May 9, 2012 @ 16:30, Room: 18CD
Chair: Carl DiSalvo, Georgia Institute of Technology, USA
Interpreting Input from Children: a Designerly Approach - Paper
Contribution & Benefit: Describes a process to interpret input from participatory design work with children with and without Autism to develop a learning environment. Argues for designerly approaches and presents key practical lessons.
Abstract » Involving children in the design process of interactive technology can greatly enhance its likelihood of successful adoption. However, children's input and ideas require careful interpretation to reach viable designs and technical specifications, which poses a significant challenge to an adult design research team. In this paper we discuss our approach to managing the complexity of combining concepts and ideas that were generated through participatory design work with the practical, technical, ethical and theoretical constraints of developing a technologically enhanced learning environment for children with and without Autism Spectrum Conditions. We found that the nature of this design problem did not lend itself to be rationally reduced to produce a single solution, but required an understanding of interpretive and speculative approaches for us to be able to cope with the complexity of requirements. We describe a workshop in which members of the design team used such approaches to develop a design brief that is faithful to the children's input. By making this process transparent, we aim to contribute to the methodology of using such designerly approaches in combination with participatory and human-centred methods to develop interactive technology.
ACMAcquisition of Social Abilities through Musical Tangible User Interface: Children with Autism Spectrum Condition and the Reactable. - Long Case Study
Contribution & Benefit: The Reactable, a musical tangible user interface, is used with nine children with autism spectrum condition. Results show an improvement in social competences during the sessions, even for non-verbal subjects.
Abstract » This study assesses the potential of the Reactable, a musical tangible user interface, to help in the acquisition of social interaction abilities in children with Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC). With this purpose, nine children with ASC participated in the research; the sample being its own control group, and a simple subject design was developed. The type of design was ABA (Basic Withdrawal). In addition to the statistical analysis, this study used qualitative methodological tools for analysis of outlier subjects and detection of atypical behavior for future research. The results show an increase in social interaction during the sessions, even for the non-verbal subjects.
Video Kids: Augmenting Close Friendships with Asynchronous Video Conversations in VideoPal - Paper
Contribution & Benefit: This work demonstrates the power of asynchronous video to support children's rich social interactions and augment existing face-to-face friendships. The results highlight important insights for children's use of video communication.
Abstract » Consumer-based synchronous video communication is on the rise and is viewed as a valuable medium to support long distance relationships. We were interested in the potential of asynchronous video to augment children�s close friendships and what types of activities they would engage in using video. We explored both of these concepts through a 9-week field study with a group of six 9-10 year old girls. We see children as potential media trendsetters when it comes to video communication given their comfort with video and desire for rich social interactions. The results from this study were striking. Despite having frequent face-to-face interactions, the girls used our asynchronous video communication tool extensively to augment their existing relationships. Not only were they able to have rich conversations using asynchronous video, they also demonstrated a strong desire to share more than just a �talking head�. The results from this work point to the need for video mediated communication to move beyond conversations, to the sharing of rich experiences.
ACMInterchangeability of Computer and Paper Based Questionnaires in Gathering Computer Experience Data from Young Children - Note
Contribution & Benefit: This study asked whether paper and computer based questionnaires were interchangeable for young children answering questions about their computer experience.
Abstract » The study compares self-reported computer experience (CE) obtained from children in computer-assisted and paper-and-pencil self-administered questionnaires. Twenty primary school children aged between 8 and 9 years completed a set of CE questions in both forms of administration in a Latin-square order. Findings show that young children can use both methods, and that they are able to answer a computer-based questionnaire just as consistently as a paper-based questionnaire.
ACMDesigning for Child Resilience - Short Case Study
Contribution & Benefit: Case study describing the development of a children's privacy centered online child protection device. Can assist in developing engaging value-centered technologies.
Abstract » This short case study describes the design and initial feedback of a color-changing “mood lamp” that allows children to make informed decisions about risk-taking behavior on the internet. Such a device is a case study of an attempt to improve resilience amongst unsupervised children on the internet: an important goal in child protection studies.