1. Spot the Difference Janet C Read

2. Know your Audience! Experienced researchers Experienced researchers doing work with children Experience in HCI Motivation… Look for something new Get credits

3. I like my little sister; there is really just one hitch, I think my little sister has become a little witch. Brian Patten – The Trouble with my Sister

4. Objectives Describe ways in which children are the same as adults Describe ways in which children differ from adults

5. How HCI is changing…. Cleverer technology More technology saturation Better informed researchers Seductive interfaces Designing for Children and old people The place of Fun Non- goal driven applications

6. What is HCI? The discipline concerned with the design, evaluation, and implementation of interactive computer systems for human use and with the study of the major phenomena surrounding them. ACM SigChi (1992)

7. What is a child? Age? Size? Activity? Responsibility?

8. …the similarities Same senses Same limbs Same control mechanisms Same language (just not as well developed) Same feelings (but probably more fragile)

9. …the differences Cognitive ability Knowledge Motivation Trust Belief system Motor control

10. Models of Children The child as a learner The child as a developing human The child as a user The child as a player

11. Children as Learners Children have more to learn Children learn more easily Children are ‘into’ learning Children are ‘into’ not understanding Children’s models are incomplete

12. Children as Developers Children age quicker Brain still being a) built, b) connected Positive rather than negative development! Physically gain control rather than lose control Used to finding things that they cannot do

13. Children as Users Different motivations, more discretion Rarely ‘made’ to use products More likely to use products by choice Expect more? Magic?

14. Children as Players Quite similar here Children find play very natural Play is essential for children High levels of imagination

15. So.. Are all children the same?

16. How learners are different… Abilities Experiences Motivations Perseverance

17. How development differs.. Rates vary Starting point Routes

18. How users are different.. Experience Exposure Opportunities Goals

19. How players differ.. Gender Perseverance Boredom levels Patience

20. Who can inform us? Cognitive Scientists Psychologists Educationalists Developmentalists Designers

21. Phew……..

22. What do I know? I was a child once I had siblings I had children I taught children I did voluntary work with children I read about children I tried to understand children

23. How are we going to proceed? Gathering requirements from children Interactive products for children Novel Interaction techniques Interface design for child users Accessibility and ethics Evaluation of products with and for children Understanding the motivations of children