CONTENT INTRODUCTION 5 WHAT DID WE DO? 7 Drishya Kids Workshop 9 Srishti Faculty Kids Workshop 10 WHY DID WE DO? 13 WORKSHOP CONSTRAINTS 14 WHY KIDS? 17 WHAT WERE WE TRYING TO FIND? 18 DRISHYA KIDS WORKSHOP PROCESS 21 Introduction to Nokia N810 & Scratch on it 25 Drawings and Imagination 27 Constructing the imagination 29 Selecting appropriate location 31 Story-telling on location 33 SRISHTI FACULTY KIDS WORKSHOP 34 Workshop Process 36 INFERENCES & CONCLUSION 39 DIRECTIONS & QUESTIONS FOR THE NOKIA N810 40 Nokia N810 Internet Tablet Workshops & Analysis
WHY DID WE DO? 13WORKSHOP CONSTRAINTS 14WHY KIDS? 17WHAT WERE WE TRYING TO FIND? 18DRISHYA KIDS WORKSHOP PROCESS 21
Introduction to Nokia N810 & Scratch on it 25Drawings and Imagination 27Constructing the imagination 29Selecting appropriate location 31Story-telling on location 33
SRISHTI FACULTY KIDS WORKSHOP 34Workshop Process 36
INFERENCES & CONCLUSION 39DIRECTIONS & QUESTIONS FOR THE NOKIA N810 40
Nokia N810Internet Tablet
Workshops & Analysis
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This book is about user-research and possible future directions for the Nokia N810 Internet-tablet.
The research was carried out through two workshops, run with two independent groups of children over two weekends and an evening. It was a joint exercise between Nokia and Project Vision (Srishti School of Art, Design and Technology).
The Drishya children were drawn from a not-school learning centre, Drishya, run by the Dwarkanath Reddy Ramanarpanam Trust (DRRT). We thank the Drishya family for the support extended us for this research.
The Faculty children were a group of kids primarily from the Mallya Aditi International School (with the exception of one). They were sons and daughters of Srishti faculties, and a few of their friends. We thank them for their enthusiasm and willingness to be a part of this research.
INTRODUCTION
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We ran two workshops, as a joint exercise between Nokia and Project Vision (Srishti School of Art, Design and Technology), with two independent groups of children over two weekends and one evening.
WHAT DID WE DO?
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This workshop ran over two Saturdays (a total of about 8hrs.) with six children from Drishya, who had prior experience working on Scratch, and additionally were good with craft and drawing. Their age group ranged from 10 to 12 years old.
The workshop was designed specifically to initiate them to the Nokia N810, and to instill an understanding of the device in them. Additionally, it was planned to observe how the children took to playing with Scratch on the new device.
We wanted to question the usability of the shrunk interface, the stylus-based mode of interaction and the ability to draw directly; and how these could translate into newer and better ways of play-learning.
As these kids don’t have formal school training it was interesting for us to see how they perceived the device and made their own devices (using craft-materials) which they called their Magic Boxes.
DRISHYA KIDS WORKSHOP
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SRISHTI FACULTY KIDS WORKSHOP
This workshop ran over the relatively shorter time-span of 3hrs. We conducted and designed this workshop with five kids from formal schools, in the age group of 10 to 12 years. The workshop was designed to test Scratch and its usability on the Nokia N810. Of course, detailed observations were also made regarding the usability and interface of the device itself.
There was only one kid out of the five who wasn’t exposed to Scratch. We wanted to observe how they would adapt to the device and to Scratch on a handheld.
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WHY DID WE DO?
The workshops were run specifically to test Scratch functionality on the N810; and in general to also test the usability of the device itself. We also wanted to find out if there is a need to further develop the device itself, or design any supportive accessories that would enhance the functionality of the product.
The MIT and the Nokia team had been hard at work over the past year trying to port Scratch onto the Maemo flavour of Linux (which is the operating system for the N810), and we were going to put their hard work to the test through these two short workshops.
