This is a list of resources provided by members of the CHI-KIDS@ACM.ORG mailing
list.
The list itself was assembled by Debra Lieberman, and sent to the list in a
message, on March 3rd, 2004.
PUBLICATIONS
Ashmore, L., Website Usability and the Theory of Multiple Intelligences, Ph.D. Dissertation. Qualitative field study investigating usability issues with 12 children, ages 3-6, within the framework of Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences. The highest intelligence types for children in the study were kinesthetic (M = 4.67, SD = 0.78), spatial (M = 4.67, SD = 1.61) and intrapersonal (M = 4.50, SD = 1.38). The medium intelligence types were musical (M = 3.92, SD = 1.38), interpersonal (M = 3.83, SD = 1.75) and logical (M = 3.42, SD = 1.98). The lowest was linguistic (M = 3.0, SD = 1.28). Children with high logical intelligence had the greatest success, while children with high linguistic intelligence had the greatest satisfaction. Children were categorized as adventurous or ambivalent based on their interest in the Web sites. Analysis of their comments and usage patterns revealed which aspects of Web design they liked and disliked and what caused usability problems. The biggest navigation obstacles were inability to read, poor mouse control and problems with the interface design. Children did not use search, map, index or help tools if they were available. Children did not scroll or use the back or forward arrows in the Web browser. Age, gender, previous Internet experience, siblings, computer configurations and poor ergonomics affected usability. Examples of design features (and their engaged intelligence) that positively affected usability were: sound effects (musical), characters that interacted with the children (interpersonal), audio instructions (linguistic), large clickable areas (kinesthetic), limited choices (logical), positive reinforcement (intrapersonal) and navigation metaphors (spatial). Results suggest that simpler navigation schemes, interface designs that engage spatial rather than linguistic intelligence, and features that positively engage a variety of intelligence types will make Web sites easier for children to use.
Buckleitner, W. The Relationship Between Software Interface Responsivity and The Engagement of Young Children. Dissertation. http://www.childrenssoftware.com/dis/dis.menu.htm
Calvert, S.L., Jordan, A.B., & Cocking, R.R. (Eds.) (2002), Children in the Digital Age: Influences of Electronic Media on Development. Westport, CT: Praeger.
Children’s Software Review. http://www.childrenssoftware.com/
Davis, R.W., Multimedia Storytimes.
Preschool to second-grade storytimes take on a modern twist when CD-ROMs and
Internet sites are added to the traditional compilation of fingerplays and tales.
The 40 thematic programs presented here are enhanced with technological components
selected to foster good listening, encourage creativity, and promote interactive
skills.
Early Learning, Forward Thinking: The Policy Framework for ICT in Early Years. http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/earlyyears/Early%20Learning%20Forward%20Thinking.asp
Fisch, S.M. (in press). Characteristics of effective materials for informal
education: A cross-media comparison of television, magazines, and interactive
media. In M. Rabinowitz, F.C. Blumberg, & E. Everson (Eds.), The impact
of media and technology on instruction. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Fisch, S.M. (in press). Children's learning from educational television: Sesame Street and beyond. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Fisch, S.M. (2003). Challenges for the future of educational media. In E.L. Palmer & B.M. Young (Eds.), The faces of televisual media: Teaching, violence, selling to children (2nd ed.; pp. 125-139). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Fisch, S.M., Shulman, J.S., Akerman, A., & Levin, G. (2002). Reading between the pixels: Parent-child interaction while reading online storybooks. Early Education and Development, 13, 435-451.
Gilutz, S. (2002). Report: Usability of Websites for Children. Nielsen Norman Group. http://www.nngroup.com/reports/kids/
Hanna, L., Risden, K, & Alexander, K. (1997). Guidelines for Usability
Testing with Children. http://www.microsoft.com/usability/UEPostings/p9-hanna.pdf
Hanna, L., Risden, K., Czerwinski, M, & Alexander, K. The Role of Usability Research in Designing Children’s Computer Products. Our research at Microsoft indicates that the usability of a product is closely related to children’s enjoyment of it. Therefore we have worked hard to develop sound methodologies for usability testing with children. In this chapter, we describe the methods we use during various stages of product development, design guidelines that have resulted from our research and useful practices for working with product teams and upper management that we have learned along the way. http://www.research.microsoft.com/users/marycz/druin98.htm
Hourcade, J.P. (a study I conducted on preschool children's use of mice. It's
currently being reviewed as a journal paper, but it can also be found in Chapter
5 of my Ph.D. Thesis, ftp://ftp.cs.umd.edu/pub/hcil/Reports-Abstracts-Bibliography/2003-21html/2003-21.pdf
)
Joao-Monteiro, M., Cristóvão-Morgado, R., Bulas-Cruz, M., &
Morgado, Leonel. A Robot in Kindergarten. http://www.utad.pt/~leonelm/papers/RobotinKindergarten/RobotinKindergarten.html
http://home.utad.pt/~leonelm/papers/RobotinKindergarten/RobotinKindergarten.html
This project has conducted computer-related activities in Portuguese kindergarten
rooms, with 3-, 4- and 5-year old children. It aims to promote the use of New
Information and Communication Technologies (NICT) in playful educational ways,
freely or assisted/conducted, integrating them with the activities taking place
within the micro-spaces of the kindergarten room. Its main goals are to raise
children awareness towards NICT; to promote the acquaintance of both children
and teachers with computers and communication support; to cooperate on the identification
of computer and network usage methodologies, as teaching and learning tools.
