Making Space for Voice: Technologies to Support Children’s Fantasy and Storytelling

Abstract

Fantasy play and storytelling serve an important role in young children's development. While computers are increasingly present in the world of young children, there is a lack of computational tools to support children's voices in everyday storytelling, particularly in the context of fantasy play. We believe that there is a need for computational systems that engage in story-listening rather than storytelling. This paper introduces StoryMat, a system that supports and listens to children's voices in their own storytelling play. StoryMat offers a child-driven, story-listening space by recording and recalling children's narrating voices, and the movements they make with their stuffed animals on a colourful story-evoking quilt. Empirical research with children shows that StoryMat fosters developmentally advanced forms of storytelling of the kind that has been shown to provide a bridge to written literacy, and provides a space where children engage in fantasy storytelling collaboratively with or without a playmate. The paper addresses the importance of supporting young children's fantasy play and suggests a new way for technology to play an integral part in that activity.

Interaction and Participation in Radio Plays: A Novel Approach to an Old Medium

“…It has been suggested that the best and newest technology may well resemble the oldest forms of culture [4]. Likewise, Nick Fisher, writer of the interactive radio play The Wheel of Fortune, argued that "… there can be a creative tension where interactivity and traditional narrative and character blend together" [5].…”

“…Exploring other peoples' points-of-view reduces the likelihood of misinterpreting behaviour because it grants access to their way of thinking and feeling [6]. Perspective taking through interaction thus fosters essential human skills on a cognitive and emotional individual level, as well as on a socio-cultural level [4]. This is also reflected in theories that suggest storytelling may have originated from a human need to explain and understand their surrounding physical world [cf.…”

“…Cassell and Ryokai [4] introduced StoryMat, a tangible interface for children that supported perspective taking by recording and recalling children's narrating voices and the movements they make with stuffed toys on a story-evoking quilt. In contrast to the visually dominated DVD hyperfilm [11], the narrating voices in StoryMat primarily addressed children's hearing sense.…”

“…These strengths refer to triggering the processes of role-taking, imagination, and immersion. We believe that to tap its full potentials, radio plays -like other well-established media-benefit from careful adaptation to changes in technology [4,5,11].…”

A framework for designing sensor-based interactions to promote exploration and reflection in play

“…In particular, a variety of toys (e.g., Lego blocks, musical instruments) and 'tangibles' (e.g., necklaces, wands) have been embedded with RF tags and other sensor technology to encourage exploratory play, imaginative storytelling and collaboration (e.g., Montemayor et al, 2002;Strommen, 1998;Cassell and Ryokai, 2001;Resnick et al, 1998;Stanton et al, 2001). Recently, some projects have begun to create sensor-based environments to support playing and learning.…”