Connectors in Maker Kits: Investigating Children's Motor Abilities in Making Conference Paper uri icon

abstract

  • The study of Making to support children's cognitive or social needs is gaining prominence rapidly. However, little research in Making focuses on children's motor skills and abilities, especially at younger ages. Arguing that Making provides greater benefits when introduced at elementary school-aged, this paper contributes to the understanding of how children aged 8 to 11 manipulate connectors, a key component of Maker kits. We present a review of connectors used in prior work, a theoretical foundation based on the mediated action theory of affordances, and an empirical study of children using 6 different types of connectors with various affordances. Based on quantitative analysis and qualitative video analysis, we present themes that may guide the design of components in future Maker kits for children, with a view towards usability aligned with children's capabilities and mental models.

name of conference

  • Proceedings of the The 15th International Conference on Interaction Design and Children

published proceedings

  • PROCEEDINGS OF THE 15TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON INTERACTION DESIGN AND CHILDREN (IDC2016)

author list (cited authors)

  • Chu, S. L., Saenz, M., & Quek, F.

citation count

  • 9

complete list of authors

  • Chu, Sharon Lynn||Saenz, Michael||Quek, Francis

publication date

  • June 2016