Friday, April 29, 2011
Sandbox Summit: CHANGING THE GAMES WE PLAY: A LOOK AHEAD
Stacey Matthias, Founder and co-CEO, Insight Kids and Insight Research Group
After 2 days of hearing educators, policy makers, designers, marketers, and researchers talk about why tech is so important in 21st century classrooms, playful ways it can help with learning, the difference between well-designed games and not, and how to stay "real" in a virtual world, this presentation sorted and summarized highlights, ideas, controversies, etc.
TRUTH
It’s about ‘time’. Many of our students are leaving school before it’s time. Also about time in that we have 24 hour mobile access. We have no down time. How do we create ‘snack’ time? How do we power down? Concern about time spent on screens, concerned if it’s time well spent. A notion of time compression – of instant gratification and instant reward. Not being able to wait for reward and impact. People want more time to play together. This passion and desire for play endures.
‘I play my way’. No matter what we do in this industry, kids will always play their way. Devices or games might not be designed in the way that kids end up using it. One kid said that his favorite part of a specific game was testing it.
‘The Truth of Boundary Smooshing.’ There is a boundary smoosh between digital and physical worlds. Smooshing boundaries between playing to learn and learning to play, between formal and informal learning, smooshing of content, smoosh of who is the creator and who is the player. The smoosh of roles – who is the teacher and who is the student? What it means to move forward in a learner centered culture smooshes the boundaries of education and how we learn within it.
POSSIBILITY
A teacher in a classroom creates rules and norms, then the students follow those rules. Used ‘Simon Says’ as a simple example. Then used another example ‘the mirror game’ can give us a glimpse of what learning might be like in 20 years.
This is different to Simon Says in that there’s no competition, no interruption, it’s intimate, you need to work with your team member, it’s more creative, you have more control. It’s a moment of mutual expression.
The presenter learned this game working with special needs kids who have autism. Encourages kids to make eye contact and tune in to another person’s body language and movement. Also very powerful for grown-ups in the work environment. Says it’s also a metaphor for the possibilities of where we see technology and learning as we have this ‘boundary smoosh’ between the teacher, the creator, the learner, the user.
What’s the hope for how tech will transform kids lives? Some of the people in this presentation said:
- help transform kids lives
- break down barriers
- support each child’s learning
- to make connections
- to give new opportunities
- to accelerate path to be literate citizens
- to allow them ot be producers, not just learners
- to individualize an adaptive learning
- pursue and deepen their interests and passions
- tech will encourage kids to imagine, create and engage
- improve quality of childhood minutes
- tech will bring kids across the world
- help become more aware of opportunities in their lives and make them happen
- helps them become engaged global thinkers
- become collaborative and creative thinkers
How can we play at the edge of innovation and invention?
What is the pop up book of the future?
How can we help kids favore the savor?
How can we help kids move beyond the screen and into the world?
What will be the next apache and Wikipedia?
How do we create flow experiences for learning?
How do we create a LPS? (learning positioning system?)
How do we make learner centered design feasible on a large scale?
How do we reward kids at school for creativity?
How can gestural interfaces help all kids, including those with disabilities?
How does smart design mitigate the pitfalls of tech?
How do we integrate formal and informal learning?
Mine all this mega data and make meaning from it
How can we close gap between kids parents and schools?
What is the difference between process and product?
How do values manifest in the tech that empowers and eduates kids?
Create the playground of the future?
SUMMARY: As industry leaders, creators, producers we must look to:
Face our fears
Clarify our intentions
Play with passion
Trust yourself and your collaborators.
Trust kids.
After 2 days of hearing educators, policy makers, designers, marketers, and researchers talk about why tech is so important in 21st century classrooms, playful ways it can help with learning, the difference between well-designed games and not, and how to stay "real" in a virtual world, this presentation sorted and summarized highlights, ideas, controversies, etc.
TRUTH
It’s about ‘time’. Many of our students are leaving school before it’s time. Also about time in that we have 24 hour mobile access. We have no down time. How do we create ‘snack’ time? How do we power down? Concern about time spent on screens, concerned if it’s time well spent. A notion of time compression – of instant gratification and instant reward. Not being able to wait for reward and impact. People want more time to play together. This passion and desire for play endures.
‘I play my way’. No matter what we do in this industry, kids will always play their way. Devices or games might not be designed in the way that kids end up using it. One kid said that his favorite part of a specific game was testing it.
‘The Truth of Boundary Smooshing.’ There is a boundary smoosh between digital and physical worlds. Smooshing boundaries between playing to learn and learning to play, between formal and informal learning, smooshing of content, smoosh of who is the creator and who is the player. The smoosh of roles – who is the teacher and who is the student? What it means to move forward in a learner centered culture smooshes the boundaries of education and how we learn within it.
POSSIBILITY
A teacher in a classroom creates rules and norms, then the students follow those rules. Used ‘Simon Says’ as a simple example. Then used another example ‘the mirror game’ can give us a glimpse of what learning might be like in 20 years.
This is different to Simon Says in that there’s no competition, no interruption, it’s intimate, you need to work with your team member, it’s more creative, you have more control. It’s a moment of mutual expression.
The presenter learned this game working with special needs kids who have autism. Encourages kids to make eye contact and tune in to another person’s body language and movement. Also very powerful for grown-ups in the work environment. Says it’s also a metaphor for the possibilities of where we see technology and learning as we have this ‘boundary smoosh’ between the teacher, the creator, the learner, the user.
What’s the hope for how tech will transform kids lives? Some of the people in this presentation said:
- help transform kids lives
- break down barriers
- support each child’s learning
- to make connections
- to give new opportunities
- to accelerate path to be literate citizens
- to allow them ot be producers, not just learners
- to individualize an adaptive learning
- pursue and deepen their interests and passions
- tech will encourage kids to imagine, create and engage
- improve quality of childhood minutes
- tech will bring kids across the world
- help become more aware of opportunities in their lives and make them happen
- helps them become engaged global thinkers
- become collaborative and creative thinkers
How can we play at the edge of innovation and invention?
What is the pop up book of the future?
How can we help kids favore the savor?
How can we help kids move beyond the screen and into the world?
What will be the next apache and Wikipedia?
How do we create flow experiences for learning?
How do we create a LPS? (learning positioning system?)
How do we make learner centered design feasible on a large scale?
How do we reward kids at school for creativity?
How can gestural interfaces help all kids, including those with disabilities?
How does smart design mitigate the pitfalls of tech?
How do we integrate formal and informal learning?
Mine all this mega data and make meaning from it
How can we close gap between kids parents and schools?
What is the difference between process and product?
How do values manifest in the tech that empowers and eduates kids?
Create the playground of the future?
SUMMARY: As industry leaders, creators, producers we must look to:
Face our fears
Clarify our intentions
Play with passion
Trust yourself and your collaborators.
Trust kids.
Sandbox Summit: From Ridiculous to Brilliant
Why We Play At work
Brendan Boyle and Duane Bray, IDEO
IDEO PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN THINKING
- Role Play – Inspirational Play (Inspiration)
- Encourage Ridiculous – Exploration Play (Ideation)
- Think with your hands – Construction Play (implementation)
ROLE PLAY
Asked the presentation group to get into groups of two and draw a portrait of the other in under 30 seconds.
Noticed that drawing is about judging yourself and worried about the ‘tribe’ judging you rather than having fun – kids draw for fun and are not afraid to fail.
These principles focus on how kids like to play. Kids play is based on a set of rules and agreements, experimentation, imagining scenarios. IDEO looks at the ways they can do this also.
A good example of this is the Shopping Cart – IDEO were filmed for 5 days where they had to come up with a solution to a problem that they didn’t know what it was going to be – they didn’t know it was going to be a shopping cart.
Another example was one of their employees where he had to go into hospital for an operation, and he filmed the entire thing. Found the experience was about everyone talking about you as if you weren’t there, and also lack of clarity from the patient about where they were, where they were going to etc. Helped hospital learn about the ‘empathy experience’. These hospitals tried new solutions through role play as a generative exercise.
Relationship between role play and the moderation of it.
During role play, they have ‘asides’ – so they stop during role play, and ask one of the participants what’s going on in their mind at the moment.
ENCOURAGE RIDICULOUS
Used glasses as example – imagine trying people to get used to glasses, when they were first invented? They must have all felt it looked ridiculous.
The Ebb and Flow of Ideas (Dev Patnaik)
The Klutz Book of Inventions (book)
When the going gets tough, the tough get stupid. It’s ok to put yourself towards stupid ideas.
Used examples of making parking tickets more fun (make it a scratch card) , and umbrellas (a helium umbrella).
The Mash Up
In this presentation they asked the group to get into teams of two, write down 5-10 things you find in your junk draw. Then combine those items to come up with some ideas for new products.
The concept of the underarm roll on deodorant was the inspiration for the first computer mouse.
The average firs grader spends 50% of their time engaged in construction play.
Collaborative process is important to IDEO.
PARTING THOUGHTS
1. The playspace – is it a safe environment to innovate in? IDEO demonstrated a VW van as an example of a use of meeting space that is creative. Cultivated a nice atmosphere.
2. Tried to use space – giving people permission to be creative. IDEO has project rooms so they can build and decorate those project spaces in that environment. Makes the room their own.
3. Devices to spur team members on – for example they had a ‘let’s be reasonable’ matrix to evaluate how reasonable they were or were not! Tools to inspire new forms of interactions.
Sandbox Summit: Design for Fun
What makes a Good Game, and a Game GoodDrew Davidson, Ph.D. (waxebb.com)
Director, Entertainment Technology Center – Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University
He is interested in in-depth ‘close reading’ of games to provide thorough critique and analysis, and capturing the gameplay experience. In addition, it better finds meaning and value. Through this process finds the true value of a game.
Presentation focus:
MINECRAFT – A SNACKABLE INDIE SANDBOX
http://www.minecraft.net/
Winner of a bucketload of awards at GDC this year.
Minecraft procedurally generates worlds. You start a world, and start a day in this world. You can join local servers and have friends play together in this game.
Create a crafting table to gain the ability to have a bigger crafting area, therefore better ability to make.
Varieties of Game Play
How do you measure where you are in your gameplay experience?
Involvement – at a certain point you are just involved in a game. If you can’t hook someone at this level you’ve lost them already.
Immersion – you don’t think about controls, it’s more about ‘doing’
Investment – you cross the line and wan to have a successful completion in this game experience.
Narrative – often like to look at the narrative. We make sense of the world by telling stories about our experienced. This applies to games.
Is it even a game? Yes - because you have to survive (there are zombies at night!)
Minecraft is about creativity and survival. You need to survive. It’s about what you want to do in this world, figure out your own project.
Minecraft is also very snackable, easy to play in short bites.
In this game, there’s 10 minutes of day time, 1.5 mins of sunset, 7 mins of night and 1.5 mins of sunrise.
The game was made by Markus Perrson, made it by himself. He built it publicly to get public feedback. Offered pre-order to testers. He’s now gone to BETA, hired a team of friends, now has 2 million pre-orders. You can play it for free by yourself but pay if you want to do multi player.
Community support via Minepedia and Mods. There’s also a ‘minepedia’ completely created by the community.
Developer has also opened up API for free so people can mod it from the ground up. The code is free – but with the condition that he’ll put cool stuff he likes in his game (eg. Texture packs)
Game is available on PC and Mac. It’s PC game style, old school gameplay boiling down to the core essence of RPGs.
What is Snackable?
- convenient and easy
- time easy
- complete play experience
- reduction of friction into
your life.
What is Post Secret?
- we are in a SPOILER driven culture
- You have to actively avoid things to keep a secret in a game or movie these days.
- Fits into the social networking hemisphere.
What is Literacy and Mastery?
- how people take control of and have ownership of games
- Minecraft was fascinating in terms of development – one guy, developed with the community and he’s made a fortune.
- How does it add up to an experience that has value?
How can we as producers leverage this open source code to find ways to create educational gameplay experiences through minecraft?
Sandbox Summit: The Future of Learning
Diana Rhoten
Cofounder and Managing Editor, Startl
Cited the movie Waiting for Superman that follows five families and their quest to get into better education through the state lottery process.
Says it’s hard to argue with the message and intent of the movie. However she does argue that it’s unimaginative and derivative of the solutions that it offers.
At Startl they’re trying to reframe the problem from one that is about reforming schooling to one that re-imagines the notion of education and learning.
Assumptions and Aspirations
She says solutions are not going to come from policy alone. Facing a design challenge. Solutions will come from environments and rooms, new ideas and new approaches.
Assumption 1 –
Future of education is about learning, not schooling. Needs to be rephrased to think about learning as anywhere, anytime. Retool education with a variety of new models and approaches, like the game initiative ‘Vanished’.
Assumption 2 –
We believe technology has a critical role in the future but it’s not a means to an end.
Concept of technology as being important to schooling is not new. Most recent technologies have been about improving the efficiency of schooling rather than the efficacy of learning. They are thinking about the learning.
Assumption 3 –
Power of tech to advance learning really depends on the context and the practice of use. Don’t believe technology is ever the silver bullet. Tech is a tool and it’s effect on learning depends on the people that use them, how the use them and where they use them.
Just as we design new tech we also design new contexts for those techs.
Aspirations:
1. Want to be disruptive and shock the system. Bring to life concrete real life examples of what the future could look like.
2. See their work as taking place on the edge – where the risk of failure and the opportunity for success are most allowable.
3. They want to work with thinkers, doers, makers and movers beyond the usual suspects. Recruit talented people who may not have necessarily seen themselves in this education system.
Technology and Theory
Tech will revolutionize education – this has been known since the 70s. Yet in schools there is still little evidence of a structural revolution in terms of tech.
The theories that people have about learning are grounded in what it means to be educated and skilled – in her opinion much of this is influenced by behaviorism and cognitivism. Believe knowledge is external and objective, that students should learn the same knowledge in the same amount of time, with standard models. This basic model has not changed.
How do we make it a learner centric model? This would involve interaction, exploration, collaboration and co-production. They look for products on the market that support this concept. Help learners become producers and not just consumers of information and knowledge.
At Startl, they want to focus on tech and the theory that can lead to change the way we approach education in this country. What does it mean to be knowledgeable in the 21st Century?
Haven’t come up with a framework for where education is headed.
Quoted: It is the framework that changes with new technology and not just the picture of the frame.
Programs and Products
Valley of Death in education. Traversing this valley requires talent to fuel promising innovations.
What do they want to explore?
- Play and learning through interaction
- Products that are learning rich and market smart.
- Help support entrepreneurs as they develop their products.
Partnered with IDEO, DreamIT, Sundance to help figure out business models and strategies for emerging businesses.
IDEO is their ‘design boost’, DreamIT is their ‘acecelerator’, Sundance becomes the ‘broker, tastemaker’.
