2. Why?
Robot Heart Stories is an exceptional project
because of it’s collaborative structure that
permeates all aspects of the project as well as it’s
grounding in experiential education
3. Robot Heart Stories
theOverview
42 Students Montreal and LA 2 Teachers
10 Stories 1 Rocket into space
Robot Hearts Stories, a Reboot Stories prototype, is an experiential
learning project that uses collaboration and creative problem solving
to put education directly in the hands of students. It was developed
by experience designer Lance Weiler and creative producer Janine
Saunders with 50+ volunteers and 42 students. This fall, two
classrooms, a continent apart, will work together to get a lost robot
home, and they will need the audiences help.
The project concluded with an actual space launch! That’s right the
robot along with copies of the students stories and artwork boarded
a commercial rocket that headed to the space station. {A}
5. Robot Heart Stories
thePlatforms
Classrooms Website Tumblr Heartpack
LAIKA Space Vimeo Book
6. Robot Heart Stories
cooperationcollaboration
Ethnographic research by a collaborator has lead to the following
results how to improve open collaboration...
Lessons learned: ideating
The co-creative process evaluating
should leave room for social
commentary
create {confidence}
Still discovering share {intellectual property}
mechanisms to
trust {ethics}
{B} cc Ele Jansen.
7. Robot Heart Stories
storyco-creation
experimental co-creation evolved* from a framework of....
The
The ARC The story’s The
A Robot reporting
The The narrative
Narrative Narrative call
back about Earth &
the Humans that
live on it
Theme prop
Backbone Thread
‘Share your
passion to propel
Fish Out of Water
Laika & A robot plush toy
The robot's journey education propelled the story
bridged collaboration, This consisted of Laika forward' forward & created
story & curriculum. finding joy in what the emotional connection.
kids are passionate
about and then
amplified that energy
** this evolution happened during and after the creation process rather than a pre-determined framework. cc Ele Jansen {B}
8. Robot Heart Stories
storyco-creation
Co-designing a Curriculum Driven Story..
Narrative + game + education
equals
a curriculum based on playful,
experiential learning
9. Robot Heart Stories
experientialeducation
"a philosophy that informs many methodologies in which
educators purposefully engage with learners in direct experience
and focused reflection in order to increase knowledge, develop
skills, clarify values, and develop people's capacity to contribute
to their communities."
10. Robot Heart Stories
experientialeducation
Can a Robot help reboot education?
This is the fundamental question that the Robot Heart Stories team is asking...
Through co-creation & a move into the
experimental education movement this team is
looking at new ways to creative productive &
meaningful learning environments
11. Robot Heart Stories
theAudience
Target Groups: Goals:
Target Audience: “To inform a wider
+ elementary groups
+ higher education audience including
+ kids + parenting groups
political and
administrative
+ educators + after school programs decision makers to
+ parents + science education reboot education and
+ global + math education show that experiential
+ creative writing learning and co-
+ all ages + media literacy advocates creative storytelling
+ digital technology experts can lead the way”
12. Robot Heart Stories
The Original
Tweet...
thereach
700+
Student
Led To Projects
8 Countries
50+ Collaborators
13. Robot Heart Stories
ModelsofParticipatorydesign
Experiential Education as A Design Feature
Laika crashes & needs to get home
2 classrooms
one in Montreal (French speaking)
the other in LA (English speaking
14. Robot Heart Stories
TheClassrooms
STATS
• Cities visited: 56
• Miles travelled: 2010
• Rivers hopped: 47
• Words learned: 7106
• Photos taken: 397
• Mountains climbed: 16
• Friends made: 100
• Passions shared: 890
The story is played
by two groups of
students – one in Using their geography,
Montréal, the other math and problem solving
in Los Angeles. skills, the students must
learn to collaborate to
help a stranded alien
robot get himself across
the country and onto a
rocket back home.
15. Robot Heart Stories
ModelsofParticipatorydesign
Experiential Education as A Design Feature
To get her home students will use
math, science, history, geography
and creative writing to help the
robot make her way across North
America.
16. Robot Heart Stories
heartpack
Laika, the Robot, is powered through
the passion and creativity of the
audience. To get the audience
involved they are invited to create a
"heartpack" and share something
they love. This work then becomes a
part of a "heartpack" gallery from
participants around the world. The
more "heartpacks" that are
submitted, the greater the robot's
strength becomes to make her way
home. It is a great way to get the
audience involved as the actions are
simple but fun. Two options were
made available: a foldable 3-D
version and a flat version.
17. Robot Heart Stories
ModelsofParticipatorydesign
Experiential Education as A Design Feature
A team of producers, The students, & other
artists &designers audience members could then
They documented
traveled with laika track Laika’s progress
the process in
across Canada & the US
pictures & videos
18. Robot Heart Stories
Launchingintospace
The team behind Robot Heart Stories does not think small....
The Robot Heart Stories team have been talking with NASA about launching the Robot, stories
and artwork into space. Their plan is to hitch a ride into space early next year on a scheduled
launch to the International Space Station.