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Scratch wasn’t working seamlessly when we conducted the workshop with the Drishya kids. There were problems with the sound in Scratch, wherein Scratch could neither record nor playback. Also, the interface itself hadn’t been translated to fit the aspect ratio and smaller screen of the N810. In short, it was very much a work in progress; and the results of the workshop would be primarily to evaluate the device and the concept of Scratch-on-N810.
By the time the second workshop was run, however, Scratch was working smoothly on the devices. Barring a few hiccups, of course. To our, and the kids’ delight, sound was finally up and running on the device! Scratch wasn’t recording, but the familiar sounds of the cat and the rest of the musical family were there. There had been a tangible progression in the design of the interface as well, and it was now much better tuned to the screen of the N810.
Following the two workshops, several suggestions and feedback on the working of Scratch on the Nokia N810 device,
WORKSHOP CONSTRAINTS
were forwarded to both the MIT and the Nokia teams.
As far as the homogeneity of the test-group is concerned, the Drishya kids were fairly equals and well-balanced in their conceptual and cognitive abilities. Also, both sexes were fairly well represented. For the Faculty-kids workshop, however, all abilities were more or less balanced; but there was a marked bias in that there was only one girl amongst the team of six.
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WHY KIDS?
We targeted kids because they are core focus for Project Vision. We have conducted workshops with these kids earlier, and they are all eager and excited to explore new things. They also adapt to new modes of playing and working easily.
The final concept of making the Nokia N810 device into an education tablet
has to begin with the interest of the kids themselves. The kids enjoy storytelling and animation on the Scratch platform, and they have had prior workshops and camps in which they have worked intensively with Scratch. Thus, Scratch too became an integral part of these workshops.
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WHAT WERE WE TRYING TO FIND?
We were trying to find out alternate ways in which the device could be used by kids as well as facilitators. How children react to the product and how it could work as an education tablet rather than just been an internet tablet for professionals on the go. Also, how could the device break free of its internet-dependency?
On the Scratch front, we were trying to test the newly-translated interface along with the new modes of interaction that the N810 provided. Also, what the device could provide in terms of facilitating greater immersion and mobility for the Scratch platform.
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DRISHYA KIDS WORKSHOP PROCESS
Drishya Workshop (Day 1)
We planned to start with revisiting a prior workshop, following it with a warm-up session with the Nokia N810 device; and finally letting them loose to freely think and make their own devices using craft material.
We started with revisiting the Scratch Trans-media Storytelling workshop which was a part of the summer camp in Drishya. The kids were asked to revisit their Storytelling workshop (of June 2008) in which they merged traditional forms of storytelling and narration, with digital methods of procedural animation and performance. The kids used Scratch for animation and media manipulation, along with Nokia mobile phone handsets for gathering and transferring media.
The discussion served to ease them into thinking about technology, something which is not an overwhelming feature of their daily lives. Also, it let them revisit their lived experiences and narrate to us various likes and dislikes; all of which were valuable insights for the current context as well.
The responses were very different and each child contributed extensively.
Here are few examples of their likes• Scripting in Scratch was fun• Story-telling• Making characters in Scratch• Drawing in Scratch• Projecting on a wider screen• Performance• Phone recordings
Dislikes were• Too chaotic• Low concentration• Technical failures within Scratch
Following the revisit, the kids were asked to comment and compare, their experiences of working on various computer and computer-like devices. The devices we had in mind were a desktop, laptop, mobile phones and finally, the Nokia N810. It seemed a logical progression in our minds and we wanted to see whether the kids could arrive at this conclusion by themselves with a minimum of prompting from us.
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What ensued was an enthusiastic and lively discussion that went into considerable detail as to the pros and cons of the various devices. The progression from desktop to handheld was amply clear to them, as were the limitations of each of the devices.
