1,721,031 research outputs found
Noise detectives : design implications for mobile learning
No full textIn this paper, we present an account of children's interactions with a mobile technology prototype within the school context. The noise detectives trial was conducted in a school setting with the aim of better understanding the role of mobile resources as mediators within science and environmental learning activities. Over 80 children, aged between 10 and 12, completed an outdoor data-gathering activity, using a mobile learning prototype that included paper and software components. They measured and recorded noise levels in various locations throughout the school. We analysed the activity to determine how the components of the prototype were integrated into the learning activity, and to identify differences in behaviour that resulted from using these components. We present design implications that resulted from observed differences in prototype use and appropriation
Agency, tangible technology and young children
No full textThis paper explores the embodiment of agency concepts in tangible user interfaces to create meaningful learning experiences. Current notions of agent-based tangible technology are extended, through the development of low-fidelity prototypes, to include additional flexibility and adaptability. A study involving these prototypes was conducted in a kindergarten environment with nine four-year-old children. Observations of children's interactions with the prototypes produced insightful results which will be used to further refine the product under development
Ethnography in the kindergarten: Examining children's play experiences
No full textExplores the effectiveness of an ethnographic study in supporting the design of playful technology for young children. Provides designers with useful guidelines for developing technology for kindergarten environment
Understanding engagement with tangible user interfaces
No full textThis paper examines the issues surrounding the successful design and development of tangible technology for optimal engagement in playful activities. At present there is very little data on how, and in what contexts, tangible interactions with technology promote lasting engagement and immersion. The framework at the core of this paper has been designed to guide the effective design of tangible technology for immersive interaction. The paper investigates the relationship between tangible user interfaces (TUI) characteristics of representation and control, and immersive flow experiences produced through balancing skill and challenge in user interaction
GameFlow: A model for evaluating player enjoyment in games
No full textAlthough player enjoyment is central to computer games, there is currently no accepted model of player enjoyment in games. There are many heuristics presented in the literature, based on elements such as the game interface, mechanics, gameplay and narrative. However, there is a need to integrate these heuristics into a validated model that can be used to design, evaluate and understand enjoyment in games. We have drawn together the various heuristics into a concise model of enjoyment in games that is structured by flow. Flow, a widely accepted model of enjoyment, includes eight elements that we found to encompass the various heuristics from the literature. Our new model, GameFlow, consists of eight elements – concentration, challenge, skills, control, clear goals, feedback, immersion and social interaction. Each element includes a set of criteria for achieving enjoyment in games. An initial investigation and validation of the GameFlow model was carried out by conducting expert reviews of two real-time strategy games, one high-rating and one low-rating, using the GameFlow criteria. The result was a deeper understanding of enjoyment in real-time strategy games and the identification of the strengths and weaknesses of the GameFlow model for evaluating enjoyment in games. The GameFlow criteria were successfully able to distinguish between the high-rated and low-rated game and identify why one succeeded and the other failed. We concluded that the GameFlow model can be used in its current form to review games and further work will provide tools for designing and evaluating enjoyment in games
Revisiting the GameFlow model with detailed heuristics
No full textThe GameFlow model strives to be a general model of player enjoyment, applicable to all game genres and platforms. Derived from a general set of heuristics for creating enjoyable player experiences, the GameFlow model has been widely used in evaluating many types of games, as well as non-game applications. However, we recognize that more specific, low-level, and implementable criteria are potentially more useful for designing and evaluating video games. Consequently, the research reported in this paper aims to provide detailed heuristics for designing and evaluating one specific game genre, real-time strategy games. In order to develop these heuristics, we conducted a grounded theoretical analysis on a set of professional game reviews and structured the resulting heuristics using the GameFlow model. A selection of the resulting 165 heuristics are presented in this paper and discussed with respect to key evaluations of the GameFlow model
Springboards into design: Exploring multiple representations of interaction in a dental surgery
No full textThis paper demonstrates that in order to understand\ud
and design for interactions in complex work\ud
environments, a variety of representational artefacts\ud
must be developed and employed. A study was\ud
undertaken to explore the design of better interaction\ud
technologies to support patient record keeping in a\ud
dental surgery. The domain chosen is a challenging real\ud
context that exhibits problems that could potentially be\ud
solved by ubiquitous computing and multi-modal\ud
interaction technologies. Both transient and durable\ud
representations were used to develop design\ud
understandings. We describe the representations, the\ud
kinds of insights developed from the representations and\ud
the way that the multiple representations interact and\ud
carry forward in the design process
Playful interactions for people with intellectual disabilities
No full textFor people with intellectual disabilities, there are significant barriers to inclusion in socially cooperative endeavors. This paper investigates the effectiveness of Stomp, a tangible user interface (TUI) designed to provide new participatory experiences for people with intellectual disability. Results from an observational study reveal the extent to which the Stomp system supports social and physical interaction. The tangible, spatial, and embodied qualities of Stomp result in an experience that does not rely on the acquisition of specific competencies before interaction and engagement can occur
Noising around : investigations in mobile learning
No full textIn 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
- …
