{"title":"How can AR-enhanced books support early readers? Exploring literacy development through AR design principles","authors":"Yoo Kyung Chang , Jullia Lim , Jordan Burkland","doi":"10.1016/j.ijcci.2024.100701","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijcci.2024.100701","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Early readers go through critical literacy development that have a significant impact on their future reading, academic performance, and lifelong learning. Previous studies have found that AR books designed for literacy development are effective, especially with improved vocabulary and motivation (Cai et al.,2022). Much of AR-enhanced books are not designed with considerations for literacy development. This study extends previous studies by examining whether and how AR-enhanced books may support such critical literacy development through informal, recreational reading. Young readers were observed as they read a set of AR-enhanced books. Their literacy behavior consisting of literacy skills and motivation were analyzed in relation to AR design principles to explore how and when the design principles engaged literacy behavior. Findings show that AR books, even if they are not designed for literacy development, may provide opportunities for engagement and development of literacy skills and motivation. A pattern of relations between literacy behavior, including print concept, vocabulary, interest, and attentional control, and AR design principles were observed. The implications for design and implementation of AR design principles and AR-enhanced books to support different readers is discussed.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38431,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Child-Computer Interaction","volume":"42 ","pages":"Article 100701"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142704509","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ying Xu , Trisha Thomas , Zhixin Li , Monica Chan , Grace Lin , Kate Moore
{"title":"Examining children's perceptions of AI-enabled interactive media characters","authors":"Ying Xu , Trisha Thomas , Zhixin Li , Monica Chan , Grace Lin , Kate Moore","doi":"10.1016/j.ijcci.2024.100700","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijcci.2024.100700","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Young children may develoattachments or perceive realism in television characters due to interactive techniques like faux eye contact and pretend interactions during video watching. As artificial intelligence (AI) advances, the potential for real-time, contingent interactions with characters has emerged, potentially reshaping children's perceptions of these characters as responsive entities. This article presents findings from two experiments conducted as part of a multi-year project aimed at integrating AI into television animation series. In this project, the main characters of the series ask children questions, listen to their responses, and provide responsive feedback. The findings suggest that interactive characters, which engage viewers through contingent dialogues, are perceived as more human-like. Follow-up analyses also revealed that the opportunities for contingent interactions with the media character were the primary reason that drove such perceptions. This study contributes to advancing understanding of the mechanisms underlying children's evolving relationships with interactive media characters, a trend likely to gain prominence in the years to come.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38431,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Child-Computer Interaction","volume":"42 ","pages":"Article 100700"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142578236","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Elin A. Björling , Kung Jin Lee , Jin Ha Lee , Ruican Zhang , Sean Roth , Juan Rubio
{"title":"Designing for Teen Mental Health: An exploration of the co-design of virtual reality in the public library setting","authors":"Elin A. Björling , Kung Jin Lee , Jin Ha Lee , Ruican Zhang , Sean Roth , Juan Rubio","doi":"10.1016/j.ijcci.2024.100693","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijcci.2024.100693","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Teen mental health is in a state of crisis in the United States. One in three adolescents is suffering from a mental health issue and suicide is the third leading cause of death for teens ages 15–24. The demand for mental health resources far outweighs the supply suggesting creative and accessible mental health resources are needed. The public library is a community resource available to all community members and is an ideal location for providing mental health supports. Therefore, in this project, we engaged three, diverse groups of teens (n = 30) in the design and development of a virtual reality environment intended to support teen mental health. Teens from two urban (Seattle and Washington, D.C.) and one rural setting (Texas) participated in a 13-session, after school co-design program led by local library staff. Through these design sessions, we learned that (1) Teens are interested and engaged in talking about their mental health and find nature and animals relaxing and helpful. (2) Teens envision virtual reality (VR) as an environment to help them manage or avoid stress and feelings of overwhelm. (3) As designers, teens enjoy active interaction and the ability to iterate on their designs. (4) VR designs by teens often included being in nature and with animals. These data suggest that virtual reality may be a successful medium and public libraries an appropriate site in which to engage teens in co-design for mental health. More importantly, such programs may offer an invitation to encourage teens to think about and discuss their own mental health.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38431,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Child-Computer Interaction","volume":"42 ","pages":"Article 100693"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142656802","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"User experience testing and co-designing a digital game for broadening participation in computing with and for elementary school children","authors":"Golnaz Arastoopour Irgens , Cinamon Bailey , Tolulope Famaye , Atefeh Behboudi","doi":"10.1016/j.ijcci.2024.100699","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijcci.2024.100699","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Broadening participation in computing is more than providing access to computing for students; it requires reimagining and transforming teaching and learning to be more inclusive and culturally sustaining and it begins with elementary school children. In this study, we report on the fourth cycle of a participatory design-based research project in which researchers and children co-design culturally responsive-sustaining computational learning environments. We conducted user experience testing and co-design sessions with seven children on one level of a game-based learning environment in development. We model children's discourse through Epistemic Network Analysis models to investigate their feedback on character design, game narratives, and introductory activities. Our findings reveal 1) children's positive response to characters with counternarratives and visible intersectional identities in computing, 2) positive and negative experiences and feedback from children on game activities and narratives, and 3) suggestions for improvement.