They run a variety of showcases that companies can apply to – they focus on companies they consider to be smart capital. Sundance, through it’s channel has offered a variety of distribution pathways. How can they go direct to the learner and get around old ‘channels’ such as book publishers?
Also engaging with youth become platform testers. Eg. New Youth City learning Network.
Examples of products that have come out recently
Mind Snacks - multiplatform learning games
Toontastic - enables young kids to have an interactive experience about play and narrative, but also teaches about arc of narrative and storytelling.
Project Noah - a mobile tool that professionals and amateurs use to explore in a fun way their local habitat and wildlife.
Cofounder and Managing Editor, Startl
Cited the movie Waiting for Superman that follows five families and their quest to get into better education through the state lottery process.
Says it’s hard to argue with the message and intent of the movie. However she does argue that it’s unimaginative and derivative of the solutions that it offers.
At Startl they’re trying to reframe the problem from one that is about reforming schooling to one that re-imagines the notion of education and learning.
Assumptions and Aspirations
She says solutions are not going to come from policy alone. Facing a design challenge. Solutions will come from environments and rooms, new ideas and new approaches.
Assumption 1 –
Future of education is about learning, not schooling. Needs to be rephrased to think about learning as anywhere, anytime. Retool education with a variety of new models and approaches, like the game initiative ‘Vanished’.
Assumption 2 –
We believe technology has a critical role in the future but it’s not a means to an end.
Concept of technology as being important to schooling is not new. Most recent technologies have been about improving the efficiency of schooling rather than the efficacy of learning. They are thinking about the learning.
Assumption 3 –
Power of tech to advance learning really depends on the context and the practice of use. Don’t believe technology is ever the silver bullet. Tech is a tool and it’s effect on learning depends on the people that use them, how the use them and where they use them.
Just as we design new tech we also design new contexts for those techs.
Aspirations:
1. Want to be disruptive and shock the system. Bring to life concrete real life examples of what the future could look like.
2. See their work as taking place on the edge – where the risk of failure and the opportunity for success are most allowable.
3. They want to work with thinkers, doers, makers and movers beyond the usual suspects. Recruit talented people who may not have necessarily seen themselves in this education system.
Technology and Theory
Tech will revolutionize education – this has been known since the 70s. Yet in schools there is still little evidence of a structural revolution in terms of tech.
The theories that people have about learning are grounded in what it means to be educated and skilled – in her opinion much of this is influenced by behaviorism and cognitivism. Believe knowledge is external and objective, that students should learn the same knowledge in the same amount of time, with standard models. This basic model has not changed.
How do we make it a learner centric model? This would involve interaction, exploration, collaboration and co-production. They look for products on the market that support this concept. Help learners become producers and not just consumers of information and knowledge.
At Startl, they want to focus on tech and the theory that can lead to change the way we approach education in this country. What does it mean to be knowledgeable in the 21st Century?
Haven’t come up with a framework for where education is headed.
Quoted: It is the framework that changes with new technology and not just the picture of the frame.
Programs and Products
Valley of Death in education. Traversing this valley requires talent to fuel promising innovations.
What do they want to explore?
- Play and learning through interaction
- Products that are learning rich and market smart.
- Help support entrepreneurs as they develop their products.
Partnered with IDEO, DreamIT, Sundance to help figure out business models and strategies for emerging businesses.
IDEO is their ‘design boost’, DreamIT is their ‘acecelerator’, Sundance becomes the ‘broker, tastemaker’.
They run a variety of showcases that companies can apply to – they focus on companies they consider to be smart capital. Sundance, through it’s channel has offered a variety of distribution pathways. How can they go direct to the learner and get around old ‘channels’ such as book publishers?
Also engaging with youth become platform testers. Eg. New Youth City learning Network.
Examples of products that have come out recently
Mind Snacks - multiplatform learning games
Toontastic - enables young kids to have an interactive experience about play and narrative, but also teaches about arc of narrative and storytelling.
Project Noah - a mobile tool that professionals and amateurs use to explore in a fun way their local habitat and wildlife.
Sandbox Summit: Vanished // Update on the Curated Game
Caitlin Feeley, and Dana Tenneson
Vanished
https://vanished.mit.edu/
Game that advertized some kind of mystery to create anticipation. The anticipation was a video of three MIT middle school students who introduced themselves. In the background of the video, every once in a while some letters appear that the students are oblivious to. The students talk about how their game has been hacked and they need help to fix it.
The video guided people to a forum called ‘hacking forum’ to figure out what happened to the game. Kids had to decipher a code to get to the next level.
It was interesting to see how kids collaborated – a lot of it was the process of being a scientist – data collection, processing and interpretation.
In this game example, a minimum of 99 people were needed as there were 99 parts to the message. However thousands actually got involved. The idea was that there was a message from the future asking to help the kids figure out what happened to civilization during ‘The Epoch’.
There were group challenges – eg. Calibrating units:
- distance
- temperature
- latitude and longitude
The message from the future asked them to translate these units in to units that are used in the future – so kids needed to figure out some complex mathematics, which they did. They were also asked to figure out why it appears to have been cooler in the ffuture and hypothesized about reasons for other environmental changes that had taken place.
How did kids who didn’t already have scientific concepts down pat play this game?
MIT students were on hand to help assist, provide clues. At Smithsonian there were also experts on hand to help guide them through concepts. In addition, there were video chats available with Smithsonian Scientists as well as flash games to help educate.
Where are the kids right now in the game?
They are now a month into the game. Kids have recently discovered an asteroid strike caused the Epoch – and now figuring out why it couldn’t have been stopped, and where the crater might have actually hit on the earth.
Next broadcast from the future is May 4th.
Vanished
https://vanished.mit.edu/
Game that advertized some kind of mystery to create anticipation. The anticipation was a video of three MIT middle school students who introduced themselves. In the background of the video, every once in a while some letters appear that the students are oblivious to. The students talk about how their game has been hacked and they need help to fix it.
The video guided people to a forum called ‘hacking forum’ to figure out what happened to the game. Kids had to decipher a code to get to the next level.
It was interesting to see how kids collaborated – a lot of it was the process of being a scientist – data collection, processing and interpretation.
In this game example, a minimum of 99 people were needed as there were 99 parts to the message. However thousands actually got involved. The idea was that there was a message from the future asking to help the kids figure out what happened to civilization during ‘The Epoch’.
There were group challenges – eg. Calibrating units:
- distance
- temperature
- latitude and longitude
The message from the future asked them to translate these units in to units that are used in the future – so kids needed to figure out some complex mathematics, which they did. They were also asked to figure out why it appears to have been cooler in the ffuture and hypothesized about reasons for other environmental changes that had taken place.
How did kids who didn’t already have scientific concepts down pat play this game?
MIT students were on hand to help assist, provide clues. At Smithsonian there were also experts on hand to help guide them through concepts. In addition, there were video chats available with Smithsonian Scientists as well as flash games to help educate.
Where are the kids right now in the game?
They are now a month into the game. Kids have recently discovered an asteroid strike caused the Epoch – and now figuring out why it couldn’t have been stopped, and where the crater might have actually hit on the earth.
Next broadcast from the future is May 4th.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Analysis: What's so special about Sony's massive data breach?
Via Reuters:
"The hacking of Sony Corp's PlayStation Network has earned a place in the annals of Internet crime.
That's partly because of the massive size of the data breach -- information about 77 million customer accounts was stolen. It is also because Sony bothered to disclose the attack at all.
The bulk of attacks on corporate and governmental computer networks go unreported because victims want to avoid the embarrassment and public scrutiny that come with acknowledging that their systems have been hacked."
Sandbox Summit: WHERE THE WIRED THINGS ARE: A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A MODERN FAMILY
WHERE THE WIRED THINGS ARE: A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A MODERN FAMILY
Vanessa Van Petten, Youthologist and Author
Website: Radical Parenting – a website for parents written by kids.
- Her website has 120 teen interns.
- Created term ‘Youthology’ – aggregate the best studies from around the world, - translate into bite sized pieces to give to parents, educators and educators.
What technology do her readers find has most changed family routine? These were based on reader submissions, here were some of the common devices / sites mentioned.
MORNING
- sites like relishrelish.com (meal planner and tracker).
- Facebook, Twitter for checking updates
- Xbox – incorporating games during daily routine
- Skype
- SmartPhones (reading updates, watch videos, play games).
- iKibble (tracks pet food, meds etc)
- Zimride app for car pools
- Everyone checks their PlumLife! It’s a family online management system. Even sends out individual schedule notices such as ‘take out the trash’
AFTER SCHOOL
- RedRover or Skype Playdate (RedRover is an app that lets school families notify if you want to have a playdate).
- Virtual Worlds and games
- Drawing or playing on phone or iPad.
- Tech is also changing religious endeavours (eg. Bar Mitzvah with cantor in other states)
- TeacherTube / Khan Academy to help with homework.
- SAT prep via Adapster (vocab tracker)
- Tigertext is very popular amongst tweens – as soon as text is received it’s deleted after 4 minutes from BOTH phones.
- Some moms use SticKK – if you don’t achieve your goals you need to pay money to charity.
- WebMD.
- Texting (used examples of texting a child that dinner is ready so they didn’t have to scream)
- iGuardian is an app that tracks your child’s driving and sends reports back to parents.
- iCurfew is a similar app – but once you get to a location it sends the location automatically to your parents.
AFTER DINNER
- play Wii or Kinect
- use rottentomatoes to check out ratings for movies.
- Set up a ‘Synch-Tube’ - Chatting alongside watching vides –
- RunPee.com – tells you the best time to go to the toilet during a movie.
BEDTIME
- bedtime stories app
- skype (for family members away from home)
SOME FACEBOOK FACTS
60% of people stalk crushes
40% decide not to date someone if profile not cool
21% would break up with someone by changing facebook status
10% of people have been dumped over facebook.
Many people loved ex-blocker – an app that removes all mentions of your ex from facebook!
HOW THE DIGITAL DAY IS CHANGING US
The Good:
- ease and efficiency
- access
- help
- connectivity
- new kind of family together time.
The Bad:
- no off-time
- less mind wandering (daydreaming time)
- no boundaries – no off time between social life, home life and school life.
- Insomnia – kids text in the middle of the night. Average of 34 texts after bedtime.
- Kids are having trouble defining the difference between quality connections vs quantity (no undersanding value of ‘true’ friends vs ‘technology-made’ friends)
- Studies showed the more screen-time, there were more feelings reported of sadness and negativity. Online, they feel like they are connecting but there is nothing of substance being said. Compared it to cotton candy!
- Social illiteracy and miscues – need to teach social and digital literacy. Social miscues are astounding .
- New social cues – referred it to ‘flirting’ vs ‘e-flirting’.
WHAT WE CAN DO
- design digital play to be more enduring – need to work at it.
- Digital literacy must be taught alongside social literacy
- Help bring back boundaries and balance:
o Sleep should stay precious. Keep devices downstairs.
o No Electronic Zones (eg dining room) and Awesome Electronic Zones (eg play room).
o No Electronic Times and Creative Electronic Times.
- use and make technology that is imaginative and interactive (cited geo-caching), games that are online/real life back and forth, creating your own rules with the device, hide and seek apps.
- parent integration and spaces for parental involvement.
Vanessa Van Petten, Youthologist and Author
Website: Radical Parenting – a website for parents written by kids.
- Her website has 120 teen interns.
- Created term ‘Youthology’ – aggregate the best studies from around the world, - translate into bite sized pieces to give to parents, educators and educators.
What technology do her readers find has most changed family routine? These were based on reader submissions, here were some of the common devices / sites mentioned.
MORNING
- sites like relishrelish.com (meal planner and tracker).
- Facebook, Twitter for checking updates
- Xbox – incorporating games during daily routine
- Skype
- SmartPhones (reading updates, watch videos, play games).
- iKibble (tracks pet food, meds etc)
- Zimride app for car pools
- Everyone checks their PlumLife! It’s a family online management system. Even sends out individual schedule notices such as ‘take out the trash’
AFTER SCHOOL
- RedRover or Skype Playdate (RedRover is an app that lets school families notify if you want to have a playdate).
- Virtual Worlds and games
- Drawing or playing on phone or iPad.
- Tech is also changing religious endeavours (eg. Bar Mitzvah with cantor in other states)
- TeacherTube / Khan Academy to help with homework.
- SAT prep via Adapster (vocab tracker)
- Tigertext is very popular amongst tweens – as soon as text is received it’s deleted after 4 minutes from BOTH phones.
- Some moms use SticKK – if you don’t achieve your goals you need to pay money to charity.
- WebMD.
- Texting (used examples of texting a child that dinner is ready so they didn’t have to scream)
- iGuardian is an app that tracks your child’s driving and sends reports back to parents.
- iCurfew is a similar app – but once you get to a location it sends the location automatically to your parents.
AFTER DINNER
- play Wii or Kinect
- use rottentomatoes to check out ratings for movies.
- Set up a ‘Synch-Tube’ - Chatting alongside watching vides –
- RunPee.com – tells you the best time to go to the toilet during a movie.
BEDTIME
- bedtime stories app
- skype (for family members away from home)
SOME FACEBOOK FACTS
60% of people stalk crushes
40% decide not to date someone if profile not cool
21% would break up with someone by changing facebook status
10% of people have been dumped over facebook.
Many people loved ex-blocker – an app that removes all mentions of your ex from facebook!
HOW THE DIGITAL DAY IS CHANGING US
The Good:
- ease and efficiency
- access
- help
- connectivity
- new kind of family together time.
The Bad:
- no off-time
- less mind wandering (daydreaming time)
- no boundaries – no off time between social life, home life and school life.
- Insomnia – kids text in the middle of the night. Average of 34 texts after bedtime.
- Kids are having trouble defining the difference between quality connections vs quantity (no undersanding value of ‘true’ friends vs ‘technology-made’ friends)
- Studies showed the more screen-time, there were more feelings reported of sadness and negativity. Online, they feel like they are connecting but there is nothing of substance being said. Compared it to cotton candy!
- Social illiteracy and miscues – need to teach social and digital literacy. Social miscues are astounding .
- New social cues – referred it to ‘flirting’ vs ‘e-flirting’.
WHAT WE CAN DO
- design digital play to be more enduring – need to work at it.
- Digital literacy must be taught alongside social literacy
- Help bring back boundaries and balance:
o Sleep should stay precious. Keep devices downstairs.
o No Electronic Zones (eg dining room) and Awesome Electronic Zones (eg play room).
o No Electronic Times and Creative Electronic Times.
- use and make technology that is imaginative and interactive (cited geo-caching), games that are online/real life back and forth, creating your own rules with the device, hide and seek apps.
- parent integration and spaces for parental involvement.
Sandbox Summit: PERMISSION TO PLAY: GAME CHANGING RESEARCH
PERMISSION TO PLAY: GAME CHANGING RESEARCH
Jane Gould, Senior Vice President, Consumer Insights, Nickelodeon
Started out wanting to know what the state of play was with parents and kids.
