Researching and designing
learning environments with
Internet technology
for children
Alice C. Mello Cavallo, Alva L. Couch,
Downing Cless, Marina Bers
Tufts University
Arts, Sciences, and Engineering
Departments of Computer Science, Drama
and Dance, Child Development.
What is Forum Theater ?
Augusto Boal
Bertolt Brecht
Paulo Freire
What is Virtual Forum Theatre ?
Web-based environment for creating collaborative
digital drama.
Digital drama is a multimedia presentation of a
dramatic play using digital means, including audio,
images, and video.
An open constructionist learning environment, or
microworld (Papert, 1990).
A Computer Supported Collaborative Learning CSCL and multi-user virtual environment – MUVE.
Based on Forum Theater (Boal, 1974).
Safe environment in which to play out different
responses to conflict.
Goals of qualitative research
Understand how Internet-based drama
learning environments can enhance
learning
of
expressive
fluency,
argumentation skills and self-confidence
in disenfranchised children.
Work with those children to develop their
technological fluency through expressive
arts, and at the same time help them to
develop a critical awareness and a
rehearsal for social change.
Research questions
How does learning take place in this
technology/theater
environment
with
respect to developmental stages?
What are the distinctions between
learning in a virtual, Internet based one?
How does the technology help this
process?
How can we design on-line collaborative
environments that are sufficiently open
and powerful to facilitate such learning
interactions?
Why VFT
Disadvantaged children usually do not have the
possibility to communicate or express themselves
freely.
 This might impact the full development of their
argumentation skills and problem solving. They might
become shy and apathetic.
VFT can give them one vehicle with which to improve
their expressive fluency.
VFT aims to establish an electronic environment of
free expression that exploits and builds upon the
anonymous characteristics of Internet interactions.
At the same time children can become more
acquainted with the technology that might be
essential for their future work life.
VFT will allow participants to :
choose pictures from an existing gallery of
characters, props and scenery
import pictures of props, scenery and
characters
draw props, scenery and characters
create and animate own characters
video tape the whole play using web-cams
modify existing frames of the actions and
dialogs
play the dramatic production on web-browsers
Children physically located in widely
separated areas can:
share their experience with others in the
same situation,
safely elaborate their struggles,
pursue points of view and formulate
solutions to the same kind of problems
that their peers experience in another part
of the town, state or country in which they
live.
suggest a change in frames of actions via
web chat
role-playing and trials of solutions to
conflicted and oppressive environments.
propose a new on-line solution to an
existing conflict.
interact with peers on the WWW in order to
help validate or invalidate the solution.
This allows us study the extent to which this
online validation works in aiding children in
the process of expressing themselves.
Audience
 Target audience for our study is minority
children age 10 to 13 : Brazilian, AfroAmerican and Latino.
Otherwise:
Any school age children, especially the
most shy ones.
Existing Theater of the Oppressed groups.
People who want help with personal issues.
Design Architecture
syncronized audio
video
clips
Audio
dramatic faces/tweening
animation by frames : drawing/ photograph
backdrop images
SMIL files encrypt
sounds/images/text
free-ware editing
video tool
Real One Player
Images
props images
Implementing in Java
Free Software
GUI drag&drop interface: story board
with time line
free-ware drawing tools
Virtual Forum chat room
Dramatic Faces
GUI Storyboard
Real One playing SMIL
Qualitative Methods
Based on Qualitative Research: Techniques and
procedures for developing grounded theory
(Strauss 1998). Utilize the “soft-nosed” positivistic
approach (Miles & Huberman, 1994), and
ethnographic analyses (Spradley,1980) as needed.
Interview children, survey their peers and parents,
videotape workshops with children; create
transcripts of their work and computer generated
logs of their creation and interactions.
Analyze and interpret their play and how they
interact over the Internet when creating it in order
to understand their learning progress.
Problems
Do we get IRB approval ?
Do we have enough time to finish the
prototype ?
Conclusion
Through this applied research we will create a mini
study in order to verify the theoretical background
and how the children interact with the prototype.
We expect our qualitative study to show positive
and effective results in the learning of expressive
arts, engagement and self-confidence through the
use of VFT.
We hope to get enough feedback from the children
in order to adjust our design and future
implementations.