Challenges of deploying a scalable user generated content platform for young people

Thesis (M. Eng.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 2008.Includes bibliographical references (leaf 39).ScratchR, a user generated content management platform, was developed by the Lifelong Kindergarten group at the MIT Media Lab. ScratchR lets users share projects developed with the Scratch programming language. This thesis involves technical improvements made to ScratchR from August 2007 to August 2008. Improvements include the addition of a comment reply system, the improvement of the gallery system, the addition of AJAX functionality, the creation of administration tools and the addition of a peer review system for comments and tags. These features augment the user experience of the Scratch online community by improving usability and by creating a friendlier online learning environment.by Han Xu.M.Eng

Looking BK and Moving FD: Toward a Sociocultural Lens on Learning with Programmable Media

Part of the Volume on Digital Young, Innovation, and the Unexpected This chapter is a look back at ideas about programming as a form of digital media for learning in the mid-1990s to help realize more of the potential of these tools in the future. It presents a close examination of the work of children who became fluent in programming animations, games, and interactive stories using MicroWorlds Logo. A vignette from the creation of a movie remix by African American girls in a culturally relevant school is analyzed. Their work supports a constructionist perspective that children can learn both programming and other subject-matter ideas through creating personally meaningful projects with programmable media. Unexpected from this view is that the children brought practices from living culturally to define and produce their project and that these cultural practices were integral to their learning. Implications are outlined for educators, policy makers, and researchers to use views of culture in learning with programmable media to connect more children to the benefits of these media

Designing for Critical Algorithmic Literacies

As pervasive data collection and powerful algorithms increasingly shape children's experience of the world and each other, their ability to interrogate computational algorithms has become crucially important. A growing body of work has attempted to articulate a set of "literacies" to describe the intellectual tools that children can use to understand, interrogate, and critique the algorithmic systems that shape their lives. Unfortunately, because many algorithms are invisible, only a small number of children develop the literacies required to critique these systems. How might designers support the development of critical algorithmic literacies? Based on our experience designing two data programming systems, we present four design principles that we argue can help children develop literacies that allow them to understand not only how algorithms work, but also to critique and question them

Design for Children’s Playful Learning with Robots

This article presents an investigation of the implications of designing for children’s playful learning with robots. This study was carried out by adopting a Research through Design approach that resulted in the development of a novel low-anthropomorphic robot called Shybo. The article reports the main phases of the project: the preliminary and exploratory research that was carried out to define a list of design requirements; the design of the robot and its supplementary materials for carrying out playful learning experiences; and the evaluation of the project that involved both parents and children. The robot, in fact, was finally tested as part of a two-hour experience that engaged children in activities related to the associations between sounds and colours. The article presents and discusses the results of this evaluation to point out positive aspects of the experience, emerging issues and hints for future works. These are documented to share lessons learned that might be supportive of the general development of children’s playful learning and cognitive experiences with robots

Understanding Children’s Perspectives on Computing: How School Libraries Empower Students Through Technology Infused Curriculum

In the 21st century, libraries are often under scrutiny to determine their value and worth. By aligning the school library curriculum with the goals of the school district through the integration of technology instruction, school libraries will be able to impact student learning and demonstrate the validity of school libraries. Establishing the library as a participatory space for implementing, designing, and creating new ideas and conversations will empower and engage student learners. Blue Ridge CUSD 18 has situated itself as a leader to make these opportunities possible, and it is important to actively research and collaborate to identify the best way to move forward to continue providing students with the skills necessary to use and engage with technology. For many rural districts, being able to provide students with access and resources to engage in a digital world are also vital for providing access and addressing the digital divide. Often rural students are left out of being able to participate online because they lack the resources to connect at home or the district cannot afford the tools necessary to make online engagement possible. As Melissa P. Johnston states, “despite the increase in digital technologies for teaching and learning, scholars still indicated very little inclination to conduct research in this area” (Johnston, “Still Polishing” 27). Therefore, this action research project is part of the larger agenda to highlight how integrating technology into the school library curriculum can impact students. The research adds to the growing area of focus and highlights the library as a jewel of the educational system as school libraries empower learners. At Ruth M. Schneider elementary school, this research was best accomplished by assessing the integration of technology into the library curriculum as the faculty and staff collaborate with the district librarian to develop a technology curriculum map. This effort was supported by the district superintendent, elementary principal, and district curriculum coordinator. The fundamental research question “How does technology integration in rural, elementary school library curriculum impact second grade students?” sought to understand the library as a participatory space for implementing, designing, and creating new ideas and conversations, and to understand the impacts of empowering students as creators. Twenty-seven second grade students self-assessed their engagement and feelings about the library using a pre and post-test model. The research investigated how integrating technology into the school library impacted students. The pre-self-assessment survey was given early in the second semester to second grade students and provided a gauge for how students felt about using technology prior to their experiences during computer instructional time. The second survey, the post-self-assessment, was given during the end of the second semester after the second grade students had engaged with various online tools. The two surveys were compared and analyzed to develop an understanding of children’s perspectives related to students’ computing experiences with computers in the elementary school library. The results determine the impact of computing experiences on student learning, assist rural elementary school librarians in understanding the strengths and weakness of integrating computer instruction into library curriculum, and aid in the development of a standards-based curriculum map.Ope

T4Tags 2.0: a tool to support the serendipitous use of domestic technologies

The authors present an iterative design exploration to support serendipitous uses of technology: quick reconfigurations of the domestic environment to address inhabitants' current needs, whether they are transient and ephemeral or more habitual. As a result of this exploration, the authors developed T4Tags 2.0, an open-ended toolkit for programming Web-connected and versatile physical tokens embedded with different sensing technologies (including near field communication, physical buttons, and motion and environmental sensors) and can be easily integrated with existing artifacts. The design of the toolkit was informed by fieldwork that provided design drivers for domestic technologies that can be repurposed or appropriated through features such as end-user programming of device behavior and crowd-fueled appropriation by sharing "recipes" of programmed tokens. A user study with three families provides insights into system usefulness and the recipe-sharing functionality. The authors also discuss opportunities and challenges, reflecting on the tradeoffs of an open system in terms of user engagement, creative input, and real-world deployment. This article is part of a special issue on domestic pervasive computing.This research has been partially funded by the 2015 UC3M Post-Doc Mobility Scholarship and by the Academy of Finland (286440, Evidence