Went into this research knowing that Nickelodeon are not play experts, they are kid and family experts.
First went to experts, then went into 200 households across the country. Spent entire days at each of these moments to note down everyday moments. Then quantified what the saw with 1300 households around the country.
PLAY ACROSS THE AGES
Wanted to compare how play was when the parents were growing up. Play across different ages of kids (2-17)
Takeaways was that time has in fact changed play. Does not look like what it used to. However play looks different but it doesn’t mean it’s different and ‘bad’.
Academic play patterns haven’t changed. Six basic academic patterns remain the same:
– social play
– Attunement
– body movement
– imiagination
– object play
– narrative.
It’s true - girls want to nurture, boys want to destroy. This is indeed the cas.e Girls wasn’t to care for babies, flowers, cooperation etc. Boys want to kill, domination, competition ‘a matter of life and death!’
Parents feel their play as a kid was different.
Eg. 72% parents often say it’s more dangerous to play outside then they were young
Competitive play has changed – used to be seasonal , skill development, team work. Speaking to sports coaches, hear about year-round activities, time intenstive obligation, future plans, adult dominated. Now they understand why ‘silent soccer league’ had been created.
KIDS LIKE TO PLAY
Play is incredibly fundamental. Kids like it, want to do more of it. But kept hearing it’s not as easy as it sounds. Many barriers to what kids think of as ‘play’.
This is a generation of non-linear kids. Everything can be re-done, started, stopped, paused. You can come into games at any point and participate the way you choose to.
Changes in play observed by adults are just reality for kids and this reality is filled with excitement for them.
The old saying of ‘a time and a place for everything’ really doesn’t exist anymore for play – it is all the time, it is available any time.
Is play actually fun? Their qualatitive research say it is!
Most popular types for parents:
1. fun
2. social
3. challenging
4. problem solving
Kids wish they didn’t have to plan ahead to have time to play with friends. They want more spontaneous, kid-directed play. Kids prefer to play something where they get to make up the rules or instructions, rather than playing something that already has rules or instructions.
Kids want more outdoor play. 69% kids would prefer to playoutside over play inside. 85% kids love or like play where they get to be outside . 49% of kids agree if they could, they would always play outside.
FORCES AGAINST PLAY
Adult focus on purpose and outcomes – experts and parents all believe that all play must have a purpose. However most kids believe that purpose is the antithesis of play. For kids the process is the desired outcome.
More than half of all parents agree there’s too much focus on learning during play, kids should just get to have fun.
Schools are giving less time to and emphasis on play. Parents are looking to institutions to fix things for them and schools came up in research again and again. Government and schools are de-prioritizing play. Obsessing over standardized tests, and funding that is granted as a result.
Time bankruptcy: there’s more homework, increased curricular activities, ruse of dual earner and single parent households. Parents schedules are a bigger obastacle than kids. While 34% parents say that kids are too busy so playimte needs to be scheduled, but they mostly all agree it should NOT be scheduled.
Neighborhood erosion:
Fear and safety are a prime concern for kids. Protecting your child means play tie is not as free and easy as it used to be. More parental supervision so therefore less playtime, more time spent being locked in the house.
Adults being the Play Police:
More often than not, parents tend to have a negative impact on play – over prescribing, over scheduling, over thinking. Educators are too focused on test scores. Coaches pressure kids to win at all costs. 70% parents say structured play with rules of guidelines to follow keep kids out of danger.
Parents do see a need for child-directed opportunities. There’s no need for expensive and specialty toys. Yet parents still crave learning outcomes from play. For kids, purpose is process and outcome is bonus.
TECHNOLOGY AS FRIEND AND FOE
Technology is both the unifier and the divider. It’s the ultimate snack-sized play.
The link between virtual and physical play is always sought but finally close to being delivered. This is the moment when it’s all coming together.
It’s very clear that both kids and parents are drawn to tech based play. Parents lack clarity in knowing when tech based play is good or bad – they want help and want to know more about the rules on how to guide.
The moment has come where tech and digital play has saturdated kids lives, more likely than to be done than any physical activity. 91& kids play some kind of video games regularly. 78% kids play some type of physical game regularly.
Tech devices serve many roles for kids and parents. Devices are used by parents as a babysitter, a pacifier. Pass-back. Parents know they’ve done it from an informed place – they know what the child is about to play.
For kids it helps kids and tweens stay connected with each other, perfect for solitary or group enjoyment.
But parents do have love / hate relationship. Parents told research they prefer kids to play in traditional play activities. They say they set rules around amount of digital play. But what they also tell research is that kids don’t know how to entertain themselves without technology or media. For parents, video games don’t count as ‘real play’.
Many parents used a term called ‘play play’ – parents say technology doesn’t allow for ‘play play’ to happen.
Self-guided play is taking a back-seat to scripted play. A memory of what parents did when they were young vs what kids are doing now. Parents are not seeing how creative a kid needs to be to survive in that world is key.
FAMILY PLAY
All family play is important to parents. Taking the time to family play is often more thought about than acted upon.
Today’s parents play more with their kids than with previous generations.
Parents and kids value family play – 56% say playing with parents is just as fun as playing with friends.
According to parents important play companions are first, then playing with family is important. This is also for kids – this research was up to the age of 17.
There are different types of parent play. Parents and kids versions of play can be different. Parents often ‘half play’. Encouragement can also lead to pressure.
Board games are still at the heart of family play. Parents and kids still want to interact. Then it’s different types of play with different types of family members.
Mom and dad are definitely different – mom is the connector, the social co-ordinator, the moderator, the care giver. Dad is the buddy, the techy, the coach, the softie. Research showed that moms are never the first point for fun!
There’s a desire for more parent, whole family and grandparent play. This is across the board in research.
THE PLAY BOOK
Parents and experts are worried:
- will imagination be a thing of the past?
- Will kids get and be more obese?
- Will brains fry with too much screen time
- How to fit in more family play?
- How do we get them outside
- How do we keep kids safe?
- How can kids take back control of play?
Play as fun
- too much focused on structured activities
- too many easy go-to activities that are not productive
- outdoor time lacking
- not enough interactivity and imagination.
Consumer needs
- opportunities for kids direction
- real world experiences
- healthier options
- creative expression
- more family connections
- ability to be transformed
- immediate gratification
- more merging of reality and digital
OPPORTUNITY
Take benefits of digital structured world of play. Bring it together with traditional unstructured play to take advantage of what’s needed for this kids. How to push these two things together?
THE PERFECT PLAY EXPERIENCE
- Physical activity
- Involvement of whole family
- Kids to call the shots and use imagination
- Connect to larger world
- Ease of use
- Safety
- Physical social emotional or creative benefits
- Needs to be fun.
Jane Gould, Senior Vice President, Consumer Insights, Nickelodeon
Started out wanting to know what the state of play was with parents and kids.
Went into this research knowing that Nickelodeon are not play experts, they are kid and family experts.
First went to experts, then went into 200 households across the country. Spent entire days at each of these moments to note down everyday moments. Then quantified what the saw with 1300 households around the country.
PLAY ACROSS THE AGES
Wanted to compare how play was when the parents were growing up. Play across different ages of kids (2-17)
Takeaways was that time has in fact changed play. Does not look like what it used to. However play looks different but it doesn’t mean it’s different and ‘bad’.
Academic play patterns haven’t changed. Six basic academic patterns remain the same:
– social play
– Attunement
– body movement
– imiagination
– object play
– narrative.
It’s true - girls want to nurture, boys want to destroy. This is indeed the cas.e Girls wasn’t to care for babies, flowers, cooperation etc. Boys want to kill, domination, competition ‘a matter of life and death!’
Parents feel their play as a kid was different.
Eg. 72% parents often say it’s more dangerous to play outside then they were young
Competitive play has changed – used to be seasonal , skill development, team work. Speaking to sports coaches, hear about year-round activities, time intenstive obligation, future plans, adult dominated. Now they understand why ‘silent soccer league’ had been created.
KIDS LIKE TO PLAY
Play is incredibly fundamental. Kids like it, want to do more of it. But kept hearing it’s not as easy as it sounds. Many barriers to what kids think of as ‘play’.
This is a generation of non-linear kids. Everything can be re-done, started, stopped, paused. You can come into games at any point and participate the way you choose to.
Changes in play observed by adults are just reality for kids and this reality is filled with excitement for them.
The old saying of ‘a time and a place for everything’ really doesn’t exist anymore for play – it is all the time, it is available any time.
Is play actually fun? Their qualatitive research say it is!
Most popular types for parents:
1. fun
2. social
3. challenging
4. problem solving
Kids wish they didn’t have to plan ahead to have time to play with friends. They want more spontaneous, kid-directed play. Kids prefer to play something where they get to make up the rules or instructions, rather than playing something that already has rules or instructions.
Kids want more outdoor play. 69% kids would prefer to playoutside over play inside. 85% kids love or like play where they get to be outside . 49% of kids agree if they could, they would always play outside.
FORCES AGAINST PLAY
Adult focus on purpose and outcomes – experts and parents all believe that all play must have a purpose. However most kids believe that purpose is the antithesis of play. For kids the process is the desired outcome.
More than half of all parents agree there’s too much focus on learning during play, kids should just get to have fun.
Schools are giving less time to and emphasis on play. Parents are looking to institutions to fix things for them and schools came up in research again and again. Government and schools are de-prioritizing play. Obsessing over standardized tests, and funding that is granted as a result.
Time bankruptcy: there’s more homework, increased curricular activities, ruse of dual earner and single parent households. Parents schedules are a bigger obastacle than kids. While 34% parents say that kids are too busy so playimte needs to be scheduled, but they mostly all agree it should NOT be scheduled.
Neighborhood erosion:
Fear and safety are a prime concern for kids. Protecting your child means play tie is not as free and easy as it used to be. More parental supervision so therefore less playtime, more time spent being locked in the house.
Adults being the Play Police:
More often than not, parents tend to have a negative impact on play – over prescribing, over scheduling, over thinking. Educators are too focused on test scores. Coaches pressure kids to win at all costs. 70% parents say structured play with rules of guidelines to follow keep kids out of danger.
Parents do see a need for child-directed opportunities. There’s no need for expensive and specialty toys. Yet parents still crave learning outcomes from play. For kids, purpose is process and outcome is bonus.
TECHNOLOGY AS FRIEND AND FOE
Technology is both the unifier and the divider. It’s the ultimate snack-sized play.
The link between virtual and physical play is always sought but finally close to being delivered. This is the moment when it’s all coming together.
It’s very clear that both kids and parents are drawn to tech based play. Parents lack clarity in knowing when tech based play is good or bad – they want help and want to know more about the rules on how to guide.
The moment has come where tech and digital play has saturdated kids lives, more likely than to be done than any physical activity. 91& kids play some kind of video games regularly. 78% kids play some type of physical game regularly.
Tech devices serve many roles for kids and parents. Devices are used by parents as a babysitter, a pacifier. Pass-back. Parents know they’ve done it from an informed place – they know what the child is about to play.
For kids it helps kids and tweens stay connected with each other, perfect for solitary or group enjoyment.
But parents do have love / hate relationship. Parents told research they prefer kids to play in traditional play activities. They say they set rules around amount of digital play. But what they also tell research is that kids don’t know how to entertain themselves without technology or media. For parents, video games don’t count as ‘real play’.
Many parents used a term called ‘play play’ – parents say technology doesn’t allow for ‘play play’ to happen.
Self-guided play is taking a back-seat to scripted play. A memory of what parents did when they were young vs what kids are doing now. Parents are not seeing how creative a kid needs to be to survive in that world is key.
FAMILY PLAY
All family play is important to parents. Taking the time to family play is often more thought about than acted upon.
Today’s parents play more with their kids than with previous generations.
Parents and kids value family play – 56% say playing with parents is just as fun as playing with friends.
According to parents important play companions are first, then playing with family is important. This is also for kids – this research was up to the age of 17.
There are different types of parent play. Parents and kids versions of play can be different. Parents often ‘half play’. Encouragement can also lead to pressure.
Board games are still at the heart of family play. Parents and kids still want to interact. Then it’s different types of play with different types of family members.
Mom and dad are definitely different – mom is the connector, the social co-ordinator, the moderator, the care giver. Dad is the buddy, the techy, the coach, the softie. Research showed that moms are never the first point for fun!
There’s a desire for more parent, whole family and grandparent play. This is across the board in research.
THE PLAY BOOK
Parents and experts are worried:
- will imagination be a thing of the past?
- Will kids get and be more obese?
- Will brains fry with too much screen time
- How to fit in more family play?
- How do we get them outside
- How do we keep kids safe?
- How can kids take back control of play?
Play as fun
- too much focused on structured activities
- too many easy go-to activities that are not productive
- outdoor time lacking
- not enough interactivity and imagination.
Consumer needs
- opportunities for kids direction
- real world experiences
- healthier options
- creative expression
- more family connections
- ability to be transformed
- immediate gratification
- more merging of reality and digital
OPPORTUNITY
Take benefits of digital structured world of play. Bring it together with traditional unstructured play to take advantage of what’s needed for this kids. How to push these two things together?
THE PERFECT PLAY EXPERIENCE
- Physical activity
- Involvement of whole family
- Kids to call the shots and use imagination
- Connect to larger world
- Ease of use
- Safety
- Physical social emotional or creative benefits
- Needs to be fun.
Sandbox Summit: Where is Technology Not Working?
Panel Discussion
Moderator: Alan Gershenfeld, Founder and President, E-Line Media
Panelists: Wendy Bronfin, Director, Product Management at Barnes & Noble; Sara DeWitt, Vice President of PBSKids Interactive; Rachel Schiff, Senior Program Manager, Microsoft Interactive Entertainment
Devices: If you buy technology to help kids to read, you still need to encourage them to read. You can't just hand them a device and expect them to automatically learn. Make sure they're not getting lazy and browsing YouTube.
Put something you want them to learn in front of them. Just because they use technology doesn't mean they're doing it in an effective and productive way.
If you have technology games or books, try and add in real-world activities. Making sure your digital world encompasses more than just the screen time aspect.
Parent Child Interaction: PBS Kids did eye tracking testing, realized there was a real break with kids younger than 6.5 if a video came up anywhere on the screen, they zoned in on the video and stopped doing anything else. Older kids tended to pause the video to get on with their task at hand.
Thinking about leaving breadcrumbs for parents - finding ways to bring parents into the experience later. eg. Martha Speaks, they had an associated app where parents could record what kids were doing in the game. Simple example: leave something for the parent elsewhere on device (such as saved photos from game to photo gallery).
Q: Well Roundedness: What do you do to encourage well roundedness in kids?
A: Was a scholastic research report on time kids reading books for fun and doing things for fun. As they get older, do less reading activity and more time in gaming and then cell phone use becomes more pervasive use of their time. Suggests making compelling content to help.