Within the several NICT available, this paper will focus on the work developed
with the Roamer robot (Amethyst Consultancy Ltd., 2003; CnotInfor, 2003). We’ll
present it, how it can be used, what we use it for, and what results have been
achieved.
Lieberman, D.A. (1999). The researcher's role in the design of children's media and technology. Chapter in A. Druin (Ed.), The design of children's technology. San Francisco: Morgan Kaufmann Publishers. Researchers who specialize in children's media can make valuable contributions to production teams by applying social science research to the design of content, interfaces, and technology for young people. The chapter discusses seven areas in which a researcher can contribute: (1) specifying the product concept and goals; (2) designing the product for the target user group; (3) obtaining funding to support product development and evaluation; (4) testing the product, before it is completed, with youngsters in the target user group, and revising it accordingly; (5) measuring outcomes by conducting beta tests, field trials, and pilot studies with the finished product; (6) publishing research outcomes and presenting them to potential customers, partners, and investors; and (7) keeping producers and their teams up-to-date on current research, industry resources, and product design trends. It concludes that a media researcher can contribute a great deal to interactive products, to assure that they are developmentally appropriate, tailored to individual needs and abilities, socially responsible, entertaining, engaging, and educationally effective.
Morgado, Leonel. Taking Programming into Kindergartens: Exploratory Research
Activities Using ToonTalk. http://www.utad.pt/~leonelm/papers/eurologo2003/EuroLogo2003.htm
http://home.utad.pt/~leonelm/papers/eurologo2003/EuroLogo2003.htm
Plowman, L. & Stephen, C. (in preparation). Interplay: Play, Learning,
and ICT in Preschool Education. http://www.tlrp.org/proj/phase111/Scot_extc.html
Interplay will investigate ways of balancing both child-initiated and adult-led
activities to enhance the value of encounters with information and communications
technologies (ICT). We will work with a total of sixteen practitioners in four
pre-school settings in each of two local authorities (West Lothian and Stirling)
in a process of guided enquiry. Our enquiries will be supplemented by using
a survey of 100 homes and case studies of eight individual children to explore
the interplay between home and pre-school experiences.
This work will help identify:
1. how to create opportunities for learning with ICT
2. how to identify and record interactions with ICT that support learning 3.
how to evaluate that learning 4. how to use that information for future planning
Plowman, L. & Stephen, C. (2003). A 'benign addition'? Research on ICT
and pre-school children. Journal of Computer-Assisted Learning. 19 (2) 149-164.
This is downloadable from http://www.ioe.stir.ac.uk/CACHET/publications.htm
along with papers relating to a study conducted with Rosemary Luckin looking
at young children's (mainly ages 5 and 6) use of interactive toys.
Revelle, G. L., Chair. (2004). Design and evaluation of new technology for
young children’s learning. Symposium to be presented at the American
Educational Research Association 2004 Annual Meeting. Including the following
papers: Young children and new technologies: Exploring beliefs, discourse
and play practices. Deanne Perez-Granados, Stanford University. Using
technology to create discovery-based learning toys for infants,
toddlers and preschoolers. John Sosoka, Neurosmith.
Research informs the content and interface design of the Fisher-Price Power
Touch Learning System. Anna Housley, Sesame Workshop, and Kristin Alexander,
Fisher-Price. Evaluating DVD as an interactive education platform for young
children. Glenda Revelle and Lisa Medoff, Sesame Workshop. Learning?
Play? Both . . . or neither? Erik Strommen, Playful Efforts Consulting.
DISCUSSANT: Ellen Wartella, University of Texas
Revelle, G. L. (2003). Educating via entertainment media: The Sesame Workshop approach. Computers in Entertainment, 1(1), ACM Publications. http://www.acm.org/pubs/cie/oct2003/index.html
Revelle, G. & Medoff, L. (2002). Interface design and research process for studying the usability of interactive home-entertainment systems by young children. Early Education and Development, 13(4), 423-434.
Revelle, G. L., & Strommen, E. F. (1990). The effects of practice and input device used on young children’s computer control. Journal of Computing in Childhood Education, 2(1), 33-41.
