Designing for Designers: Designing Augmented Reality Tools to Facilitate Youth Ownership

• In Event: 75.043 - Research on Students' Motivation and Learning in Augmented Realities

Abstract

Objectives and Theoretical Framework: Seymour Papert’s theory of constructionism contends that “an individual learns best when making artifacts that can be shared with others and that computers offer privileged ways for children to do so,” (Papert, 1980). In this tradition, prior research around the creation of location-based augmented reality (AR) games suggests their potential to engage and connect students to locally relevant issues (Coulter, Klopfer, Sheldon & Perry 2012). AR Toolkits and related materials allow even novices to author and share their own location-based games. However, “access is not enough” (Resnick & Rusk, 1996) and students must be actively engaged in “developing skills and creative expression with computers.” Furthermore, these opportunities rarely happen in isolation and there is an important role for the facilitator to play in supporting students in “identifying and pursuing their interests,” (Kafai et al., 2009).

Methods and Data Sources: Through ongoing research (NSF AYS #0639638, ITEST #0833663, AISL #1223407), along with collaborations with Global Kids, Inc., investigators have been evaluating the important roles that facilitators, in conjunction with digital tools and curricular resources, play in promoting engagement, creativity and youth voice when making AR games.

Location-based AR games, which are played on mobile devices (e.g., smartphones), allow players to explore real-world locations. Based on their choices and locale, players interact with virtual characters, objects and information in a highly interactive format. For example, a recent youth-created AR game about Jackie Robinson used a baseball-themed game structure in which players interacted with historical figures from Robinson’s life, while exploring the former site of Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, NY, located near the students’ after-school club.

Analysis/Results: The creation of location-based AR games can engage young designers on multiple dimensions, each a potential opportunity for leveraging youth voice (Table 1).

Table 1: AR Game Creation Components
AR Game Creation Component Relevance to Youth Voice
1. Game audience/goal Youth identify target audience and overall goals (e.g., level of challenge, purpose, etc.)
2. Primary game topic Youth brainstorm, select and research game topic
3. Real-world location Youth select real-world location, often locally relevant
4. Real-world/virtual interconnections Youth make close observations of real world, leveraging real world locales
5. Narrative style/genre Youth create overall tone/voice; write content & dialogue
6. Interactivity/game mechanics Youth create interactive gameplay, game structure
7. Media/visual design Youth create audio-visual game components, look and feel
8. Digital implementation Youth implement digital game, master digital toolkit
9. Piloting/revisions Youth pilot/revise games, utilizing peer-reviewed feedback cycle

Significance: This presentation will share outcomes of a qualitative research project focused on understanding challenges and successes faced by facilitators at summer and after-school Global Kids project sites, with a particular focus on ways in which facilitators sought to encourage youth voice across each of the above dimensions, Findings will also highlight ways in which the technical components (TaleBlazer AR editor) and related curriculum were modified to better support the project goals of enabling youth to create meaningful, geolocative interactive games.

Authors

• Judy Perry, The Education Arcade

• Eric D. Klopfer, Massachusetts Institute of Technology