See what other kids are doing in different ways - different collaboration networks. Follow kids interests through technology - how can we push them to something in the real world? How many of games kids build are things they're very passionate about? How to get them active in this passion outside of digital environment?
Q: What do you think should be kept sacred in the 'real world'
A: It's not an either / or - one person said if you live in boston, you know a lot of stuff is done inside in the winter! Do as much as you can in real world. Also up to the parent to encourage that real world experience.
Nook lady - reading bedtime stories to your child. SOmetimes digital books can inspire a better experience for kids at bedtime - digital media enhances that experience that parents and kids love doing together. It's not about either / or - but how to compliment.
Q: What do you think about when you are designing games for kids interests without pigeonholing them? There are stereotypes about how boys vs girls play games. Eg. sometimes theme might be more interesting for a boy, but how do you make it interesting also for girls?
GameStar Mechanic: they found at late elementary and middle-school age, both girls and boys were engaged in product. Found girls made games very differently at the beginning, but the end product was similar. Found it very difficult to get girls engaged in construction of a product at the 9th grade.
Alot of girls who engage in product, want to go into digital games focus on storytelling narrative of gameplay.
Moderator: Alan Gershenfeld, Founder and President, E-Line Media
Panelists: Wendy Bronfin, Director, Product Management at Barnes & Noble; Sara DeWitt, Vice President of PBSKids Interactive; Rachel Schiff, Senior Program Manager, Microsoft Interactive Entertainment
Devices: If you buy technology to help kids to read, you still need to encourage them to read. You can't just hand them a device and expect them to automatically learn. Make sure they're not getting lazy and browsing YouTube.
Put something you want them to learn in front of them. Just because they use technology doesn't mean they're doing it in an effective and productive way.
If you have technology games or books, try and add in real-world activities. Making sure your digital world encompasses more than just the screen time aspect.
Parent Child Interaction: PBS Kids did eye tracking testing, realized there was a real break with kids younger than 6.5 if a video came up anywhere on the screen, they zoned in on the video and stopped doing anything else. Older kids tended to pause the video to get on with their task at hand.
Thinking about leaving breadcrumbs for parents - finding ways to bring parents into the experience later. eg. Martha Speaks, they had an associated app where parents could record what kids were doing in the game. Simple example: leave something for the parent elsewhere on device (such as saved photos from game to photo gallery).
Health: One of the negative things doctors are seeing in kids is insomnia issues in children. What they are saying is as a practice they are developing strategies about how to guide children and families on this insomnia issue.
Q: Well Roundedness: What do you do to encourage well roundedness in kids?
A: Was a scholastic research report on time kids reading books for fun and doing things for fun. As they get older, do less reading activity and more time in gaming and then cell phone use becomes more pervasive use of their time. Suggests making compelling content to help.
See what other kids are doing in different ways - different collaboration networks. Follow kids interests through technology - how can we push them to something in the real world? How many of games kids build are things they're very passionate about? How to get them active in this passion outside of digital environment?
Q: What do you think should be kept sacred in the 'real world'
A: It's not an either / or - one person said if you live in boston, you know a lot of stuff is done inside in the winter! Do as much as you can in real world. Also up to the parent to encourage that real world experience.
Nook lady - reading bedtime stories to your child. SOmetimes digital books can inspire a better experience for kids at bedtime - digital media enhances that experience that parents and kids love doing together. It's not about either / or - but how to compliment.
Q: What do you think about when you are designing games for kids interests without pigeonholing them? There are stereotypes about how boys vs girls play games. Eg. sometimes theme might be more interesting for a boy, but how do you make it interesting also for girls?
GameStar Mechanic: they found at late elementary and middle-school age, both girls and boys were engaged in product. Found girls made games very differently at the beginning, but the end product was similar. Found it very difficult to get girls engaged in construction of a product at the 9th grade.
Alot of girls who engage in product, want to go into digital games focus on storytelling narrative of gameplay.
Sandbox Summit: Technology Panel - Do Kids Need More or Less?
Technology Panel: Do Kids Need More or Less?
Sarah deWitt, PBS Kids
Every technology is a new opportunity for learning.
The word ‘transmedia’ is being used a lot currently. PBS Kids recognizes transmedia is not just multiplatform – it’s about making connections through story to let kids engage in those worlds.
Eg. Super Why TV and Super Why App is very connected.
Currently has a grant from the US Dept. of Education – focusing on content research.
Working on ‘transmedia suites’ – take a video clip, mobile game, smartboard game etc. and try to connect them all. Aim: A kid who interacts with two of these will have a better educational experience than a child who interacts with one.
Exploring touch screens – tech is more intuitive and gives the kids more control and ownership. Showed an example of an app ‘Martha Speaks’ – were startled how quickly kids adapted. In pre and post tests saw vocab improvement of 30% over two weeks. Shows how powerful this platform is.
Launching Prankster Planet (TEC) on Monday – doing some experiments with transmedia, using animated interstitials from show that pushes kids to interactive that connects to the broadcast each day.
Understanding power of research by doing a load of research. Also thinking a lot about how this tech can encourage other kinds of behavior.
What can some of these games inspire kids to do outside of media? How do we inspire real world behavior? Used a webcam game as an example. (Wild Kratts).
Rachel Schiff
Senior Program Manager
Transmedia Foundation Applications - XBox / Kinect
Kinect – goal is to have completely natural interface. Goals in building this – power of connecting your body. Make sure it can be played with others.
There’s been some cool hacking of Kinect – doctors figuring out how to use their computers when they’re meant to be ‘sterile’. At MIT use iRobot to hack up a roomba to build a 3D model of a room.
Interaction gives more of a human experience, but at a base level, it takes kids off the couch – it’s a full body, physical activity. Loads of neat real-world tie in. Sports you are exposed to in Kinect may encourage kids to try the real world experience. You become aware of real world opportunities you would not have known about before.
Kinect games encourage co-play. All the people in the room can play the game. You can walk into the room, be recognized and immediately play the game.
They see a lot of potential to connect these experiences with other things going on (transmedia) – tie it to larger things going on. Eg. The teacher can notify the parent that you are learning about Mexico, then when you play Kinect, a sports game might even simply be set in Mexico to provide some educational relational experiences.
Wedny Bronfin
Nook Color: Kids
Nook Color is a full color touch screen e-reader device. It now has apps, so you can shop for apps on the device. It’s based on android so you can do web browsing and web video also. They don’t create content, but offer the plaform.
There’s a nook kids app on iPad so kids can access books on multiplatform.
They currently have 350 picture books and 12000 chapter books in their ecosystem.
Parents don’t want ‘empty calorie screen time’ – nook kids helps define that. Kids can read digitally. All picture books are in landscape display to protect original art work. Some books have narration activated. New software update means interactivity is built into some of these books.
4. Alan Gershenfeld,
Founder and President, E-Line Media
National STEM video game challenge (done with JGC and other partners) Had a national challenge where games created a game that also helped educate - eg. some kids created a game about sustainability, one did one about the ocean etc.
Sarah deWitt, PBS Kids
Every technology is a new opportunity for learning.
The word ‘transmedia’ is being used a lot currently. PBS Kids recognizes transmedia is not just multiplatform – it’s about making connections through story to let kids engage in those worlds.
Eg. Super Why TV and Super Why App is very connected.
Currently has a grant from the US Dept. of Education – focusing on content research.
Working on ‘transmedia suites’ – take a video clip, mobile game, smartboard game etc. and try to connect them all. Aim: A kid who interacts with two of these will have a better educational experience than a child who interacts with one.
Exploring touch screens – tech is more intuitive and gives the kids more control and ownership. Showed an example of an app ‘Martha Speaks’ – were startled how quickly kids adapted. In pre and post tests saw vocab improvement of 30% over two weeks. Shows how powerful this platform is.
Launching Prankster Planet (TEC) on Monday – doing some experiments with transmedia, using animated interstitials from show that pushes kids to interactive that connects to the broadcast each day.
Understanding power of research by doing a load of research. Also thinking a lot about how this tech can encourage other kinds of behavior.
What can some of these games inspire kids to do outside of media? How do we inspire real world behavior? Used a webcam game as an example. (Wild Kratts).
Rachel Schiff
Senior Program Manager
Transmedia Foundation Applications - XBox / Kinect
Kinect – goal is to have completely natural interface. Goals in building this – power of connecting your body. Make sure it can be played with others.
There’s been some cool hacking of Kinect – doctors figuring out how to use their computers when they’re meant to be ‘sterile’. At MIT use iRobot to hack up a roomba to build a 3D model of a room.
Interaction gives more of a human experience, but at a base level, it takes kids off the couch – it’s a full body, physical activity. Loads of neat real-world tie in. Sports you are exposed to in Kinect may encourage kids to try the real world experience. You become aware of real world opportunities you would not have known about before.
Kinect games encourage co-play. All the people in the room can play the game. You can walk into the room, be recognized and immediately play the game.
They see a lot of potential to connect these experiences with other things going on (transmedia) – tie it to larger things going on. Eg. The teacher can notify the parent that you are learning about Mexico, then when you play Kinect, a sports game might even simply be set in Mexico to provide some educational relational experiences.
Wedny Bronfin
Nook Color: Kids
Nook Color is a full color touch screen e-reader device. It now has apps, so you can shop for apps on the device. It’s based on android so you can do web browsing and web video also. They don’t create content, but offer the plaform.
There’s a nook kids app on iPad so kids can access books on multiplatform.
They currently have 350 picture books and 12000 chapter books in their ecosystem.
Parents don’t want ‘empty calorie screen time’ – nook kids helps define that. Kids can read digitally. All picture books are in landscape display to protect original art work. Some books have narration activated. New software update means interactivity is built into some of these books.
4. Alan Gershenfeld,
Founder and President, E-Line Media
National STEM video game challenge (done with JGC and other partners) Had a national challenge where games created a game that also helped educate - eg. some kids created a game about sustainability, one did one about the ocean etc.
Sandbox Summit: Leadership in Online Collaboration
Plays Well With Others: Leadership in Online Collaboration
Amy Bruckman – Associate Professor, Georgia Tech
Showed a video:
Pass-My Flash2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFf8399UZMI
This movie was made by 7 different animators aged 17 – 29 who had never met each other. How did they do this?
WHY COLLABORATION MATTERS
Accomplishments are astounding:
- 61% of the web pages in the world built by apache, build by a bunch of people for free
- Firefox has 29% market share
- Wikipedia 8th most popular website.
What’s the next big thing and how do we facilitate that process?
One model is looking at how meaning is active – learning and meaning is active constructionism (Piaget’s Constructivism). Examples:
- LOGO
- LEGO Mindstorms
- StarLogo
- Scratch
Most constructiveness is inherently individual. The online community is a good example. The online community provides technical support, emotional support. The barrier between most people and the meaningful use of tech is emotional – some people are too afraid to try it. (eg people who are too afraid to comment on blogs)
COLLABORATION IS IMPORTANT:
- People can work together to create really innovative stuff, when that labor is co-ordinated effectively.
- When you include more people in the design and development, the thing you create shows the values of the people that contribute to it.
- People learn better when they are supported by other people (zone of proximal development)
- More educational theory is about the way people learn in realistic settings.
Legitimate Peripheral Participation
- Learning is a process of moving from the periphery to the center of a community practice.
- Online fosters a group interaction - Forms a community of practice.
MODES OF COLLABORATION
- REMIX: take someone else’s project and adapt it. However, each project has a single owner.
- BENEVOLENT DICTATORSHIP: Open Source Software follows this model. Someone starts a project, (eg Linux) and it has plausible promise. Then they show to other people who comment (eg find a bug or suggest a feature). Leader of the project accepts or declines submissions and adapts as necessary. Leader chooses and ultimately makes all decisions.
- OPEN CONTENT PUBLISHING: People working in parallel (eg. Wikipedia). No one tells anyone what to do – people edit and re-edit. In many cases, vandalism is often fixed in a matter of seconds. People check one another’s work. Surprisingly, content is very efficient and very accurate overall. A good example was the English article about the Japan earthquake – it’s comprehensive and factually correct. The more prominent a page, the more accurate it tends to be.
Coordination in Peer Production
Yochai benkler, “Coase’s Penguin”
Projects suitable for peer production must have:
- Modular contributions
- Small-grain size of each contribution
- Easy integration of parts
What inhibits people from contributing? (Bystander effect)
- Social cues
- Self awareness
- Diffuse responsibility
- Blocking
What encourages people to contribute:
Peter Kollock criteria:
- Expect help in return
- Improve reputation
- Efficacy – takes pleasure in having an effect on environment
Design Features can be used that can help people such as identity persistence, a group that has a sense of ‘us’ eg. Wikipedia now has wiki projects
If you have knowledge of interactions you are more likely to help, and particularly if it’s visible.
STUDY OF CREATIVE COLLABORATION
Valentine “29”
Narrative: in study, narrative of structure shapes the process of collaboration. Eg. A movie called Valentine ‘29’. Each one had s specific chapter so they were almost unique. If anything was not done properly, the person leading the project had to react. Also, people work in parallel.
Pass My Flash 2
Continuation: This was a continuation. You make a piece then hand it off to someone else. Work takes place not in process but in series. So bottleneck could take place at any step of the way.
When Farm Animals Attack
Collection: get assets in by a deadline, then the leader will accept and decline what they like then put them all together.
As you can see, there’s heavy demand on leaders in this collaborative process. They need to be strong producers.
CHARACTERISTICS OF COLLABORATION
- Is it a development in parallel or series?
- Does the final product need all contributions, or can some be filtered?
- Is the project ever ‘finished”?
- Is the creative style conventional or innovative?
A new suite of tools called ‘pipeline’ is being built to first try and scaffold existing process and transform it in an interesting way. This tool creates a more P2P open collaborative mode. People can automatically claim tasks, producers can set level of creative control. Alpha testing to be released at beginning of May.
How do you design a collaboration system? They’ve started by doing imperical studies. Then think up new possibilities, guided hy goal of broad diverse participation. Design tools to support new practicies.
This matters because they’re looking to see what the next Wikipedia or Linux? There is something else on the horizon that we can’t predict will work. Imagining new possibilities is an important research component. Also, tech increasingly surrounds the fabric of our day to day experience.
Amy Bruckman – Associate Professor, Georgia Tech
Showed a video:
Pass-My Flash2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFf8399UZMI
This movie was made by 7 different animators aged 17 – 29 who had never met each other. How did they do this?
WHY COLLABORATION MATTERS
Accomplishments are astounding:
- 61% of the web pages in the world built by apache, build by a bunch of people for free
- Firefox has 29% market share
- Wikipedia 8th most popular website.
What’s the next big thing and how do we facilitate that process?