Revelle, G.L., Strommen, E.F., & Medoff, L. (2001). Interactive technologies research at the Children's Television Workshop. In Fisch, S.M., & Truglio, R.T. (Eds.), "G" is for growing: Thirty years of research on Sesame Street (pp. 215-230). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Steiner, Susan, “On the World Wide Web Before Kindergarten – A
Case Study of Preschool Web Usage”. Masters Thesis – Degree in
Educational Technology.
Three parent-child dyads who use the World Wide Web together were examined in
this exploratory case study. Each pair includes a 2 or 3 year old child and
a mother. Descriptive data were gathered regarding the purposes for preschooler
Web use and the role of the parent in helping the child.
Several new data collection instruments were created and used in the three collection
segments which were questionnaire, interview and in-person viewing of Web visits.
The interview and Web sessions were videotaped in the home of each dyad. Examples
of Web use by the participants are highlighted, and the circumstances under
which usage was initiated and continues are described. In-depth information
is provided on each dyad documenting the steps which transpired to connect the
young child with the Web and the help given by the parent in accessing and using
it. Preliminary data gained from the selected dyads are reported to address
the overall question of how and why Web use is occurring among a set of preschoolers.
Stephen, C. & Plowman, L. (2003). ‘Come back in two years!’
A study of the use of ICT in pre-school settings. 42 pp. Learning &
Teaching. Scotland, Dundee. We were commissioned to conduct some observational
studies for the Scottish government to inform the development of a strategy
on the use of ICTs by preschoolers in nurseries and playgroups. This is the
report of that
study: http://www.ngflscotland.gov.uk/earlyyears/ComeBackinTwoYears.asp
Wartella, E., Lee, J.H., & Caplovitz, A.G. (2002). Children and Interactive Media: An Updated Research Compendium http://www.digital-kids.net/modules/downloads/file_archive/final_compendium_ac.pdf
Wartella, E., O’Keefe, B, & Scantlin, R. (2000). Children and Interactive
Media: A Compendium of Current Research and Directions for the Future. http://www.c4group.net/ivhp/bilgibelge/docs/digital_kids.pdf
RESEARCHERS
Kristin Alexander
Dan Anderson
Warren Buckleitner
Sandy Calvert
A.G. Caplovitz
Justine Cassell
Mary Czerwinski
Alison Druin
Sholly Fisch
Howard Gardner
Shuli Gilutz
Patricia Greenfield
Libby Hanna
Dale Kunkel
Debra Lieberman
Rosemary Luckin
L. Medoff
Leonel Morgado
Barbara O’Keefe
Seymour Papert
Lydia Plowman
Glenda Revelle
Kirsten Risden
Donald Roberts
Rhonda Scantlin
Christine Stephen
Erik Strommen
Sherry Turkle
Elizabeth Vandewater
Ellen Wartella
Barbara Wilson
ORGANIZATIONS
Consortium: Children's Digital Media Centers http://www.digital-kids.net/ Research resources from the Children’s Digital Media Centers http://www.digital-kids.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=Downloads&file=index&req=viewdownload&cid=2
Cyberethics for Kids http://www.cybercrime.gov/rules/kidinternet.htm
Dust or Magic Institute. http:/www.dustormagic.com
Kaiser Family Foundation provides reports on entertainment media content, uses
by children and adolescents, and effects http://www.kff.org/entmedia/index.cfm
For example,
Zero to Six: Electronic Media in the Lives of Infants, Toddlers, and Preschoolers
http://www.kff.org/entmedia/3378.cfm
SITES FOR KIDS (From Marcy Prager and Sharla Ogden)
http://www.riverdeep.net/edmark/
Edmark, now Riverdeep, has many products that are excellent early learner programs.
Sammy's Science and Millie's Mathhouse are just two favorites for our PreK students.
The website is well maintained and a great benefit to educators and parents.
I especially like the "Play Online" section that allows almost full
access to the software so a potential user can try before buying.
www.starfall.com
This site is for the pre and emergent reader in assisting with phonics awareness.
The site has both visual and auditory appeal. The site is current and adds topical
activities as needed.
KidPix Deluxe 3
This software is a must for children. Children are able to tap into their own
with this graphics program. They can draw, create stories and slide shows, reinforces
academics, to name a few applications. The practical uses are only limited by
the users, whether educators, parents, or students, own creativity.
www.pbskids.org
PBSKids is a great site for online interaction. Through familiarity with television
shows and characters, this site offers an abundance of interactive learning
opportunities.
"Busy Little Brains" by Enchanted Learning
"I'm Ready for Kindegarten" by Scholastic
"Millie's Math House" by Edmark
"First Thousand Words" (English/Spanish) by Scholastic
"I Spy Junior (English/Spanish) by Scholastic