Cultural differences in preference for which character the child would prefer to be Method 81 children (2 UK, 2 German schools) watched the storyboards They then completed a scenario evaluation questionnaire. Questions inquired about reactions to the scenarios, character preferences, empathy, emotions and coping strategies. A 20 minute Classroom Discussion Forum concluded the session aiming to explore children’s attitudes and reactions towards the bullying scenarios and the characters. Design implications Correct language configuration for the bullying scenarios Development of detailed bullying character profiles that children will comprehend Storyline design and progression and enhanced synthetic character design In summary Using storyboards supplemented with written questionnaires and Classroom Discussion Forums has: Storyboard Evaluation Aim To evaluate the bullying scenarios produced for FearNot: Direct – physical ( boys) Relational - social exclusion (girls) Results Scenarios and characters found to be believable Cultural differences in levels of comprehension of the scenario Children empathic towards victim characters Children identify with same gender characters (particularly in the UK) Girls have a more sophisticated understanding of bullying Cultural Preference for Characters Using Storyboards to Guide Virtual World Design Lynne Hall, Sarah Woods, Kerstin Dautenhahn & Polly Sobreperez FearNot! FearNot - Fun with Empathic Agents to Reach Novel Outcomes in Teaching is a Virtual Learning Environment populated by 3D synthetic characters who represent the various characters in a bullying scenario in improvised dramas in a virtual school. FearNot is being developed by the VICTEC (Virtual ICT with Empathic Characters) project. Storyboarding Classroom-based use of electronic storyboarding software:  Involves the creation of comic-strip like representations  Technique borrowed from the film and television industry  Electronic storyboarding particularly appropriate for agents Approach Classroom Discussion Forums Developed to obtain verbal feedback, following the approach typically used in schools of “Table Time” (small group discussions) followed by “Circle Time” or “on the carpet” (whole class discussion). Issue FearNot’s primary users are year old children. It was essential to obtain their input at the early stage of lifecycle, however, no stable version of the software existed. Storyboard Generation Design Implications Our approach to exploring bullying was found to be novel and engaging by children Bullying scenarios were refined based on insights into children’s social behaviours and language capabilities. Clear need for both relational and direct bullying scenarios Results Storyboards depicting bullying behaviour successfully generated by all participants Most children found the storyboarding software package fun and easy to use and would use it again. Children stated that it made them think about the serious nature of bullying behaviour in a novel way Aim To capture the stories and experiences that children tell about bullying behaviour. Frames from Generated Storyboards Method Storyboards were generated by 15 pairs of 8-11 year old UK children over a 40 minute period. Feedback was gained through a Classroom Discussion Forum Relational Scenario StoryboardPhysical Scenario Storyboard Promoted a child-centred approach in VICTEC Enhanced the design of scenarios Allowed an exploration of the importance of empathy in creating believable and engaging VLEs. Revealed important cultural and gender-related design implications for developing believable and engaging scenarios FearNot! Interface & Characters