One model is looking at how meaning is active – learning and meaning is active constructionism (Piaget’s Constructivism). Examples:
- LOGO
- LEGO Mindstorms
- StarLogo
- Scratch
Most constructiveness is inherently individual. The online community is a good example. The online community provides technical support, emotional support. The barrier between most people and the meaningful use of tech is emotional – some people are too afraid to try it. (eg people who are too afraid to comment on blogs)
COLLABORATION IS IMPORTANT:
- People can work together to create really innovative stuff, when that labor is co-ordinated effectively.
- When you include more people in the design and development, the thing you create shows the values of the people that contribute to it.
- People learn better when they are supported by other people (zone of proximal development)
- More educational theory is about the way people learn in realistic settings.
Legitimate Peripheral Participation
- Learning is a process of moving from the periphery to the center of a community practice.
- Online fosters a group interaction - Forms a community of practice.
MODES OF COLLABORATION
- REMIX: take someone else’s project and adapt it. However, each project has a single owner.
- BENEVOLENT DICTATORSHIP: Open Source Software follows this model. Someone starts a project, (eg Linux) and it has plausible promise. Then they show to other people who comment (eg find a bug or suggest a feature). Leader of the project accepts or declines submissions and adapts as necessary. Leader chooses and ultimately makes all decisions.
- OPEN CONTENT PUBLISHING: People working in parallel (eg. Wikipedia). No one tells anyone what to do – people edit and re-edit. In many cases, vandalism is often fixed in a matter of seconds. People check one another’s work. Surprisingly, content is very efficient and very accurate overall. A good example was the English article about the Japan earthquake – it’s comprehensive and factually correct. The more prominent a page, the more accurate it tends to be.
Coordination in Peer Production
Yochai benkler, “Coase’s Penguin”
Projects suitable for peer production must have:
- Modular contributions
- Small-grain size of each contribution
- Easy integration of parts
What inhibits people from contributing? (Bystander effect)
- Social cues
- Self awareness
- Diffuse responsibility
- Blocking
What encourages people to contribute:
Peter Kollock criteria:
- Expect help in return
- Improve reputation
- Efficacy – takes pleasure in having an effect on environment
Design Features can be used that can help people such as identity persistence, a group that has a sense of ‘us’ eg. Wikipedia now has wiki projects
If you have knowledge of interactions you are more likely to help, and particularly if it’s visible.
STUDY OF CREATIVE COLLABORATION
Valentine “29”
Narrative: in study, narrative of structure shapes the process of collaboration. Eg. A movie called Valentine ‘29’. Each one had s specific chapter so they were almost unique. If anything was not done properly, the person leading the project had to react. Also, people work in parallel.
Pass My Flash 2
Continuation: This was a continuation. You make a piece then hand it off to someone else. Work takes place not in process but in series. So bottleneck could take place at any step of the way.
When Farm Animals Attack
Collection: get assets in by a deadline, then the leader will accept and decline what they like then put them all together.
As you can see, there’s heavy demand on leaders in this collaborative process. They need to be strong producers.
CHARACTERISTICS OF COLLABORATION
- Is it a development in parallel or series?
- Does the final product need all contributions, or can some be filtered?
- Is the project ever ‘finished”?
- Is the creative style conventional or innovative?
A new suite of tools called ‘pipeline’ is being built to first try and scaffold existing process and transform it in an interesting way. This tool creates a more P2P open collaborative mode. People can automatically claim tasks, producers can set level of creative control. Alpha testing to be released at beginning of May.
How do you design a collaboration system? They’ve started by doing imperical studies. Then think up new possibilities, guided hy goal of broad diverse participation. Design tools to support new practicies.
This matters because they’re looking to see what the next Wikipedia or Linux? There is something else on the horizon that we can’t predict will work. Imagining new possibilities is an important research component. Also, tech increasingly surrounds the fabric of our day to day experience.
Sandbox Summit: Learning 3.0
Learning 3.0: Why Technology Belongs in Every Classroom
Karen Kator – Director of the Office of Educational Technology, US Dept. Of Education
US Dept. Education: Technology plan published in November is called “Learning: Powered by Technology”
This book is available online at: http://www.ed.gov/technology/netp-2010
How are we thinking of technology in the context of the US education system? How do we create education systems so we regain a bunch of time for play and interesting contextualized environments inside schools?
Dangers of being ‘strapped’ to technology and making it define who we are. Are we just talking about big tech or are we talking about a playground where we can discover what’s best about ourselves?
Obama in state of the union focused on innovation, education and infrastructure. These things used to power up the nation. Now we have a situation that we have an incredible amount of inequity. Schools missing 50% of our kids or more - a quarter or kids drop out of high school. 30 – 40% of kids who do go on to post-secondary need remedial help.
++ Digital Media & Opportunity ++
Social Media tools really powered up the opportunity for people to co-ordinate their efforts in Egypt this February. Provided ways to tell stories that we might not otherwise of heard. Tsunami in Japan had people publishing posts, photos, videos everywhere immediately. This offered also the opportunity the hope in the midst of destruction.
Superbowl this year was touted as transition between old and new media. This year, ads were not just ads but needed to figure out how they stretched the time? Used commercial for movie ‘Rio’ as example as how they tied in an Angry Birds promotion. Thinking about the ‘before, during, and after’ of advertising.
Decora Eagles is another example of digital media opportunities – it’s a live webcam that shows an eagle’s nest – it’s on 24 hours.
These kinds of opportunities can really the change the ways we think about powerful learning.
++ Learners of the 21st Century ++
Quest to Learn (school in NYC)
Designed to support digital lives of young people and their capacity for learning.
++ Mobility ++
- 24 hour access
- only have had tablets for one year and look at impact
- social interactions everywhere for learning – not just twitter, but things like epicurious, the strobist (lighting)
- proliferation of powerful, highly produced digital content is changing everything.
++ Big Data ++
Big data we think about today is location data. In education we have not begun to touch the opportunities for thinking about how we use data and help us help students learn better. We are at this transition between a print based classroom and a digital learning environment. Called it a ‘digital inflection point’.
This digital media is beyond interation it is a ‘guiding interface’. It doesn’t mean we ditch learning from people or books, but that we have a new opportunity to design and develop powerful learning environments. Focus of control can shift from teacher to the student.
++ Learning ++
How can we personalize the learning environment? With the internet we can bring in a long tail of interest. In some schools, they outgrow their library very quickly. Need ability for fluid research and analysis as they go.
How do we create an environment that is a universal design for learning? A book is inherently disabled - it can't read for you etc. Digital environments can scaffold lessons, provide greater access to content and demonstrate and help understand content in a variety of ways. Eg games have a perfect place in this world order.
The opportunity to create an environment that merges formal and informal learning. How do we give this credence inside of school?
++ Assessment++
Measuring what matters. Measuring the full range of standards. Embedded into opportunity of what students are having to learn. Sees games as one giant assessment engine.
Opportunity to create persistent learning records that STUDENTS OWN. Family have the copy and rights to that persistent learning record.
++ Teaching Environment ++
Technology used to augment human performance. Helps crunch data, connects them to what they need, when they need it, scaffolds students. Help them better connect to each other. Right now in schools, teachers are limited and not powered with the best technologies. We want tech to 'power up' the role of teachers.
++ Infrastructure ++
24/7, community wide, more access points. Devices come and go, but where can students get access to the tools and resources they need?
Print to Digital - how do we make sure that what we do is productive as possible for students.
What's killing education is the seat time to competency - everything is measured in the time you spend, rather than focusing on competence-based learning.
+ The Future of Learning ++
multiple pathways - multiple instructors
multiple devices - multiple environments - multiple sources
Learner centered.
++ Learning Position System ++
Can we create something instead of a GPS with a map - take those things off and have learning progressions from numeration, calculus etc. Could you create a map that maps out all of mathematics? Where are you in the whole scheme of mathematics? How do we create this notion of a Learning Positioning System?
Dept of Education is improving access, creating more transparency, focusing on the people on hte ground, investing in rapid improvement.
Karen Kator – Director of the Office of Educational Technology, US Dept. Of Education
US Dept. Education: Technology plan published in November is called “Learning: Powered by Technology”
This book is available online at: http://www.ed.gov/technology/netp-2010
How are we thinking of technology in the context of the US education system? How do we create education systems so we regain a bunch of time for play and interesting contextualized environments inside schools?
Dangers of being ‘strapped’ to technology and making it define who we are. Are we just talking about big tech or are we talking about a playground where we can discover what’s best about ourselves?
Obama in state of the union focused on innovation, education and infrastructure. These things used to power up the nation. Now we have a situation that we have an incredible amount of inequity. Schools missing 50% of our kids or more - a quarter or kids drop out of high school. 30 – 40% of kids who do go on to post-secondary need remedial help.
++ Digital Media & Opportunity ++
Social Media tools really powered up the opportunity for people to co-ordinate their efforts in Egypt this February. Provided ways to tell stories that we might not otherwise of heard. Tsunami in Japan had people publishing posts, photos, videos everywhere immediately. This offered also the opportunity the hope in the midst of destruction.
Superbowl this year was touted as transition between old and new media. This year, ads were not just ads but needed to figure out how they stretched the time? Used commercial for movie ‘Rio’ as example as how they tied in an Angry Birds promotion. Thinking about the ‘before, during, and after’ of advertising.
Decora Eagles is another example of digital media opportunities – it’s a live webcam that shows an eagle’s nest – it’s on 24 hours.
These kinds of opportunities can really the change the ways we think about powerful learning.
++ Learners of the 21st Century ++
Quest to Learn (school in NYC)
Designed to support digital lives of young people and their capacity for learning.
++ Mobility ++
- 24 hour access
- only have had tablets for one year and look at impact
- social interactions everywhere for learning – not just twitter, but things like epicurious, the strobist (lighting)
- proliferation of powerful, highly produced digital content is changing everything.
++ Big Data ++
Big data we think about today is location data. In education we have not begun to touch the opportunities for thinking about how we use data and help us help students learn better. We are at this transition between a print based classroom and a digital learning environment. Called it a ‘digital inflection point’.
This digital media is beyond interation it is a ‘guiding interface’. It doesn’t mean we ditch learning from people or books, but that we have a new opportunity to design and develop powerful learning environments. Focus of control can shift from teacher to the student.
++ Learning ++
How can we personalize the learning environment? With the internet we can bring in a long tail of interest. In some schools, they outgrow their library very quickly. Need ability for fluid research and analysis as they go.
How do we create an environment that is a universal design for learning? A book is inherently disabled - it can't read for you etc. Digital environments can scaffold lessons, provide greater access to content and demonstrate and help understand content in a variety of ways. Eg games have a perfect place in this world order.
The opportunity to create an environment that merges formal and informal learning. How do we give this credence inside of school?
++ Assessment++
Measuring what matters. Measuring the full range of standards. Embedded into opportunity of what students are having to learn. Sees games as one giant assessment engine.
Opportunity to create persistent learning records that STUDENTS OWN. Family have the copy and rights to that persistent learning record.
++ Teaching Environment ++
Technology used to augment human performance. Helps crunch data, connects them to what they need, when they need it, scaffolds students. Help them better connect to each other. Right now in schools, teachers are limited and not powered with the best technologies. We want tech to 'power up' the role of teachers.
++ Infrastructure ++
24/7, community wide, more access points. Devices come and go, but where can students get access to the tools and resources they need?
Print to Digital - how do we make sure that what we do is productive as possible for students.
What's killing education is the seat time to competency - everything is measured in the time you spend, rather than focusing on competence-based learning.
+ The Future of Learning ++
lifelong - preschool - k12 - postsecondary - career - life
Formal - informal - in school - out of school
multiple pathways - multiple instructors
multiple devices - multiple environments - multiple sources
Learner centered.
++ Learning Position System ++
Can we create something instead of a GPS with a map - take those things off and have learning progressions from numeration, calculus etc. Could you create a map that maps out all of mathematics? Where are you in the whole scheme of mathematics? How do we create this notion of a Learning Positioning System?
Dept of Education is improving access, creating more transparency, focusing on the people on hte ground, investing in rapid improvement.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Sony admits utter PSN failure: your personal data has been stolen
Via ARS
"Sony has finally come clean about the "external intrusion" that has caused the company to take down the PlayStation Network service, and the news is almost as bad as it can possibly get. The hackers have all your personal information, although Sony is still unsure about whether your credit card data is safe. Everything else on file when it comes to your account is in the hands of the hackers.
"Sony has finally come clean about the "external intrusion" that has caused the company to take down the PlayStation Network service, and the news is almost as bad as it can possibly get. The hackers have all your personal information, although Sony is still unsure about whether your credit card data is safe. Everything else on file when it comes to your account is in the hands of the hackers.
In other words, Sony's security has failed in a spectacular fashion, and we're just now finding out about it. In both practical and PR terms, this is a worst-case scenario."
Read full article: http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2011/04/sony-admits-utter-psn-failure-your-personal-data-has-been-stolen.ars
PBS Kids Summit: Mobile
MOBILE
Launching a PBS Kids mobile site – the site focuses not just on mobile content, but navigates easily to mobile content available around the place including mobile games, apps, products for download etc.
Mobile Research / Best Practices
As part of RTL grant they started with a best practices study by PlayScience Lab (have done work with Sesame).
- Will be sharing as part of RTL initiative.
- Placement of buttons
- What is ‘home’ in the mobile world?
- Expect this will evolve as they get more into Android.
- Mobile should look good on iOS and Tablets nicely. It’s a whole separate stylesheet dependant on device.
- Devices: Android install base is larger than the iPhone install base. But the iPod touch would double these numbers, and there are about 17 million iPads not included in these numbers. Finally, the Apple iOS platform is more unified. Android platform is across different device companies and carriers so it makes it fragmented and more challenging for developers.
- Android store fronts are pretty bad. Amazon storefront is a good start.
- Overall for PBS audience, it’s a higher percentage of apple users. Iphone users tend to download apps and browse the web more than other smartphone users.
- Question about who actually owns a device – if it’s a smartphone it’s definitely a passback phenomenon for preschool
- For older kids it’s usually the ipod touch and the kid owns it. (or think they own)
- Adoption of schools / iPads – there’s been a bunch of individual school systems buying devices but they’re still trying to figure this up. Apple has a school volume purchasing program for apps.
- There is an opportunity to build an educational APP market that can be used across schools (if schools end up buying apps in bulk to be used in classrooms).
- Baking in stuff like tracking into the apps will be more attractive for school systems overall.
Launching a PBS Kids mobile site – the site focuses not just on mobile content, but navigates easily to mobile content available around the place including mobile games, apps, products for download etc.
Mobile Research / Best Practices
As part of RTL grant they started with a best practices study by PlayScience Lab (have done work with Sesame).
- Will be sharing as part of RTL initiative.
- Placement of buttons
- What is ‘home’ in the mobile world?
- Expect this will evolve as they get more into Android.