User-Defined Footer Text
19. Robot Heart Stories
Launchingintospace
Will the students be able to participate in the launch? This is what RHS
says:
Well, there will actually be two launches -- one that makes use of a high altitude weather balloon that will
reach 90,000+ feet above the earth (which is not actually space, but is still very cool). This launch will be
designed and controlled by the students themselves, as we want to incorporate a hands on science
opportunity into the experience. It also enables us to capture the robot's journey on camera, which we will
have to work together to find after the weather balloon pops and the elements fall back to earth. Later,
we'll all be able to follow the robot during the second space launch.
Check out Laika’s test launch at: http://vimeo.com/43872243
20. Robot Heart Stories
Launchingintospace
Laika will be launched into space
She will take the kids artwork
& stories with her ensuring a
belief that these kids can do
great things
The Launch is
Scheduled for 2013
21. Robot Heart Stories
thebook
At the end of this phase of the project a coffee table book will be created
that includes:
artworks created by the kids
user generated content
Proceeds from the book will go to
all of the stories support an organization that helps
to bring creativity into children's
lives.
User-Defined Footer Text
22. Robot Heart Stories
thedocumentation
A major part of this
As with all other parts project was to
of this project, the conduct research
documentation was also and create useful
a collaborative project documentation that
could be used for
further phases of
an academic case study by Ele this project as well
Jansen can be found at: as a resource for
learndoshare.net other to learn
from.
23. Robot Heart Stories
Laika
GPS Connected Toy...*
air quality
altitude
geolocation air temp
GPS Co-ordinates
42.93401 74 F
56.93401
934019234
* GPS was used for this first prototype. Tribecca Media Fund is funding R&D Development for the second phase
including adding more sensors to Laika, sending her around the world & creating sellable Laika dolls.
24. Robot Heart Stories
Laika
2 Photographers:
On Laika’s Journey She...
Mike Hedge and
Tiffani bearup visited 56 cities
traveled from
travelled 2010 miles
IMG: Mike Hedge + Tiffani Bearup
Montreal to LA
“The key task for
the journey was to with Laika
find destinations that generated 397 photographs.
fit the curriculum
build, for instance the
Alamosa Wind Mill
farm in New Mexico”
26. Robot Heart Stories
socialmediacampaign
Retweets, facebook likes, tumblr shares of content spread
the word about the project & launch...
+ RHS Outreach
+ Collaborators Outreach
+ Offering Prepped Tweets
+ RHS Outreach to Bloggers
+ Collaborators Outreach to Bloggers
27. Robot Heart Stories
themoney
$23,000 USD $2,165 USD
internal funding
Raised of $15,000 Goal
Volunteers provided much of the
work for no monetary support
enabling the project to grow
bigger than its budget.
28. Robot Heart Stories
theTeam Project Documentation Team:
Ele Jansen
Cynthia Jabar
Maya Zuckerman
Adipat Virdi
Lance Weiler Janine Saunders Sai Pathmanathan
Creator Creative Producer LA / Story Pirates Associate Producers:
Producers: Elena Parker
Duke Doyle Adipat Virdi
Curriculum Jamie Salka Mike Hedge
Development: Connor White Marc Ruppel
Story Pirates Ele Jansen
Quinton Johnson Yo Park
Lorie Marsh Julie Stratton Montreal
Coordinating
Atley Loughridge Production + Story Producer:
Jasmine Pisapia
Creative producer Producer:
Lorie Marsh
Story Development +
Writers:
Elena Parker
Lance Weiler Social Media:
Site for illustrators & LA Teacher / School:
Jen Bengel
Coordination: Dennis Hagen-Smith Montreal Teacher /
Design Related Artistic Trainer:
Ele Jansen Photographers on the Matt Sung Translation Producer: Daphnee Cyr
Media road aka Laika: Karine Halpern
Anthropologist Mike Hedge
Tiffani Bearup
RebootStories Translators:
Blogger: Lea Pisapia
Jason Hood Karine Halpern
Felicia Pride Fabienne Olivier Teaser Video:
Jordan Gray
29. Robot Heart Stories
keypartners
Story Pirates Vectorface UCLA Open Access Week
Fondation du Dr.
Festival Du design related Northern Army DIY DAYS
Julien P’tits Loups
Nouveau Cimena
30. LinksResources
Websites
robotheartstories.com learndoshare.net lanceweiler.com
rebootstories.com rebootstories.tumblr janinesaunders.com
References
{A} http://lanceweiler.com/2011/08/robot/
{B} Reboot Stories: An experiment in experiential learning through
co-creative storytelling Author: Ele Jansen
For a thorough academic case study please see:
www.learndoshare.net/#/robotheartstories
For a documentation from the Reboot Stories team:
www.learndoshare.net
31. Get in Touch
contactus
TMC Resource Kit
info@tmcresourcekit.com
tmcresourcekit.com
Robot Heart Stories Case Study was prepared by:
anthea foyer
antheafoyer.com @antheafoyer
33. Robot Heart Stories Case Study is released under a NonCommercial
ShareAlike Creative Commons license to be shared, remixed and
expanded non-‐commercially, as long as you credit the TMC
Resource Kit, the creator of the Case Study, Anthea Foyer or Dr.
Siobhan O’Flynn, and license your new creations under the identical
terms.
Third party images retain their original copyright.