Following are, according to the children, the pros and cons of each of the above mentioned devices:
Desktop pros• Doesn’t rely on a Battery• Runs on UPS• Can be localised
Laptop pros• Portable & Personal• Outdoor spaces• Can be localised
Mobile phones pros• Portable, Tactile & Personal• Many features in one device• Can be localised• Media
Nokia N810 pros• Like a computer in a pocket• Tactile & Portable• In-built Keyboard• All features in one device• Stylus• Drawing
Desktop cons• Not portable & Non-tactile• Need external accessories
(web cam etc.)
Laptop cons• Battery dependent• Non-tactile
Mobile phones cons• Battery dependent
Nokia N810 cons• Not a phone• Battery dependent• Not much use without internet
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Drishya Workshop (Day 1)
At this stage, the Nokia team decided to give to the kids a slightly more detailed introduction to the N810, including its Scratch capabilities. Needless to say, the kids were overwhelmed at the idea of working with Scratch on such a convenient and mobile form-factor. They took to the device with amazing speed, spurred on by the Kannada interface of Scratch. Beyond Scratch, the kids also tried their hands at browsing on the N810’s fully-featured browser, called each other on Skype, and had a blast taking group photos through modules downloaded from the internet. The readily available Wi-Fi connection was a huge help.
All through their process of engaging with the device, the team observed them and made notes, took photos and recorded their triumphs and frustrations. There were corners galore that needed rounding prior to full-fledged use of the device, but it was a very good reception from the primary test-group.
Following are the marked observations• Playing games (Numpty physics
etc.)• Playing Scratch (wasn’t fully
developed)• Video, camera & recording is fun• Skype• Drawing with stylus is fun• Cool factor• Typing is difficult• Fun and playful• Online portals like Ning (Kannada)
INTRODUCTION TO NOKIA N810 & SCRATCH ON IT
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Drishya Workshop (Day 1)
The final stage for the day involved giving the kids some drawing materials. Their task was deceptively simple: to conceptualise their own devices (along the lines of the N810) and make a story for their personal N810; which they would then have to prototype using boxes and craft material.
At this point Scratch was not working flawlessly on the N810 and thus, not much more could be tested on the Scratch front. Therefore, it was necessary for us to give the kids an opportunity to think beyond the N810 and create their own Magic Box, which would be informed by their interests, biases, contexts and general exposure to technology. This would then help us to conceptualise further applications for the device.
Following were the observations made from the drawings
• Lots of games to be played• Information is the key factor• Fun and colourful• Companionship (device)• Spreading awareness• Location sensitive device• Environment and nature issues• Friends (connecting and sharing)• Information about Planet Earth• Information to Community• Form of the device is different• Emotions (happy, lonely etc.)• Easy Interface• Localised• Extremely personal & Interactive• Simulation
DRAWINGS AND IMAGINATION
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CONSTRUCTING THE IMAGINATION
Drishya Workshop (Day 2)
Day Two was focused upon the making of the Magic Boxes. The kids were provided materials to decorate and make their individual Magic Boxes. They also went further by looking up paper-mechanisms, searching for appropriate pictures and selecting appropriate colours for their boxes. All the kids were able to represent, in craft, the drawings that they had made earlier. The final interactive boxes were not very different from their drawings.
Making of the boxes:• Gathering specific pictures• Interactive boxes• Colours• Local material• Compact• Motion or movement• Multi-layered• Portable• Magical (surprise element)• Extremely personal• Informative• Craft• Embellishment & Decorative
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Drishya Workshop (Day 2)
The kids were also asked to select a space in which they would like the company of their boxes. It was in this space that they were to narrate the story of their box, and explain its working to us. Most of the spaces overlapped, and some needed a bit of imagination because all contexts weren’t readily available.
Selection of the spaces:• Home• Drishya (majority)• Garden• Swimming pool• In the community• In friend’s house• Natural spaces• In day time• Rainy season• Pottery workshops• Used when lonely, sad or happy• In a bus• Contextually sensitive information
retrieval• Various other places (abroad)
SELECTING APPROPRIATE LOCATION
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Drishya Workshop (Day 2)
It was fun and intriguing to see the manner in which they worked to produce interactive boxes that met their own specifications; and then the final show-and-tell in which they proudly demonstrated their Magic Boxes to us.