- Mobile should look good on iOS and Tablets nicely. It’s a whole separate stylesheet dependant on device.
- Devices: Android install base is larger than the iPhone install base. But the iPod touch would double these numbers, and there are about 17 million iPads not included in these numbers. Finally, the Apple iOS platform is more unified. Android platform is across different device companies and carriers so it makes it fragmented and more challenging for developers.
- Android store fronts are pretty bad. Amazon storefront is a good start.
- Overall for PBS audience, it’s a higher percentage of apple users. Iphone users tend to download apps and browse the web more than other smartphone users.
- Question about who actually owns a device – if it’s a smartphone it’s definitely a passback phenomenon for preschool
- For older kids it’s usually the ipod touch and the kid owns it. (or think they own)
- Adoption of schools / iPads – there’s been a bunch of individual school systems buying devices but they’re still trying to figure this up. Apple has a school volume purchasing program for apps.
- There is an opportunity to build an educational APP market that can be used across schools (if schools end up buying apps in bulk to be used in classrooms).
- Baking in stuff like tracking into the apps will be more attractive for school systems overall.
PBS Kids Summit: Lessons From Usability Testing
1. PBS KIDS LOG-IN
Testing – in 2005 launched first log-in system. Focused on 6-8 year olds. Main take-away was that a lot of 6 year olds didn’t even understand what ‘creating an account’ even was. That has to be explained to them.
Originally asked for kids email address etc and there were too many steps.
Last year when they were looking to do even more customization set out to re-design. Main UI takeaways:
-- Old Version --
- old sign up was too boring too detailed.
- The look and feel was totally different to the game they were just on.
- If there was an error (eg existing username) the whole form would be reset and there was only a red arrow. Very frustrating user experience.
- Secret question password retrieval – most kids didn’t even know it was a drop down, so only ever used the default question (pet’s name)
-- New Version --
- kids in 2010 KNOW what accounts are these days! Social media prominence has changed the understanding for young kids of what an account is.
- Technology caught up so they could do a ‘lightbox’ – do you could see the page you were on underneath.
- Now only three steps.
- You also get audio so you don’t need to read. Every screen tells you what to do.
- They now SUGGEST usernames if you can’t find a unique
- They now SUGGEST passwords
- You get a password second confirmation field.
- Have a visual code instead of a ‘secret’
- Allow to PRINT password and USERNAME out (or prompt to write down in a safe place)
2. PBS KIDS GO! VIDEO PLAYER UI
Tested prototype found:
- Ratings was something for 1 -5 stars was too complicated for kids. Kids ended up choosing 1 or 5 (love it or hate it)
- Thumbnails weren’t enough for kids. They wanted to know duration, name of clip, what it was about. Didn’t want to mouse over to get this info
- They didn’t know what the word PLAYLIST was. Associated with music.
- Some buttons that were important but just had words to identify weren’t used at all – eg. Highest rated, full length (kids didn’t know what these things meant)
Changes made:
- turned the word PLAYLIST to CHANNELS (there was a concern about this term but kids figured this out more quickly)
- integrated the blue buttons better (so ‘highest rated’ became ‘top ten’
- added scrolling wheel of all shows – so it was really easy to get to your favorite show easily.
- Added PREVIOUS and NEXT arrows next to PLAY BUTTON – works well especially for Pre-K users.
- Integrated log-in. Now when you rate something, you also add it to oyur favorites list.
PRE-K VIDEO PLAYER UI
- This player had younger audience considerations
- All characters must be instantly visible.
- Didn’t worry so much about themes, that is for parents
- Made parent links less visible. Focused on simple, relevant to preschooler buttons only.
- Don’t design anything assuming a parent is monitoring them
- In testing the ‘more’ button didn’t work as it was boring and kids can’t read! So all characters needed to be present on the one page.
- Parents weren’t noticing the parents bar they made for them.
- Kids were unclear how many videos were there – because there were only 8 thumbnails - kids thought there were only 8 videos.
- There’s a pause button but they don’t ever really pause it because they just watch a video then leave or watch the next one!
So they
- brightened up the parents buttons more.
- The MORE button became a VISUAL ‘more’ button
- Added a ‘kachunka’ bucket on the left to show depth of content
3. AUGMENTED REALITY
Testing results (general thoughts):
- Games like the PSP AR game (with a pet) kids had trouble holding and keeping marker in the frame. Annoying if the games reset once you come back to it.
- Holding mobile devices is heavy for kids.
- Holding something up to a webcam was frustrating for kids – paper flops, arms get tired, and technology is not forgiving.
- Kids really liked seeing themselves on screen.
- Things where you don’t have to hold or do anything much is cool
- Kids weren’t really wowed by this technology! Only adults really thought it was cool.
- PSP iPad game was more fun when it was a normal game and not AR.
- The most engaging things were customizing characters
- Seeing yourself on the camera.
- If the game makes you look like you are part of it it’s a big plus.
4. iPAD VIDEO PLAYER
Testing
- Wanted some kids who had never used an iPad before.
- Wanted to make it very familiar to the website interface, but also easy to use for kids who don’t use PBS Kids
- Even kids who hadn’t done touch screen before just knew what to do immediately. Wanted to keep the parents away!
- If you swipe a ‘blue’ eye a parents bar appears.
- Gestures were kept simple – tap, flick.
- Kids would press and hold. Wouldn’t do anything and waited for them to let go.
- Realized the pause, next and previous were treating it as buttons. So made things that are to be pressed LOOK and BEHAVE like buttons.
- Visually make it clear sliders can slide.
- Playlists were hidden, so a ‘browse’ button (text) for parents to use that slid out. This worked and didn’t bother the kids.
Testing – in 2005 launched first log-in system. Focused on 6-8 year olds. Main take-away was that a lot of 6 year olds didn’t even understand what ‘creating an account’ even was. That has to be explained to them.
Originally asked for kids email address etc and there were too many steps.
Last year when they were looking to do even more customization set out to re-design. Main UI takeaways:
-- Old Version --
- old sign up was too boring too detailed.
- The look and feel was totally different to the game they were just on.
- If there was an error (eg existing username) the whole form would be reset and there was only a red arrow. Very frustrating user experience.
- Secret question password retrieval – most kids didn’t even know it was a drop down, so only ever used the default question (pet’s name)
-- New Version --
- kids in 2010 KNOW what accounts are these days! Social media prominence has changed the understanding for young kids of what an account is.
- Technology caught up so they could do a ‘lightbox’ – do you could see the page you were on underneath.
- Now only three steps.
- You also get audio so you don’t need to read. Every screen tells you what to do.
- They now SUGGEST usernames if you can’t find a unique
- They now SUGGEST passwords
- You get a password second confirmation field.
- Have a visual code instead of a ‘secret’
- Allow to PRINT password and USERNAME out (or prompt to write down in a safe place)
2. PBS KIDS GO! VIDEO PLAYER UI
Tested prototype found:
- Ratings was something for 1 -5 stars was too complicated for kids. Kids ended up choosing 1 or 5 (love it or hate it)
- Thumbnails weren’t enough for kids. They wanted to know duration, name of clip, what it was about. Didn’t want to mouse over to get this info
- They didn’t know what the word PLAYLIST was. Associated with music.
- Some buttons that were important but just had words to identify weren’t used at all – eg. Highest rated, full length (kids didn’t know what these things meant)
Changes made:
- turned the word PLAYLIST to CHANNELS (there was a concern about this term but kids figured this out more quickly)
- integrated the blue buttons better (so ‘highest rated’ became ‘top ten’
- added scrolling wheel of all shows – so it was really easy to get to your favorite show easily.
- Added PREVIOUS and NEXT arrows next to PLAY BUTTON – works well especially for Pre-K users.
- Integrated log-in. Now when you rate something, you also add it to oyur favorites list.
PRE-K VIDEO PLAYER UI
- This player had younger audience considerations
- All characters must be instantly visible.
- Didn’t worry so much about themes, that is for parents
- Made parent links less visible. Focused on simple, relevant to preschooler buttons only.
- Don’t design anything assuming a parent is monitoring them
- In testing the ‘more’ button didn’t work as it was boring and kids can’t read! So all characters needed to be present on the one page.
- Parents weren’t noticing the parents bar they made for them.
- Kids were unclear how many videos were there – because there were only 8 thumbnails - kids thought there were only 8 videos.
- There’s a pause button but they don’t ever really pause it because they just watch a video then leave or watch the next one!
So they
- brightened up the parents buttons more.
- The MORE button became a VISUAL ‘more’ button
- Added a ‘kachunka’ bucket on the left to show depth of content
3. AUGMENTED REALITY
Testing results (general thoughts):
- Games like the PSP AR game (with a pet) kids had trouble holding and keeping marker in the frame. Annoying if the games reset once you come back to it.
- Holding mobile devices is heavy for kids.
- Holding something up to a webcam was frustrating for kids – paper flops, arms get tired, and technology is not forgiving.
- Kids really liked seeing themselves on screen.
- Things where you don’t have to hold or do anything much is cool
- Kids weren’t really wowed by this technology! Only adults really thought it was cool.
- PSP iPad game was more fun when it was a normal game and not AR.
- The most engaging things were customizing characters
- Seeing yourself on the camera.
- If the game makes you look like you are part of it it’s a big plus.
4. iPAD VIDEO PLAYER
Testing
- Wanted some kids who had never used an iPad before.
- Wanted to make it very familiar to the website interface, but also easy to use for kids who don’t use PBS Kids
- Even kids who hadn’t done touch screen before just knew what to do immediately. Wanted to keep the parents away!
- If you swipe a ‘blue’ eye a parents bar appears.
- Gestures were kept simple – tap, flick.
- Kids would press and hold. Wouldn’t do anything and waited for them to let go.
- Realized the pause, next and previous were treating it as buttons. So made things that are to be pressed LOOK and BEHAVE like buttons.
- Visually make it clear sliders can slide.
- Playlists were hidden, so a ‘browse’ button (text) for parents to use that slid out. This worked and didn’t bother the kids.
PBS Kids Summit: PBS Parents Update
2010
• 5.5 million unique visitors to the site
• mostly but al moms
• 70% between 25 and 44 years old
• 70% had a college degree or higher
• majority of children are preschool age
• 82% are likely or very likely to return to the site
Top-level objectives
AUDIENCE – grow the size and loyalty of the Parents user base
TECHNOLOGY – evolve PBS parents into an anytime / anywhere (just in time) digital service
CONTENT– make our content fun and engaging
ENABLE producer and stations to engage the parent audience and fulfill business goals.
A New Web Series
“The Parent Show” – concept is that the host (angela santomero) goes out to the street and talks to people about parenting issues. All content is shortform 2-3 minutes.
Outreach Efforts (Tracey Wynne)
Blogs, Facebook and Twitter.
Want to be considered ‘a friend in the trenches’ with parents. Don’t want to tell parents what to do but want to talk to them as a friend.
BLOGS – The Parents Show Blog, Expert Q&A, Kitchen Explorers
The Parents Show
For shows, there are opportunities for related links in terms of the show AND blogs.
Expert Q&A
The Q&A has been around for several years, updated twice a month. Shows can use this platform to have conversations with your audience.
Kitchen Explorers
Launched Sept 2010 – there’s a lot of conversation about feeding kids. PBS Parents want to be part of that conversation. Encourages kids and parents to get active in the kitchen, at the same time learn aspects of science, math, healthy eating. There’s a lot of education in the kitchen! Exploring possibilities for discovery.
For shows, there is a spotlight area where they are able to promote PBS Kids content. Food related promos. If there are related games, activities related to food, this is the place they promote it. The blog posts also have related links to kids content.
Social Networks
Facebook as 15,000 fans
Twitter has 122,000 followers, 1,600 lists. It has a strategic content mix and helps to foster conversation.
SITE REFRESH (Mary Hope Garcia)
- used a system called Crazy Egg to see what actual pages users are clicking on and helped inform site restructure.
- Added a fun and games section that compiles the best of all sites’ game content.
- Highlights popular content based on Google analytics and surveys conducted. Eg. Child development tracker and activity search.
- Also began to feature video of interest from across PBS and various stations.
A new voice, a new look and feel
- new voice more friendly, witty, less academic
- less illustrations, more eye catching photography
- provide a permanent solution to provide a way for producers to port content.
BENTO
- is their new CMS, Jengo based.
- A goal is to create better user experience.
- Using consistent UI across all brands.
- Make it easier to navigate through dropdowns
- Provide social tools to start communicating with your audience. Polls, commenting tools and blogs will be available to producers.
- Bento will capitalize on an ongoing effort with PBS Kids to build efficiencies.
- Producers will provide the assets, PBS Kids will build the pages, then producers can update the content whenever they want.
- Sites will continue to showcase uniqueness of each brand, highlighting imagery and color palette.
- Taking away heavy lifting of site development, want producers to create great content
Future of the PBS Parents Site
Increase user engagement
- age and stage: facilitate content exploration by age and stage
- activity search – make it easy to browse activities
- customization deliver content based on user’s profile
Build efficiencies in site development
- further develop Bento
- capitalize on the in-house expertise
- easy to update no html necessary
Stengthen brand
- grow and improve content offerings
- reach audience in other platforms, mobile, new newsletters
- engage audiences with social tools.
• 5.5 million unique visitors to the site
• mostly but al moms
• 70% between 25 and 44 years old
• 70% had a college degree or higher
• majority of children are preschool age
• 82% are likely or very likely to return to the site
Top-level objectives
AUDIENCE – grow the size and loyalty of the Parents user base
TECHNOLOGY – evolve PBS parents into an anytime / anywhere (just in time) digital service
CONTENT– make our content fun and engaging
ENABLE producer and stations to engage the parent audience and fulfill business goals.
A New Web Series
“The Parent Show” – concept is that the host (angela santomero) goes out to the street and talks to people about parenting issues. All content is shortform 2-3 minutes.
Outreach Efforts (Tracey Wynne)
Blogs, Facebook and Twitter.
Want to be considered ‘a friend in the trenches’ with parents. Don’t want to tell parents what to do but want to talk to them as a friend.
BLOGS – The Parents Show Blog, Expert Q&A, Kitchen Explorers
The Parents Show
For shows, there are opportunities for related links in terms of the show AND blogs.
Expert Q&A
The Q&A has been around for several years, updated twice a month. Shows can use this platform to have conversations with your audience.
Kitchen Explorers
Launched Sept 2010 – there’s a lot of conversation about feeding kids. PBS Parents want to be part of that conversation. Encourages kids and parents to get active in the kitchen, at the same time learn aspects of science, math, healthy eating. There’s a lot of education in the kitchen! Exploring possibilities for discovery.
For shows, there is a spotlight area where they are able to promote PBS Kids content. Food related promos. If there are related games, activities related to food, this is the place they promote it. The blog posts also have related links to kids content.
