Pass it Back! Kid Apps on Grown-Up Devices

Pass it Back! Kid Apps on Grown-Up Devices PBS KIDS Interactive Nina Walia, Associate Director Sara DeWitt, Senior Director This session is #passitback on twitter

pass-back effect : when a parent or adult passes their own mobile device to a child to occupy them when they’re on the go
back seat of the car
at restaurants
waiting in line

pbskids.org
This session is #passitback on twitter

pbskids.org
9 million unique visitors per month

Session Overview
The passback audience
Usability challenges + solutions
Can we prove the phone is an educational platform?
Future implications on gaming and education

Viewers Like You. #passitback on twitter

Pass-Back Effect Audience: Who They Are and What They Want
Parents AND Kids
Age range of kids: 3-6 year olds
Parents passback to distract but educational value relieves the guilt

60% of Top 25 Paid Educational Apps Target Preschoolers iLearn: A Content Analysis of the iTunes App Store’s Education Section , Joan Ganz Cooney Center, 2009

Content must be engaging and quiet

NOT Quiet

Quiet and Engaging

Content must be engaging and quiet
Most using iPhones vs. iPod Touch

How PBS works.

Top 10 Usability Tips
Eliminate text barriers so the child can start the game on their own.

Eliminate Text Barriers

Current hardware demands us to learn how *it* wants *us* to tap.
Kids understand back arrows.
Landscape mode gives more screen real estate so kids’ fingers don’t overlap on the screen.
Disable zoom.

Portrait Orientation is a No-No

Disable zoom.
Make hot spots large (or group small areas).

Usability Challenges + Solutions
Tilt is disorienting (and can lead to broken devices).
Memory constraint allows for limited audio, so use it wisely as kids need it as a guide.

No cursor to “stick” things to or rollover states to allow for prediction means finding other ways to indicate selection and designing for failure/experimentation.

No cursor to “stick” things to or rollovers to allow for hints means finding other ways to indicate selection and designing for failure/experimentation.
Metaphors should mirror kids’ reality.

Top Ten Usability Tips
Disable zoom.
Make hot spots large (or group small areas).
Tilt is disorienting (and can lead to broken devices).
Memory constraint allow for limited audio, so use it wisely as kids need it as a guide.
No cursor to “stick” things to or rollovers to allow for hints means finding other ways to indicate selection and designing for failure/experimentation.
Metaphors should mirror kids’ reality.

Can kids learn on mobile devices?

PBS KIDS Research Studies
Regular usability testing, new platform testing
Sprint cell phone study - 2006
iPhone app study, Super WHY! And Martha Speaks - 2010
Industry brief on kids and mobile apps - planned summer 2010

The PBS Ready To Learn Cell Phone Study: Learning Letters with Elmo 2006 study

8-week Cell Phone Trial
Partners
Sesame Workshop
PBS KIDS
Sprint
WestEd
GoTV Networks
Funded by:
U.S. Department of Education’s Ready To
Learn Initiative

Purpose of the Study
Assess effects of intervention between higher- and lower-income households
Assess level of acceptance of cell phones as a useful medium for delivering educational content to parents of preschoolers
Identify ways parents use cell phones for this content; identify use patterns

Parents of 3 and 4 year olds in Los Angeles, Oakland, or Fresno, CA
44.3% below the poverty line
55.7% above the poverty line
Training included:
Literacy tips
Cell phone instruction
Take-home pamphlet for reference
79 Parents as Participants

Participate in at least three Letter Days each week (includes viewing the Maria and Elmo messages)
Record viewing in the project pamphlet
Complete the survey and provide demographic information
Participate in interviews at the end of the project and complete the second survey
Participant Assignment

Children’s knowledge of the alphabet increased
3/4 of participants at or below poverty line reported that children’s knowledge improved to a good or great extent
1/2 of participants above poverty line reported same
Parents reported a statistically significant change in number of letters children knew from pre- to post-intervention
2006 Mobile Study Findings

In both groups, children’s knowledge of the alphabet song improved, even though song was not included in the clips
In both groups, parents reported engaging in more literacy activities (looking for letters on signs, etc)
Parents in lower-income households were more likely to co-view letter video clips
Children in lower-income households were more likely to ask to view letter clips
2006 Study Findings, continued

Children and parents are comfortable with the technology
Participating children found clips easy to view; mastered cell phone buttons for replay
More than 3/4 of parents felt cell phones (used this way) can be an effective learning tool to a good or great extent
That said,
parents are somewhat concerned that children will damage the cell phone, drain the battery
2006 Study Findings, continued

2006 -> 2010

1. Relevant Hot Spots

2. Meaningful Drawing

2010 iPhone App Study
Super WHY!
Martha Speaks: Martha’s Dog Party

3-7 year old kids (and their parents) in Washington, DC, and Indianapolis, IN
Recruited from Title I schools
Evenly split above/below poverty line
Trial kick-off included:
Kid reading and vocabulary assessments
Parent tool overview
Parent survey
First observations of play
90 Participants

Audio Challenges

Are apps usable, age-appropriate, engaging for 3-7 year olds in Title I schools
How frequently will kids play? For how long?
How appealing is the content and delivery format to kids and parents?
How well do the apps foster learning of the target curriculum?
Purpose of the Study

Parents are guided to record feedback using exZact data collection client:
Kids’ usage
Usability notes
Other observations, feedback
exZact apps also used for initial parent survey
Also surveying teachers on use in the classroom
Usage and Surveys

Martha Speaks
Engaging kids up to 7
Finding and learning new words, but want more
Expected good vocabulary acquisition results (kids are learning words in 2-3 plays)
Martha Says game looks to be most effective
Kids taught the researchers about other functions
2010 Study Initial Observations

Super WHY!
Engaging to the target audience
Tracing experience doesn’t appear to be meeting goal - kids are using their thumbs
Whyatt game successful in comprehension and context for kids who can’t yet read the words.
MORE SOON!
Report will be ready in mid-April
pbskids.org/read
2010 Study Initial Observations

Future Implications Gaming casual gaming games are cheaper devices only do one thing camera : augmented reality Education child development educational standards Apple on-the-go potential

Questions?
Your own stories?
#passitback on twitter

Nina Walia
[email_address]
@ missmodular
Thank you! Sara DeWitt [email_address] @ saradewitt PBS KIDS Mobile Downloads: pbskids.org/mobile PBS KIDS Mobile Technologies & Learning Research: http://pbskids.org/read/research/mobile.html

http://edlab.tc.columbia.edu	155
http://trendsined.pressible.org	41
http://www.slideshare.net	18
http://blackboard.cpsb.org	2

Pass it Back! Kid Apps on Grown-Up Devices

by Nina Walia

Accessibility

Categories

Upload Details

Usage Rights

4 Embeds 216

Statistics

Pass it Back! Kid Apps on Grown-Up Devices Presentation Transcript