Conference on ‘DESIGNING FOR CHILDREN ‘ @ IIT Powai, Mumbai, February 3rd- 5th 2010

The conference was a special experience which brought together people from varied backgrounds – educators, designers, social activists, environmentalist etc onto a common platform. The 80 papers presented were under the broad categories of:•Development•Environment •Interaction Design•School •Media•Products &•Special Needs

In fact there was a clear division amongst kind of participants present like Individuals with innovative mind Individuals with innovative mind who have put together people to form an organizationPeople representing organizations with clear social goals related to children Technology driven people who have done “some” work related to childrenResearch based Individuals / students

•The varied background of the participants brought together interesting minds with ‘some fun’ ‘some serious’ ‘some controversial’ ‘some highly technical’ - a perfect balance of ideas and concepts showcased all related to children. People present showed their conviction towards the goal of ‘making a difference’ for the children, however big or small.

Prepared by : Bindhu & Ritu, ETD team, A&P.

Design education in schools Use of game as an understanding of content, process, strategy and further development of right and left brain essentially with the advantage of remembering the facts.Use of technology in educationA new perspective towards learning- apart from use of ‘technology’, facilitating new ‘techniques’ to enrich the learning experience.A very useful and adaptable approach to ‘experience learning’, used mostly in the pre and primary school, but found very useful for the ‘differently able ‘children.Research work on a few interesting topics as, mouse stagnation time (tested and tried for small kids, but I found could be tried for the elders in our community for whom computer is as new as a new toy for children!), multiple intelligence theory in teaching, the effort to create ‘one laptop per child’ etc.Most important of all, learning through play can encourage a lifelong love of learning. Be alone, be alongside others, take risks, make mistakes or cooperate as they talk, rehearse their feelings, communicate with others as they investigate or solve problems.Design, innovation, creation, alternative solutions, digitization, interaction was the feel and appeal of the papers presented. The various papers can be accessed at the following link: www.designforchildren/papers.htm

Designing Inclusive & Playful Technologies for Pre-School Children

This research project exhibited the introduction of technology into the early years of curriculum; early findings indicated that when children are able to playfully interact with guidance from a motivated practitioner, autotelic play, non-formal learning and pre-verbal forms of social interaction, such as concentration and turn-taking, improve. Determining a mode of playfulness with technology where input is action-driven without overwhelming the child with complex adaptations, sophisticated imagery, metaphors and semantics has the potential to include all children and ultimately offer a positive introduction to their future uses of Information Communication Technologies

Around the World with HABA, Learning Different Cultures through Music and Movement

experience of learning about a particular culture through active movement.Cultures have been taught for years through music and pictures. If you add dance with music and pictures it is more fun and engaging. When kids are involved in the story and made a part of it, that’s when it gets more interactive and that’s when they start remembering it better.

You Design It A Self Directed Design Workshop for Children “You Design It” is a fun, simple, hands-on method of introducing the essentials of a conventional design process to children or any group of non-designers, regardless of age or artistic talent. Participants will, experience a six step design process and create a fresh new product

AkaarNitee: A Strategy Based Educational Game on VolumeWhile understanding the Secondary School environment, we felt the absence of connection between education and playing. To bridge this gap, a play and learn kit named, ‘AkaarNitee’ is designed and developed. AkaarNitee is a strategy based educational game on volume. With the help of this kit, children will enjoy and develop their ‘logic’ as well as ‘tacit knowledge’ in the domain of volume”.

Clay- Made: enable kids to play and learn as a group using self modeled real world objectsClay made is an experimental design which facilitates collaborative story building through tangible self made toys and animated visuals. Simple modeling clay and interactive animations are brought together to bring kids imagination to life.

AkaarNitee: A Strategy Based Educational Game on VolumeWhile understanding the Secondary School environment, we felt the absence of connection between education and playing. To bridge this gap, a play and learn kit named, ‘AkaarNitee’ is designed and developed. AkaarNitee is a strategy based educational game on volume. With the help of this kit, children will enjoy and develop their ‘logic’ as well as ‘tacit knowledge’ in the domain of volume”.

