-face social skills,
which are also important for adult hood.
Using augmented technologies to stimulate children in the collective creation of games could contribute to developing these social skills. Related work with augmented technologies for play does not take into consideration the evocative power of the objects to be augmented. We aim to identify objects, which are particularly evocative, and make them interactive through augmented technology. We will also draw on the basic rules of traditional folk games to create toys, which genuinely stimulate social skills. We present two early prototypes designed to investigate both the way in which children perceive feedback from different sensors and actuators and also their ability to construct their own games with those objects. Keywords: augmented technologies, folk games, interactive toys, social skills | |||
| Gifts for intertwining with modern nature | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 340-343 | |
| Jay Silver; Eric Rosenbaum | |||
| Can we design tools and toys that encourage interaction with and intimate
knowledge of the every day world? Inspired by Froebel's Gifts, we created a set
of meta-manipulatives or "Modern Nature Gifts,"to help people explore their own
local environments. Each gift comes out of the box "incomplete" and must be
combined with some element of the environment to become meaningful. Like a
magnifying glass, they are only interesting when applied to our world. However,
the Modern Nature Gifts go one step beyond a magnifying glass because they
directly suggest that you build and express yourself using your local
landscape. You might see people engaged in activities like jumping up and down
to draw a picture, hula-hooping to create music, or exploring a park to find
unique sounds for a musical composition. We briefly cover four recent works and
show how they exemplify Modern Nature Gifts: GlowDoodle, Drawdio, MmmTsss, and
Twinkle. Keywords: inquiry, maker, manipulatives, nature, phenomenology | |||
| Using data to promote healthy behavior in children | | BIBA | Full-Text | 344-347 | |
| Tammy Toscos | |||
| Childhood offers a number of opportunities for parents to shape the health related attitudes and behaviors of their children. The proposed research described in this paper aims to better understand the ways in which a child's personal health data can be leveraged to educate and provide a transition to healthy adult behaviors. The target population for this project is children with Type 1 Diabetes and their parents but many of the design issues may be relevant to the management of other chronic diseases as well as general health in childhood. | |||
| Programming & storytelling: opportunities for learning about coding & composition | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 348-351 | |
| Quinn Burke; Yasmin B. Kafai | |||
| The focus of this paper is to investigate how writing computer programs can
help children develop their storytelling and creative writing abilities. The
process of writing a program -- coding -- has long been considered only in
terms of computer science, but such coding is also reflective of the
imaginative and narrative elements of fiction writing workshops. Writing to
program can also serve as programming to write, in which a child learns the
importance of sequence, structure, and clarity of expression -- three aspects
characteristic of effective coding and good storytelling alike. While there
have been efforts examining how learning to write code can be facilitated by
storytelling, there has been little exploration as to how such creative coding
can also be directed to teach students about the narrative and storytelling
process. Using the introductory programming language Scratch, this paper
explores the potential of having children create their own digital stories with
the software and how the narrative structure of these stories offers kids the
opportunity to better understand the process of expanding an idea into the arc
of a story. Keywords: computers & writing, digital storytelling | |||
| Social inclusion through the digital economy: digital creative engagement and youth-led innovation | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 352-355 | |
| Lalya Gaye; Atau Tanaka; Ranald Richardson; Kazuhiro Jo | |||
| SIDE is a UK-based research project investigating the social benefits of
digital technologies for marginalized social groups. The Creative Media Group
works in particular with creative practices and young people, with a twofold
research focus: the fostering of engagement through digital creativity, and the
support of youth-led innovation with digital technologies. This paper describes
the aims and objectives of the Creative Media Group in the SIDE project, as
well as the first few months of its research. Keywords: DIY, creative engagement, interactive media, social inclusion, urban
regional development, youth-led innovation | |||
| Interactive storytelling for children | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 356-359 | |
| Franca Garzotto; Paolo Paolini; Amalia Sabiescu | |||
| Since the nineties, storytelling has received increasing attention in the
HCI, IDC, and AI communities, exploring the potential of interactivity and
multimedia as a means to promote engagement, enjoyment, fun, to foster new
forms of children's creativity, and to increase the educational benefits of
traditional storytelling for this target group. The time seems right to look at
the field with critical eyes and validate the claims put forward regarding the
positive effects of interactive storytelling technology for children, as well
as the effectiveness of existing design and evaluation approaches. The purpose
of this full-day IDC 2010 workshop is to bring together researchers from a wide
spectrum of disciplines who share a common interest in understanding these
challenges and to create a research agenda that can orient application and
theory in the domain of interactive storytelling for children. Keywords: benefit, children, design, education, evaluation, interactive storytelling,
learning, social interaction | |||
| Digital Technologies and Marginalized Youth | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 360-363 | |
| Juan Pablo Hourcade; Natasha E. Bullock-Rest; Heidi Schelhowe | |||
| Marginalization threatens basic issues of fairness and equal opportunity for
a significant portion of children around the world. In this extended abstract,
we frame the problem of marginalization in light of new economic forces and the
increasingly ubiquitous role of digital technologies. We then summarize the
contributions to the IDC 2010 workshop on Digital Technologies and Marginalized
Youth. We conclude by discussing research trends and identifying challenges for
future research. Keywords: children, developing regions, digital divide, marginalized youth, remote
regions | |||
| Digital inclusion in Chilean in rural schools | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 364-367 | |
| Jaime Sánchez | |||
| This paper analyzes conditions for improving digital inclusion in Chilean
rural schools, using a multidimensional definition of digital divide. Using
qualitative and quantitative data, we focus on teacher's skills, access to
communication, Internet connection and expectations regarding the Internet in
rural schools. We obtained data from interviews and surveys applied to
teachers, students, principals and technology coordinators. Results show that
even if teachers are not the primary figures for transmitting ICT knowledge to
students, they are gatekeepers, producing conditions for students to learn of
ICT use. In addition, data contributes to understanding the new role of
teachers and schools in rural areas regarding social and symbolic integration. Keywords: digital divide, internet, rural schools, teachers | |||
| How the social structure of intercultural computer clubs fosters interactive storytelling | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 368-371 | |
| Anne Weibert; Kai Schubert | |||
| Stories play an important role in the collaborative project work of children
and adults in intercultural computer clubs "come_IN". They constitute the
narrative framework for the shared (computer) practice of children and adults
in the clubs, that are located in socially and culturally diverse neighborhoods
in Germany. The aim is twofold: club participants a) share and develop ideas
and perspectives -- often motivated by local neighborhood life, and b) acquire
and broaden skills in the use of modern media and computer technology. Our
exemplary analysis of a film project from one of the "come_IN" computer clubs
shows the potential of this informal learning setting with regard to children's
interactive storytelling. Keywords: children, collaborative project work, computer club, storytelling | |||