Social Networks
Facebook as 15,000 fans
Twitter has 122,000 followers, 1,600 lists. It has a strategic content mix and helps to foster conversation.
SITE REFRESH (Mary Hope Garcia)
- used a system called Crazy Egg to see what actual pages users are clicking on and helped inform site restructure.
- Added a fun and games section that compiles the best of all sites’ game content.
- Highlights popular content based on Google analytics and surveys conducted. Eg. Child development tracker and activity search.
- Also began to feature video of interest from across PBS and various stations.
A new voice, a new look and feel
- new voice more friendly, witty, less academic
- less illustrations, more eye catching photography
- provide a permanent solution to provide a way for producers to port content.
BENTO
- is their new CMS, Jengo based.
- A goal is to create better user experience.
- Using consistent UI across all brands.
- Make it easier to navigate through dropdowns
- Provide social tools to start communicating with your audience. Polls, commenting tools and blogs will be available to producers.
- Bento will capitalize on an ongoing effort with PBS Kids to build efficiencies.
- Producers will provide the assets, PBS Kids will build the pages, then producers can update the content whenever they want.
- Sites will continue to showcase uniqueness of each brand, highlighting imagery and color palette.
- Taking away heavy lifting of site development, want producers to create great content
Future of the PBS Parents Site
Increase user engagement
- age and stage: facilitate content exploration by age and stage
- activity search – make it easy to browse activities
- customization deliver content based on user’s profile
Build efficiencies in site development
- further develop Bento
- capitalize on the in-house expertise
- easy to update no html necessary
Stengthen brand
- grow and improve content offerings
- reach audience in other platforms, mobile, new newsletters
- engage audiences with social tools.
PBS Kids Summit: Marketing Update
Sharon Philippart, Senior Director, PBS KIDS Marketing & Communications
Leveraging Assets:
- support tentpoles with month long promo strategy
- inventory of existing promos and updates
- break strategy across schedule
- refresh of Basics: Up next, Generic Promos
- cross Platform Promotion.
Power of Aggregation:
- Brand and tune in promotional spots
- research
- reaching out locally off air (eg Kratt Bros)
- new content such as prankster planet
- first android tablet coming next week
Expand the Service:
- system assessment
- grow / buildeffective local models
- focused outreach strategy
- looking at other non-profits to see if there's other models they can adapt.
- are partnering with stations to test outcomes
- RTL has been positioned as a strategy that works for stations.
- how can we serve kids in the local markets
- example of a working outreach activity is PBS Kids Summer Literacy which was done in partnership with iVillage. Helping parents to combat the summer slump - apparently reading achievements of kids declines during summer vacation.
- Also partnering with JetBlue, Parents.com.
Social Media / Marketing
- During federal funding challenges, put the community to the test by asking the community for support thorugh emails, tweets - got 500 000 followers combined who actively participated.
- Were at mom 2.0 last week to launch Chuck Vanderchuck, Noah Comprendeh and the Parents Show
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
PBS Kids Summit: Geena Davis Keynote Address
Changing the Status Quo: Industry Leaders Perceptions of Female Characters in Family Films
Geena Davis, Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media
HISTORY
After doing Thelma and Louise, reaction of women was amazing to her. Before this the reaction she had on the street was totally different. Literally the weekend it opened everything was different - women grabbed her to tell her their life stories.
Next movie was A League of Their Own - same thing happened but with girls, who would come to her and tell her they played sports just because of that movie.
This was a one-two punch to her and really made a strong impression on her. After this, she always kept the female audience in mind when making choices of her roles. Not role models, but characters with strong female roles.
When her daughter was younger she was watching kids shows, and immediately saw what she believed to be a gender disparity. Found it was just as prevalance in kids media as adults media. So she would start to raise this with producers when talking about G Rated movies. Across the board all producers would say that this issue was fixed and always sited the one movie 'beauty and the beast' as the example.
She realized if she were to have any impact she would need the data. She raised some money with friends and they did the largest studies ever done on g rated movies and television shows for kids aged 11 and under.
Ratio in G rated movies -
- for every one female there were three male. Group scene was 5:1.
- aspirations for females were almost completely limited to finding romance.
- occupations were very limited. #1 occupation was royalty!
Since then she was involved with the UN - focusing on STEM and women.
From their research there were NO female characters in science, math, medicine, law, business in G rated movies at the time.
Also found the main function was usually to serve as eye candy. Loads of hyper-sexualization going on. So much so that the female characters in G rated movies wore the SAME AMOUNT of clothing as women in R Rated movies. So - what message are we feeding kids?
They also found in this research that the more a girl watches TV the more limited she thinks her options are in life. The more a boy watches TV the more sexist that boy becomes.
LATEST RESEARCH
From 1990 - 2010
Findings:
- Equality is still non-existent (29% : 70%)
- less than 1% improvement over 20 years. Using math, we will achieve parity in 700 years!
- Females still function as eye candy in all family films. Sexy atire and small waists in far greater numbers than male characters. In animated movies, female characters always had a body type that couldn't exist in real life. In fact the waist size was comparable to that of their upper arm.
- It's a male dominated industry - about 5:1 writers directors producers are male.
- direct relation to women in writer, director, producer position and the lessening of gender stereotypes.
In 2009 asked industry people about gender balance in media.
- 43% said it was very important.
- 50% said it would not be hard to achieve.
- 90% said the would use this data / info to impact gender balance in their work.
- 98% said they would share the info with their peers.
Takeaways
- change is possible
- not all that difficult
- many wouldn't notice
- it's just a conscious choice people need to make.
- this study shows us there is no 'plot' in the industry. The default imbalance (male dominance) is she thinks based on being 'used' to this imbalance since the beginning of film/tv.
- decisions on gender are being made not just at the top but at every level of the movie making process.
What do we do with this research?
- take it to studios and networks and guilds and present.
- overwhelming reaction is one of shock.
- simple awareness of the data is our biggest tool.
PBS proves that media can be a powerful tool for un-stereotyped activities.
- 'if you can see it you can be it'.
- she only did one season of a show about a woman being president, but research showed that 72% of people questioned said that after the show they would be more likely to vote for a female president.
- her institution would love to work with PBS. Would love to know how they could help. Would love to consult on scripts, lend any advice.
- Have also started an education for gender awareness for kids and would love to speak to anyone who would be interested in collaborating on this.
- Kids TV does better in gender equality than G movies (from a study done 1990 - 2005).
Geena Davis, Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media
HISTORY
After doing Thelma and Louise, reaction of women was amazing to her. Before this the reaction she had on the street was totally different. Literally the weekend it opened everything was different - women grabbed her to tell her their life stories.
Next movie was A League of Their Own - same thing happened but with girls, who would come to her and tell her they played sports just because of that movie.
This was a one-two punch to her and really made a strong impression on her. After this, she always kept the female audience in mind when making choices of her roles. Not role models, but characters with strong female roles.
When her daughter was younger she was watching kids shows, and immediately saw what she believed to be a gender disparity. Found it was just as prevalance in kids media as adults media. So she would start to raise this with producers when talking about G Rated movies. Across the board all producers would say that this issue was fixed and always sited the one movie 'beauty and the beast' as the example.
She realized if she were to have any impact she would need the data. She raised some money with friends and they did the largest studies ever done on g rated movies and television shows for kids aged 11 and under.
Ratio in G rated movies -
- for every one female there were three male. Group scene was 5:1.
- aspirations for females were almost completely limited to finding romance.
- occupations were very limited. #1 occupation was royalty!
Since then she was involved with the UN - focusing on STEM and women.
From their research there were NO female characters in science, math, medicine, law, business in G rated movies at the time.
Also found the main function was usually to serve as eye candy. Loads of hyper-sexualization going on. So much so that the female characters in G rated movies wore the SAME AMOUNT of clothing as women in R Rated movies. So - what message are we feeding kids?
They also found in this research that the more a girl watches TV the more limited she thinks her options are in life. The more a boy watches TV the more sexist that boy becomes.
LATEST RESEARCH
From 1990 - 2010
Findings:
- Equality is still non-existent (29% : 70%)
- less than 1% improvement over 20 years. Using math, we will achieve parity in 700 years!
- Females still function as eye candy in all family films. Sexy atire and small waists in far greater numbers than male characters. In animated movies, female characters always had a body type that couldn't exist in real life. In fact the waist size was comparable to that of their upper arm.
- It's a male dominated industry - about 5:1 writers directors producers are male.
- direct relation to women in writer, director, producer position and the lessening of gender stereotypes.
In 2009 asked industry people about gender balance in media.
- 43% said it was very important.
- 50% said it would not be hard to achieve.
- 90% said the would use this data / info to impact gender balance in their work.
- 98% said they would share the info with their peers.
Takeaways
- change is possible
- not all that difficult
- many wouldn't notice
- it's just a conscious choice people need to make.
- this study shows us there is no 'plot' in the industry. The default imbalance (male dominance) is she thinks based on being 'used' to this imbalance since the beginning of film/tv.
- decisions on gender are being made not just at the top but at every level of the movie making process.
What do we do with this research?
- take it to studios and networks and guilds and present.
- overwhelming reaction is one of shock.
- simple awareness of the data is our biggest tool.
PBS proves that media can be a powerful tool for un-stereotyped activities.
- 'if you can see it you can be it'.
- she only did one season of a show about a woman being president, but research showed that 72% of people questioned said that after the show they would be more likely to vote for a female president.
- her institution would love to work with PBS. Would love to know how they could help. Would love to consult on scripts, lend any advice.
- Have also started an education for gender awareness for kids and would love to speak to anyone who would be interested in collaborating on this.
- Kids TV does better in gender equality than G movies (from a study done 1990 - 2005).
PBS Kids Summit: Changing the Status Quo intro
Paula Kerger, President and CEO, PBS
- Funding for 2011 is approx $430 million. 0.2% reduction.
- Lost the PTFP funding (comes to stations for technical needs).
- Ready to Learn grant - state of this is still not clear. Have been told it's there but it's not clear in what form.
What does all of this mean for Public Broadcasting?
Q: How did you go from what looked grimm a few weeks ago to a reasonably good place in terms of funding?
A: Constituents. The reality is that as much as we'd like to believe we are articulate spokespeople for public broadcasting, it's actually our constituents who have the voice and the power. PBS Stations banded together and helped focus / get a sense of where the public's feelings were in sense of PBS.
For Paula, what has been heartening has been that somewhere around the range of half a million people called, emailed their state reps. It got more calls / response than even healthcare. It shows that the view of public broadcasting as 'elite' is patently not true. 'We are the most american of organizations. We are in everyone's home'.
And that's what PBS is all about - we are the media organization that views our real work as being in communities. We spend every day thinking about how we can make this country a bit better. The work PBS Kids are doing is at the heart of this. How can we make sure every child has every opportunity?
In the fall they did a national survey and the thing that came back as most important was childrens' education.
Even of the people who polled that said reduction of the national deficit was highest priority, 62% said that public broadcasting funding should be preserved. 72% of voters said they would be concerned if PBS had to cut back on educational programs and content for kids. So it's clear that it's the work we've all done for children really helps them make the case for public broadcasting.
Now the task is to figure out how do we keep innovating and keep moving forward?
Right now in some respects we are in a complicated place because we've had such growth in the past few years. How do we keep this momentum going as kids' use of media continues to change? How do we really make sure what we're doing is as engaging and as important as ever?
But we also have limited funding so we have to be smart about the choices we make.
Public Broadcasting was envisioned as the place that would provide programming and content that was not found in commercial media. It's interesting now with all channels available territory one could argue was slipping away from us seems to be coming back - arts. Eg. History, Bravo, A&E. eg. History has big projects like 'monster trucks' to define the brand rather than how the channel defines itself. The arts is the one area that has completely fallen off the table in cable and broadcast. eg. Visual arts is not present anywhere else except public broadcasting.
Why arts? This is a place where we can step up - whether it's in teacher environments etc thinking about ways we can bring the arts into childrens' lives is going to be tremendously important. Used Chuck Vanderchuck as an example.
- Funding for 2011 is approx $430 million. 0.2% reduction.
- Lost the PTFP funding (comes to stations for technical needs).
- Ready to Learn grant - state of this is still not clear. Have been told it's there but it's not clear in what form.
What does all of this mean for Public Broadcasting?
Q: How did you go from what looked grimm a few weeks ago to a reasonably good place in terms of funding?
A: Constituents. The reality is that as much as we'd like to believe we are articulate spokespeople for public broadcasting, it's actually our constituents who have the voice and the power. PBS Stations banded together and helped focus / get a sense of where the public's feelings were in sense of PBS.
For Paula, what has been heartening has been that somewhere around the range of half a million people called, emailed their state reps. It got more calls / response than even healthcare. It shows that the view of public broadcasting as 'elite' is patently not true. 'We are the most american of organizations. We are in everyone's home'.
And that's what PBS is all about - we are the media organization that views our real work as being in communities. We spend every day thinking about how we can make this country a bit better. The work PBS Kids are doing is at the heart of this. How can we make sure every child has every opportunity?
In the fall they did a national survey and the thing that came back as most important was childrens' education.
Even of the people who polled that said reduction of the national deficit was highest priority, 62% said that public broadcasting funding should be preserved. 72% of voters said they would be concerned if PBS had to cut back on educational programs and content for kids. So it's clear that it's the work we've all done for children really helps them make the case for public broadcasting.
Now the task is to figure out how do we keep innovating and keep moving forward?
Right now in some respects we are in a complicated place because we've had such growth in the past few years. How do we keep this momentum going as kids' use of media continues to change? How do we really make sure what we're doing is as engaging and as important as ever?
But we also have limited funding so we have to be smart about the choices we make.
Public Broadcasting was envisioned as the place that would provide programming and content that was not found in commercial media. It's interesting now with all channels available territory one could argue was slipping away from us seems to be coming back - arts. Eg. History, Bravo, A&E. eg. History has big projects like 'monster trucks' to define the brand rather than how the channel defines itself. The arts is the one area that has completely fallen off the table in cable and broadcast. eg. Visual arts is not present anywhere else except public broadcasting.
Why arts? This is a place where we can step up - whether it's in teacher environments etc thinking about ways we can bring the arts into childrens' lives is going to be tremendously important. Used Chuck Vanderchuck as an example.
PBS Kids Summit: Five Truths About Kids and Digital Media
Speaker: Amy Sample
1. PBS Kids does a decent job of reaching the economically and demographically diverse households.
2. Kids Digital Media Choices Are Still Linked to Their TV Preferences.
- TV sites dominate the top sites for kids 2-11.
- Top places kids watch video online are related to television (eg. pbs kids video)
3. Games Still Rule The Internet.
- the most popular reason for kids 6-12 to go online is to play games and surf the web.
- kids are still using television websites to play games.
- just 20% of time spnt on kids' sites is video
- playing games is still the most popular activity for kids on mobile devices
- free apps are primary motivator for download (82%)
- parents are willing to pay for apps especially if it's educational for kids
- kids spend an average of 20 mins on apps and use them several times a week.