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38431,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Child-Computer Interaction","volume":"42 ","pages":"Article 100699"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142553557","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Cassia Fernandez , João Adriano Freitas , Paulo Blikstein , Roseli de Deus Lopes
{"title":"The design space of visualization tools for data science education: Literature review and framework for future designs","authors":"Cassia Fernandez , João Adriano Freitas , Paulo Blikstein , Roseli de Deus Lopes","doi":"10.1016/j.ijcci.2024.100698","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijcci.2024.100698","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Data science education is a rapidly growing field, motivating the development of several tools aimed at engaging students in data-related activities across all educational levels. Within this landscape, new block-based programming (BBP) environments have been developed to integrate data visualization functionalities. However, the construction of visualizations entails distinct goals and forms of interaction from those typically used in conventional programming, which should be considered in designing those environments. Drawing inspiration from taxonomies within the field of Information Visualization, we derived a framework for the analysis of educational tools in this domain comprising four categories: supported goals, expressiveness, abstraction, and transparency. We situate six existing BBP environments within the design space of the framework and illustrate its application by describing the design of PlayData, a BBP environment developed to address a gap in data visualization tools for young audiences. Our goal is to contribute to a more theoretically grounded discussion on the topic by connecting well-established research on professional tools for data visualization and the design of related educational environments targeted at middle and high school students.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38431,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Child-Computer Interaction","volume":"43 ","pages":"Article 100698"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143139526","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sabiha Yeni , Jacqueline Nijenhuis-Voogt , Mara Saeli , Erik Barendsen , Felienne Hermans
{"title":"Computational thinking integrated in school subjects – A cross-case analysis of students’ experiences","authors":"Sabiha Yeni , Jacqueline Nijenhuis-Voogt , Mara Saeli , Erik Barendsen , Felienne Hermans","doi":"10.1016/j.ijcci.2024.100696","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijcci.2024.100696","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The integration of computational thinking (CT) into K-12 education offers substantial potential to improve digital literacy and deepen students’ understanding across various subject areas. By embedding computational procedures and solution-oriented approaches into traditional curricula, students can develop essential skills that are critical for thriving in an increasingly digital world. However, the effective integration of CT into subject-specific learning poses challenges for educators, largely due to a lack of training and experience in implementing interdisciplinary instructional strategies. This study explores the impact of integrating CT into K-12 education through diverse instructional approaches, including modelling, storytelling, and unplugged activities. The research examines how students' subject knowledge, CT concepts, and practices evolved under each CT integration practice, as well as their acceptance toward CT integrated lessons. The study was conducted in different subjects, including language arts, biology, and physics, and at different grade levels. The technology acceptance model was used as a theoretical framework to understand students' adoption towards the different integration practices. The study revealed that different CT integration practices yield varying impacts on students' attitudes, particularly in relation to their prior programming experiences. Namely, primary school students with prior programming experience display a higher behavioural intention due to a lack of early biases toward programming. Conversely, secondary school students, less familiar with interdisciplinary approaches, initially show less enthusiasm for future engagement. These insights underscore the need for tailored instructional strategies that consider students' prior experiences and the broader goal of preparing them to contribute to a technologically driven society.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38431,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Child-Computer Interaction","volume":"42 ","pages":"Article 100696"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142571862","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Lars Bo Andersen , Ditte Amund Basballe , Lillian Buus , Christian Dindler , Thomas Illum Hansen , Mikkel Hjorth , Ole Sejer Iversen , Christian Mosbæk Johannessen , Katrine Holm Kanstrup , Rasmus Fink Lorentzen , Morten Misfeldt , Line Have Musaeus , Camilla Balslev Nielsen , Marianne Graves Petersen , Vibeke Schrøder , Marie Falkesgaard Slot
