Fun Learning Stagecast Creator: An Exercise in Minimalism and Collaboration Cheryl Seals, Mary Beth Rosson, John M. Carroll, Tracy Lewis, and Lenese Colson Center for Human Computer Interaction Virginia Tech, Blacksburg VA

Introduction We are attempting to create a cross-generational web based learning community for students, teachers, and seniors. Learning community will design, construct, and discuss simulations of community issues. Paper reports results of formative evaluation with students creating simulation projects.

Stagecast Creator Based on a movie metaphor Programming is facilitated by macro recorder to allow “programming by demonstration” Behaviors are represented as a set of as a set of “if-then” rules

Visual Programming Spatial context and visual appearance are required elements in a rule’s precondition Correct position and appearance are preconditions for rules

Minimalist Instruction Aim is to engage people in simulation creation and discussion, but their participation is discretionary Instructions are a set of Minimalist Instructional manuals. Minimalism has been successfully used for training and emphasized that people learn well by engaging in real activities; it encourages an “action and task oriented approach to instruction and documentation.” Minimalism= Getting started quickly Engaging in real task-oriented activities Supporting error recovery Reducing textual information

Tutorial Example Smoking kids simulation Confirmed by middle school teachers as a big issue for this age group

Minimalist Tutorial Activity IActivity II Explore simulation Explore role of sickness variable Modify and test variable change Add new character Add rule of behavior for new character Reuse existing character,to create new character Create new appearances Edit a rule to use the new appearances correctly Add a new character to change the simulation

Procedure Participants: 10 middle school students Background survey Performed in usability testing lab study with “think aloud” protocol Recorded critical incidents Captured video, audio, and screen Subjective questionnaire, knowledge survey, retrospective interview

Observations and Results Duration minutes Activity I Duration minutes Activity II Most students were successful in modifying simulations and adding new characters. Usability satisfaction Easy and fun to use Would like to use it in their classes But needed more exposure to feel confident No problems with drawing tools Problems with tools for rule creation

Stagecast Usability Problems IssueLikely Cause Directing input to the wrong window Too many similar-looking windows Confused between rules and rule- actions lists Lists that look similar but have different meanings Select wrong iconMultiple similar icons Inability to find rules or other content in window Non-traditional method of scrolling Misunderstand spotlight and concept of stretching it Spotlight metaphor is not obvious or intuitive

Visual Programming Challenges Practical metaphors for icons Bigger Icons Fewer layers of scaffolding Relation between internal variables and visual state of the simulation. Role of visual context in rules Rules must match exact visual context, most PBD system make rules to specific to be reused

Minimalism All learners quickly engaged by activities Error recovery tools worked properly Most learners were able to recover without evaluator prompting Evaluator only provided assistance twice during entire experiment Minimal text, with screen shots and icons enabled rapid exploration

Collaboration Students were paired as driver&navigator. All groups had fun and except one group were very cooperative. Ex: Group2. The driver was inquisitive, but the navigator was more pragmatic which kept the group successfully on task.

Knowledge Survey Conducted to gauge user understanding Ideas for future simulations The role of variables Understanding visual context

Summary Minimalist Tutorial successful in exposing students to basics of visual programming All participants completed simple modification tasks. Students had problems matching visual state of rule to exact visual syntax. PBD great technique to get novices started quickly, but very limiting when trying to create sophisticated behaviors. Students are willing and able to use this tool to work on community related simulations.

Ongoing and Future Research Participatory Design Workshop with teachers and seniors Empirical analysis with students and seniors Workshop with students and seniors Gained broader insight into computing habits of these groups. Utilized this knowledge to refine Community Simulations.

Community Simulations

Acknowledgements NSF Graduate Research: NSF ITR Partnerships: Thanks to Stagecast Creator for allowing us to experimental test, review, and critique their software;Also to Montgomery County Schools teachers and students. Virginia Tech Center for HCI-Community Simulations Team: Mary Beth Rosson, John Carroll, Tracy Lewis, Erik Dooley, Justin Gortner, Jason Snook. Publications: Proceedings of IEEE Visual Languages 2001, CHI 2001, DIS 2002