4. Kids Pick up new Devices Immediately.
- kids pick up new technologies faster than tweens
- 10% of families with kids under 12 already own iPads.
- Kids are often the purchase motivators
- Digital motivators are being reached at younger ages (half parents say kids can browse internet alone by 6, and can use mobile phone to play games alone by 5.
- by 11 50% have a mobile phone
- kids have natural instincts for these new interfaces.
- those that needed help getting started became adpet quickly.
- initial frustration did not cause kids to give up right away.
- most parents who own a smart phone allow their kids to use it at least occasionally and often several times a week (pass-back effect, car, waiting etc)
- phones are just one mobile device. Device ownership accelerates at age 10 (eg mp3, iPad, smartphones)
- the importance of mobility is key.
- adults often see these as gadgets, but kids see these as integral parts of their lives.
- kids expect their media to be available wherever, whenever.
5. Parents Influence Kids Digital Media Choices
- parents supervise kids 40% of time on pbskids.org
- one in 5 kids aged 6-12 use facebook.
- 40% mums say it was their idea to buy a cell phone for their child.
Take Aways
- content is now consumed any time, anywhere
- mobile devices can supplement and reinforce themes in other media.
Parents are still critical influencers in digital media usage for young children.
1. PBS Kids does a decent job of reaching the economically and demographically diverse households.
2. Kids Digital Media Choices Are Still Linked to Their TV Preferences.
- TV sites dominate the top sites for kids 2-11.
- Top places kids watch video online are related to television (eg. pbs kids video)
3. Games Still Rule The Internet.
- the most popular reason for kids 6-12 to go online is to play games and surf the web.
- kids are still using television websites to play games.
- just 20% of time spnt on kids' sites is video
- playing games is still the most popular activity for kids on mobile devices
- free apps are primary motivator for download (82%)
- parents are willing to pay for apps especially if it's educational for kids
- kids spend an average of 20 mins on apps and use them several times a week.
4. Kids Pick up new Devices Immediately.
- kids pick up new technologies faster than tweens
- 10% of families with kids under 12 already own iPads.
- Kids are often the purchase motivators
- Digital motivators are being reached at younger ages (half parents say kids can browse internet alone by 6, and can use mobile phone to play games alone by 5.
- by 11 50% have a mobile phone
- kids have natural instincts for these new interfaces.
- those that needed help getting started became adpet quickly.
- initial frustration did not cause kids to give up right away.
- most parents who own a smart phone allow their kids to use it at least occasionally and often several times a week (pass-back effect, car, waiting etc)
- phones are just one mobile device. Device ownership accelerates at age 10 (eg mp3, iPad, smartphones)
- the importance of mobility is key.
- adults often see these as gadgets, but kids see these as integral parts of their lives.
- kids expect their media to be available wherever, whenever.
5. Parents Influence Kids Digital Media Choices
- parents supervise kids 40% of time on pbskids.org
- one in 5 kids aged 6-12 use facebook.
- 40% mums say it was their idea to buy a cell phone for their child.
Take Aways
- content is now consumed any time, anywhere
- mobile devices can supplement and reinforce themes in other media.
Parents are still critical influencers in digital media usage for young children.
PBS Kids Summit: Technology data
Computer Ownership
81% of all homes have a computer but there is an income divide.
Laptop ownership has grown dramatically among African Americans to 51% in 2010. Hispanics, 54%, white, 55%.
Internet usage
77% of all homes have internet access but only 62% are connected. Asian Americans view 3.5 more pages, stream more video and watch more YouTube.
Phones
88.7% of homes have a cell phone. In 2010 26% of American housholds had cell phones and no landline.
Cell phone growth has risen 5% over a three year period starting 2007.
9 of 10 phones have a cell phone
more than ¾ under 60K earners own a phone.
Over 60K it’s 97%
Minority Americans are significantly more likely to own a cell phone than white counterparts.
Smart Phone
Has emergered as a great leveler – cheaper alternative than having broadband in the home.
US Hispanic communities are more likely to have cell phones with internet and video capabilities and text more than any other race or ethnicity. More likely to use it for banking etc.
18% of Hispanic and African Americans are cell only internet users.
Video Games
33.5% of households own a gaming system.
High income families watch less TV but spend more time watching TV with kids, heaviest internet users.
17% of those earning less than 30K are cell only wireless users. – aka There is a good deal of lower income lower education who are cell only users.
Take Aways
PBS Kids reaches a large diverse audience. Across all properties.
There’s much more mobile – we can continue to serve diverse audiences by understanding where these audiences want to consume content.
81% of all homes have a computer but there is an income divide.
Laptop ownership has grown dramatically among African Americans to 51% in 2010. Hispanics, 54%, white, 55%.
Internet usage
77% of all homes have internet access but only 62% are connected. Asian Americans view 3.5 more pages, stream more video and watch more YouTube.
Phones
88.7% of homes have a cell phone. In 2010 26% of American housholds had cell phones and no landline.
Cell phone growth has risen 5% over a three year period starting 2007.
9 of 10 phones have a cell phone
more than ¾ under 60K earners own a phone.
Over 60K it’s 97%
Minority Americans are significantly more likely to own a cell phone than white counterparts.
Smart Phone
Has emergered as a great leveler – cheaper alternative than having broadband in the home.
US Hispanic communities are more likely to have cell phones with internet and video capabilities and text more than any other race or ethnicity. More likely to use it for banking etc.
18% of Hispanic and African Americans are cell only internet users.
Video Games
33.5% of households own a gaming system.
High income families watch less TV but spend more time watching TV with kids, heaviest internet users.
17% of those earning less than 30K are cell only wireless users. – aka There is a good deal of lower income lower education who are cell only users.
Take Aways
PBS Kids reaches a large diverse audience. Across all properties.
There’s much more mobile – we can continue to serve diverse audiences by understanding where these audiences want to consume content.
PBS Kids Summit: Who Is Our Audience?
Notes from address by Beth Walsh, Senior Director PBS Research
Online
March spent 51 minutes watching PBS Kids
#1 7 months in a row
Online currently has 10 million visitors
TV
January – 4 shows in the top ten for kids aged 2-5
Kids 2-5 and kids 4-8 were both up 20%
Challenges:
1. Find ways to represent and serve our audience
2. Work together to be more efficient and effective.
Diversity:
- White population slowest growth
- Hispanic population fastest growth. 1/5 of Hispanic population made up of children under 9. In 12 years census projects that less than half of all children born will be white.
Kids want their favorite characters to represent who they are. How can PBS develop content and characters that accurately reflect tomorrow’s children? How do children see all people in the role models you can create?
Growing up digital:
AVG study: more kids 2-5 can play computer games than ride bicycles. More kids can open a web browser than can swim unaided. ‘For today’s children, technology is like air’.
As the standard bearer for top quality childrens media, how can we get in front of our audiences’ needs?
Excited about new technology to customize and optimize the personalized learning experience for the child.
Collective Assets:
PBS want to use our assets to work together to create something amazing and raise revenue for PBS. They used existing examples such as Raising Readers.
Aggregating our assets has a multiplayer effect. This was the driving concept behind the mobile app store and the PBS Kids shop. Putting our resources together will also come into play with new line of PBS Kids toys coming this summer.
PBS want to become a stronger, more unified presence in kids retail space.
How can we do this in other areas?
How to maximize outreach dollars? There is so much beyond content you have to account for in budgets (eg outreach, station relations). How do they reduce expenses? What if PBS developed a model where not all shows need to stand on their own? What if we pull all our assets together to create a specific outreach content bucket such as literacy or STEM?
Stations are looking for a centralized approach to help provide content to their users.
Online
March spent 51 minutes watching PBS Kids
#1 7 months in a row
Online currently has 10 million visitors
TV
January – 4 shows in the top ten for kids aged 2-5
Kids 2-5 and kids 4-8 were both up 20%
Challenges:
1. Find ways to represent and serve our audience
2. Work together to be more efficient and effective.
Diversity:
- White population slowest growth
- Hispanic population fastest growth. 1/5 of Hispanic population made up of children under 9. In 12 years census projects that less than half of all children born will be white.
Kids want their favorite characters to represent who they are. How can PBS develop content and characters that accurately reflect tomorrow’s children? How do children see all people in the role models you can create?
Growing up digital:
AVG study: more kids 2-5 can play computer games than ride bicycles. More kids can open a web browser than can swim unaided. ‘For today’s children, technology is like air’.
As the standard bearer for top quality childrens media, how can we get in front of our audiences’ needs?
Excited about new technology to customize and optimize the personalized learning experience for the child.
Collective Assets:
PBS want to use our assets to work together to create something amazing and raise revenue for PBS. They used existing examples such as Raising Readers.
Aggregating our assets has a multiplayer effect. This was the driving concept behind the mobile app store and the PBS Kids shop. Putting our resources together will also come into play with new line of PBS Kids toys coming this summer.
PBS want to become a stronger, more unified presence in kids retail space.
How can we do this in other areas?
How to maximize outreach dollars? There is so much beyond content you have to account for in budgets (eg outreach, station relations). How do they reduce expenses? What if PBS developed a model where not all shows need to stand on their own? What if we pull all our assets together to create a specific outreach content bucket such as literacy or STEM?
Stations are looking for a centralized approach to help provide content to their users.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Barnes And Noble Adds Apps To Nook E-Reader
Barnes And Noble Adds Apps To Nook E-Reader
Among the more than 125 applications available for the Nook Color e-reader are the game "Angry Birds" and cooking recipe vault "Epicurious."
April 25, 2011
Barnes & Noble Inc. on Monday added an applications store and an email program to its Nook Color e-reader, bringing the $249 device closer to working like a tablet computer in the vein of the iPad.
The Nook Color has a color touchscreen, which gives it capabilities beyond those of Amazon.com's competing Kindle. The Kindle has a gray-scale screen that isn't touch sensitive.
The Nook Color runs Google Inc.'s Android software, which is used on phones and tablets, but the device doesn't run standard Android applications. Instead, Barnes & Noble is encouraging developers to submit specially written applications to its Nook Apps store.
Among the more than 125 applications available Monday are the game "Angry Birds" and cooking recipe vault "Epicurious."
Barnes & Noble is also adding the ability to play Flash content on the Nook Color's Web browser.
Jonathan Shar, head of Barnes & Noble's "digital newsstand," said the Nook isn't intended to go compete directly with full-fledged tablets such as the iPad, for which there are more than 65,000 apps.
"The target for this is still people who love reading," Shar said.
The bookstore chain launched the Nook Color in November as a successor to its first Nook, which had a gray-scale screen and a smaller, color one. Right from the start, the Nook Color had a few non-book applications like "Sudoku," but there was no way to add more.
The new features are available as a free software update for current Nook owners.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
I just killed a social game mechanic
I just killed a social game mechanic
A really great article overview of game mechanics & definitions. The first part is worth skipping, but the 47 definitions & examples are gold!
My favorite:
A really great article overview of game mechanics & definitions. The first part is worth skipping, but the 47 definitions & examples are gold!
My favorite:
"17. Epic Meaning
Definition: players will be highly motivated if they believe they are working to achieve something great, something awe-inspiring, something bigger than themselves.
Example: From Jane McGonical’s Ted Talk where she discusses Warcraft’s ongoing story line and “epic meaning” that involves each individual has motivated players to participate outside the game and create the second largest wiki in the world to help them achieve their individual quests and collectively their epic meanings.
My commentary: I like the term and I have a lot of respect for McGonigal (misspelled above). But this could be differentiated further. There is no epic meaning. There may be situations in which players are highly motivated by a higher cause or calling; or by crowd psychology (action, thrill, spectacle, synchronicity); or by abstract principles (doing right, being good, giving back); and so on."
Software
Apple announces Final Cut Pro X, rebuilt from ground up with 64-bit support (update: $299 in June)
By Richard Lai posted Apr 12th 2011 10:16PM
Breaking News
Apple's just announced Final Cut Pro X at NAB, and Chief Architect of Video Applications Randy Ubillos is demonstrating a beta release as we speak. The "rebuilt from ground up" video editing suite -- which now shares a similar look and feel with iMovie -- will be shipped with 64-bit support to finally make use of more than 4GB of RAM, as well as handling 4K clips on 8-core editing rigs (by way of the Grand Central Dispatch feature on OS X Snow Leopard). Most notably, though, is that this new FCP will always be rendering instantly in the background, meaning you can edit on the fly much like you do on iMovie! There's also a whole stash of other new features: editing before media ingest, magnetic timeline, people detection, instant color matching between clips, smart collection of media based on custom keywords and people, auto image stabilization on import, and many more. Itching to get your hands dirty with Cupertino's new video tool? You'll be able to download it from the Mac App Store in June for just $299.
Update: @robimbs has just posted a video of Randy Ubillos' wrap-up at the show. We've got it after the break.
Apple announces Final Cut Pro X, rebuilt from ground up with 64-bit support (update: $299 in June)
By Richard Lai posted Apr 12th 2011 10:16PM
Breaking News
Apple's just announced Final Cut Pro X at NAB, and Chief Architect of Video Applications Randy Ubillos is demonstrating a beta release as we speak. The "rebuilt from ground up" video editing suite -- which now shares a similar look and feel with iMovie -- will be shipped with 64-bit support to finally make use of more than 4GB of RAM, as well as handling 4K clips on 8-core editing rigs (by way of the Grand Central Dispatch feature on OS X Snow Leopard). Most notably, though, is that this new FCP will always be rendering instantly in the background, meaning you can edit on the fly much like you do on iMovie! There's also a whole stash of other new features: editing before media ingest, magnetic timeline, people detection, instant color matching between clips, smart collection of media based on custom keywords and people, auto image stabilization on import, and many more. Itching to get your hands dirty with Cupertino's new video tool? You'll be able to download it from the Mac App Store in June for just $299.
Update: @robimbs has just posted a video of Randy Ubillos' wrap-up at the show. We've got it after the break.
FearSquare
via ReadWriteWeb
Welcome to FearSquare! FearSquare is an application which allows FourSquare users in the UK to easily see the official crime statistics for the places where you 'check-in'. The intention is to give you a uniquely individual look at the levels and types of crimes you are exposed to in your daily life.
"Rather than scaring users about publicly sharing their location, Fearsquare "takes a list of your ten most recent FourSquare check-ins and cross-references these with the UK Police Crime Statistics database" and shows "how many crimes were committed, during a recent one-month period, in the locations where they checked-in." It is all part of an opt-in study that examines "the interaction of people with crime statistics that are presented in a uniquely personal manner."
After authorizing Foursquare, Fearsquare makes the comparison and shows you how many instances of robbery, violent crime and "antisocial crime" have occurred in the vicinity. They can then see how they rank on a leaderboard of users and 'FearPoints.'"
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