Clay- Made: enable kids to play and learn as a group using self modeled real world objectsClay made is an experimental design which facilitates collaborative story building through tangible self made toys and animated visuals. Simple modeling clay and interactive animations are brought together to bring kids imagination to life.

Ethnography study to improve a children library called “ Miracle Library’

Design Solution Direction:Issues related to long staying – leaving the read books- a space with some books randomly dumped could prompt children to leave books there after reading. This would facilitate internal book circulation. This is like inducing children’s behavior rather than trying to instruct children to do something.The preference criteria leads to the need of creating a smart bookshelf ( with some visually supported information).Designing playful furnitureIntegrated space for family/parents etc.

Designing Inclusive & Playful technologies for Pre- School Children:Her study, research and findings were based on the meager fact and her belief that “every child is entitled to respect for their own unique combination of qualities and capabilities”.She used the every day technologies ( especially associated with computer) that is : microphone, interactive whiteboard, Wii remote and dance mat and developed a software called ‘Reacticles’ to use all these technologies . The most fascinating and functional aspect of ‘reacticles’ being that it responds in the very same manner irrespective of the ‘qualities and capabilities’ of children.

Designing an Educational website for Children to bring in awareness about environment to through an interesting and engaging way: www.kidsrgreen.org The website’s main features are A monthly e-magazine with a different theme every timeSome hands on activities- with simple game strategies- for example with earth as a spaceship etc.An environmental calendar- with ‘celebrate a day’ concept, where they encourage children to celebrate a day every month for some environmental reason for example: “ feb10- world wetlands day etc.KRG (kids r green) clubGreen giftsGreen games – e.g.: on garbage segregation, ozone etc.

Designing Games for Children

He presented a simple and interesting way to designing games with 3 principle aspects as the pivot for doing so;Chance – this is more suitable for a lower age group. It is also a ‘designed randomness’Skill – includes both physical and mental skillsStrategy – that’s the killer instinct , in fact a lot of critical thinkingAccording to him keeping these three factors on the three points of a triangle : CHANCE

STRATEGYSnakes and ladderLudo Scrabble Looping louis Chess SKILL

reading room for Children: Design and Delivery of an Experiential Learning Model for Children:The books in the reading room are exclusively selected by the team under the following aspects: strong visuals, simply fun, size/shape/color, narrative fun, self awareness, issues, verses, vocabulary, body parts and some just for nonsense!The system seems extremely good and useful in not only creating an interest in books for kids, but also in sustaining their attention, creating flexibility in them, rather than going for looking at just one type of books and looking at books from more than one angle.

At School with Design- Early Explorations in Introducing Design in the Curriculum at The School. Krishnamurthi Foundation of India (KFI), Chennai.the main intention of the course was not just ‘skill development’ but exposure to the outside world and freedom to explore thoughts and ideas. Also to give a directionality to their random thoughts.Deepa it seems got back to some of the children who took the course and are settled in life and asked about the course, they all recommended its being used for various reasons. Hence they are still proposing it being accepted and included in a normal syllabus

Leveraging the Power of Participatory Culture for Awareness among Street children:Mydhili presented a social cause and a possible solution to an ‘invisible’ problem. She and a few of her friends have initiated and are striving to provide some ‘Learning Material’ to the street kids when they come begging to them, those kids whom we very often see and come across in our everyday life!Her main thoughts were around the kind of Info-graphics for these children:Info in a more visual formatSubjects could revolve around – maths- money and street safetyThe design principles:Balanced use of textNot too much constraints &Use of colourThe books should be designed for:Convenient printing and distribution (even by taking from the net!)

Leveraging the Power of Participatory Culture for Awareness among Street children:Mydhili presented a social cause and a possible solution to an ‘invisible’ problem. She and a few of her friends have initiated and are striving to provide some ‘Learning Material’ to the street kids when they come begging to them, those kids whom we very often see and come across in our everyday life!Her main thoughts were around the kind of Info-graphics for these children:Info in a more visual formatSubjects could revolve around – maths- money and street safetyThe design principles:Balanced use of textNot too much constraints &Use of colourThe books should be designed for:Convenient printing and distribution (even by taking from the net!