Tutorial 18

Designing Educational Computer Environments for Children

Allison Druin, NYU Media Research Laboratories
Cynthia Soloman, Educational Multimedia Consultant

Monday, May 8

Objective

Participants will learn about past, present, and emerging educational computer environments for children; various underlying educational theories and practice; and how to use this knowledge to design and prototype new multimedia environments for children.

Content

Participants explore the special challenges and global implications of designing educational computer environments for children. This tutorial begins with a multimedia introduction to past, present, and emerging technologies for children. The afternoon includes a hands-on design session in which elementary school children will join tutorial participants in designing and prototyping a new educational computer environment. Participants will gain a historical perspective on what has been done in this field as well as actual design experience.

Audience

This introductory-level tutorial is for educators and other professionals who are, or would like to be, actively engaged in designing multimedia environments for children. Because the tutorial includes hands-on design sessions with elementary school children, prior experience with children will be helpful.

Presentation

Lecture, video, demonstration, exercises

Instructors

Allison Druin is a researcher and the Director of Educational Programs for NYU's newly formed Media Research Laboratory. For the past 10 years she has been developing educational multimedia environments for children. Cynthia Solomon is known for her work in developing Logo, a programming language and computer culture for children. She has consulted on the design and interaction of computing environments for adults as well as children. Drs. Druin and Solomon are collaborating on Designing Multimedia Environments for Children, a book and CD-ROM based on their CHI tutorial experiences.

Keith Instone / instone@acm.org / 95-01-05