{"title":"Infrastructuring digital literacy in K-12 education: A national case study","authors":"Lars Bo Andersen , Ditte Amund Basballe , Lillian Buus , Christian Dindler , Thomas Illum Hansen , Mikkel Hjorth , Ole Sejer Iversen , Christian Mosbæk Johannessen , Katrine Holm Kanstrup , Rasmus Fink Lorentzen , Morten Misfeldt , Line Have Musaeus , Camilla Balslev Nielsen , Marianne Graves Petersen , Vibeke Schrøder , Marie Falkesgaard Slot","doi":"10.1016/j.ijcci.2024.100697","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijcci.2024.100697","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>While much CCI research has dealt with the educational challenge of providing children with knowledge and skills for a digital society, little work has dealt with the strategic challenge of developing and implementing a digital literacy subject in K-12 education. In this paper, we explore how to develop, implement, and sustain a national program on technology comprehension by analyzing the newly established Danish knowledge center for digital technology comprehension. We draw on the concept of infrastructuring to shed light on how to create and sustain the social, material, political and organizational structures that form the basis for introducing the new national initiative. Based on our case, we distill seven propositions that describe more generally how to work strategically with this challenge.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38431,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Child-Computer Interaction","volume":"42 ","pages":"Article 100697"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142720017","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Fran C. Blumberg , Harneet K. Sahni , John D. Randall , Colin Teeter , Rachel Besharat Mann
{"title":"What do children and early adolescents say they do when playing an educational digital game?","authors":"Fran C. Blumberg , Harneet K. Sahni , John D. Randall , Colin Teeter , Rachel Besharat Mann","doi":"10.1016/j.ijcci.2024.100694","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijcci.2024.100694","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>We examined fourth through seventh graders' reported behaviors while playing a digital game and their reflections about those behaviors after playing. Students were randomly assigned to one of three conditions in which participants were to think about what they were learning while playing (metacognitive); about how much they liked the game (affective); or no goal (control condition). Students then were trained to think aloud as they played a coding game for 10 consecutive minutes. Following gameplay, students indicated what they learned and remembered while playing. All comments were coded for reference to cognitive processes, specific game aspects, and participants’ evaluations of the game or their gameplay. Sixth- and seventh-graders outperformed and made more references to cognitive processes than the younger students. Those in the affective condition performed worse than those in the control condition. Seventh graders referenced cognitive processes more than fourth graders during the game. Notably, across all participants reference to rules about how to play the game showed an initial spike and then immediately decreased. Overall, the findings elucidate how pre- and early adolescents may think about their game-based learning, which may inform how they use that learning outside game contexts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38431,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Child-Computer Interaction","volume":"42 ","pages":"Article 100694"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142433414","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Noora Bosch , Tellervo Härkki , Pirita Seitamaa-Hakkarainen
{"title":"Teachers as reflective learning experience designers: Bringing design thinking into school-based design and maker education","authors":"Noora Bosch , Tellervo Härkki , Pirita Seitamaa-Hakkarainen","doi":"10.1016/j.ijcci.2024.100695","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijcci.2024.100695","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>School-based design and maker education foster the acquisition of 21st-century competencies. Teachers play a crucial role in integrating explorative design thinking and digital fabrication into schools; however, gaps remain in designing, implementing, and reflecting on these processes. This research positions teachers as reflective designers of learning experiences. The case study outlines key elements of learning design and explores the implementation of a project tailored for 13-14-year-old students. A thematic, theory- and data-driven analysis examined the challenges and opportunities in the in-situ and post-reflections of the teacher and researcher-teacher <em>(Noora, the first author)</em> on pedagogical practices and the teacher's role. Three intertwined themes emerged: <em>design leader, collaboration and co-teaching, and (co-)reflection</em>. Through (co-)reflections, they structured and led the design process while simultaneously developing their professional skills. The article also advocates for the necessary mindset and skillset of teachers, emphasizing the importance of professional development and collaboration in enhancing the quality of school-based design and maker education. These insights can guide the application and evolution of existing frameworks to assist teachers, researchers, and other facilitators in introducing creative, hands-on learning experiences into formal education.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38431,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Child-Computer Interaction","volume":"43 ","pages":"Article 100695"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143139522","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Beyond school: The role of technology in K-12 students' lives and informal learning","authors":"Sharon Hardof-Jaffe , Meital Amzalag","doi":"10.1016/j.ijcci.2024.100692","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijcci.2024.100692","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The lives of children and teenagers are saturated with digital environments with multi-purpose uses and satisfy various needs. This study aims to expose the significance they attribute to their activities, to find out how these activities meet their needs, and to discuss their relevance to the field of child-computer interaction. The study is based on a qualitative approach, raising the voices of 29 K-12 students. The findings' analysis combined a bottom-up thematic analysis with a top-down analysis based on the Uses and Gratifications Theory. The bottom-up thematic analysis revealed three themes: the centrality of social networks, gaming culture, and new skills across digital platforms. The top-down analysis reveals a new range of present-day uses and gratifications: security needs lead to discretion and different usage modes. The research revealed that using digital environments entails informal learning, ample visual language use, acquisition of knowledge, and identity development.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38431,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Child-Computer Interaction","volume":"42 ","pages":"Article 100692"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142312983","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}