Story-telling in liked location:• Known and comfort zones• Informative boxes (communicative)• Device that solves environmental
problems• Relational and metaphorical• Personal & Portable• Personalised (local)• Bank• Media and entertainment• Happy box• Educative and illustrative• Accessible and interactive• Story-telling• Simulation• Bringing outer world inside• Localise• Learning resources• Spreading awareness• Multi-layered (information &
interface)• Skinnable• Analogue-digital balance• Environmental conscious• Eco-friendly• Compact, attractive & colourful• Like a friend• Cool factor
STORY-TELLING ON LOCATION
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SRISHTI FACULTY KIDS WORKSHOP
This workshop was targeted at a slightly more upper-class focus group, that are more familiar with technology in their day-to-day lives. They use a variety of screen-based interactions and media. These kids were drawn from families known to the researchers, and were all school-going kids. This workshop had a marked gender bias, with only one participant out of six representing the girls.
The workshop was designed to test how school-going children from upper-middle-class society interact with the Nokia N810. As Scratch was working smoothly on the device by this time, the workshop additionally focused on the testing of Scratch on the Nokia N810.
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WORKSHOP PROCESS
We had six kids out of which five had prior experience in working on Scratch. The workshop started off with a short introductory session where we introduced each other, and hinted at the possibility of the device. When their curiosity had been piqued, the kids were just handed the Nokia N810 devices to play with. There was no formal introduction given to them, and they discovered the various possibilities and features of the device completely by themselves.
It was amazing to observe how easily they navigated and made themselves at home on the device. Also, they related to us all the apparent and visible hardware features as well. Unfortunately, there was no internet access; and the focus remained purely on the device and Scratch. The kids, also, tired easily of Scratch and found themselves various other diversions on the handheld (including some games).
The results or the insights were as follows
• Enjoyed the cool factor of the device• Why not a phone• Scratch cards not helpful (ignored)• Patient and enthusiastic
explorations• Enjoyed playing games• Fun drawing with stylus• Want to own one• Typing was a pain (key-board)• Fun, play and cool• Internet is a necessity
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INFERENCES & CONCLUSIONS
The workshop gave us a lot of rich data that could help Nokia and MIT to open up wider opportunities. The above insights are all very essential for Nokia and MIT to develop this device further.
The above analysis can be clustered into three categories:
MobilityThe kids want to move around and play with the device. They have multiple numbers of places to take the device around. The biggest factor of the device being that, all the kids wants to study their environment not sitting at one place but testing it in the real context with the help of this device.
The device thus has to have the following capabilities according to the demands:
• Reliable Internet access• Multiple real time data collecting
sensors (apart from Scratch sensors)
• Projecting facility (story-telling)• Better key-board for easy usage
ApplicationSoftware that extend functionality, and enable the child to learn and discover. Examples of applications would include data-gathering and visualising, animation and story-telling through varied media. Applications would enable the child to grow with the device and vice versa, thus ensuring long-term usage and upgradability.
Additionally, plug-in hardware could also be conceptualised along similar lines. For example, an add-on that enables the device to project the screen onto a wall or similar flat surface.
EmotionEmotions play a major role as far as this device is concerned. This device should be a friend to the child, helping him discover and learn.
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DIRECTIONS & QUESTIONS FOR THE NOKIA N810
• Why doesn’t it have phone capabilities?
• Stylus is fun to draw with• What if there is no wireless
connectivity?• Want more educative games• Key-board is very difficult to operate• Numbers are difficult to type• How can it stand against the new
mini laptops (netbooks) in the market?
• Much more sophisticated Scratch functionality (recording, right-clicks etc.)
• Right-click functionality on the N810
• Need for good reference material for the first time users of N810 (and Scratch on it)
• GPS functionality• GIS functionality• Locative media• Location Awareness in device• Localise• Use of Scratch-boards for scientific
experiments or arts• Use of external sensors to obtain
