This project takes a design-based approach, intentionally designing tools and materials that support tinkering. The research questions are based on the concept of tinkering as a mode of making that prioritises experimentation:
RQ1: How can digital technology facilitate tinkering in the digital age?
RQ2: How can electronic and computational components be integrated to enhance tinkering?
RQ3: How can digital technology empower children to engage in hands-on creative activities?
The hypothesis is that programming can be a valuable tool in both physical and digital making, enabling children to create tangible objects that they can share with others. Unfortunately, the current educational system often emphasises the mathematical accuracy and scientific aspects of programming as symbols of achievement, rather than encouraging children to use their programming skills in meaningful ways. Simply learning to program without a clear purpose is unlikely to be engaging or useful for children.
In a co-design process, the individual who will benefit directly from the design outcome is regarded as the "expert of their experience" and plays a significant role in generating ideas, developing concepts, and contributing to knowledge development.
However, children are often excluded from the design and development process of educational products, which perpetuates their traditional passive role in the formal education system.
To address this issue, I collaborated with the International School of the Gothenburg Region and participated in programming classes for Grade 7 students, who were between the ages of 12 and 13. During sixteen weekly sessions, I acted as a facilitator for the students' creative collaboration while they completed a programming assignment that involved reverse engineering. Specifically, they replicated a computer games using Scratch, a block-based visual programming language developed by MIT primarily for children.
Two workshops were conducted in collaboration with EMEF – Rivanildo Sandro Arcoverde, a public school in Brazil, to create new knowledge in tinkering, tangible programming, and technology. The workshops provided an opportunity to assess how children understood and adapted to electronic circuitry and computer programming as creative tools. The materials used in the workshops enabled exploratory construction and creative expression, combining new creative media. The activities were centered around paper mechatronics, which integrates traditional paper crafting with mechanical, electrical, and computational components, offering a new design medium for creative expression.
Following the research phase, design requirements were generated to guide the design outcomes. These requirements acted as a reference point to revisit for clarity, and they were developed independently throughout the process. However, they were all linked by the core research questions that bound them together.
The design should aid teachers in transitioning to a programming-focused curriculum while also promoting a flexible approach to children's education by utilising electronic and computational components.
The materials provided should emphasise the significance of the process of creating, rather than solely focusing on the end product. During the workshops, it became apparent that excessive attention on the final outcome can stop the experimentation process.
Emphasize to children that they should think creatively and not limit themselves to the provided examples, as the examples are meant to inspire possibilities rather than provide definitive solutions.
Develop teaching tools to aid educators in explaining programming concepts to children, and utilise simplified and visually engaging resources to assist children in comprehending programming concepts.
Prototyping was utilised as a means to validate the concepts generated during the research phase, with the objective of ensuring the success of the overall design concept. This approach enabled the exploration of ideas and facilitated the identification of areas for improvement in subsequent iterations.
The Aha Lab is an educational kit that offers an experimental approach to education, serving as a bridge between tinkering and tangible programming. The kit comprises a book, coding cards, acrylic sets, and templates, and is designed to introduce tangible programming to children when combined with the BBC micro:bit. By incorporating both digital and physical tinkering, the educational book included in the kit effectively lowers the barrier to entry when it comes to coding. Furthermore, by adopting a semi-open structure, the Aha Lab provides school teachers with programming technical support during the transition to a programming-oriented curriculum.
The Coding Cards are concise code segments intended to introduce programming concepts and their interactions with electronic components. Each experiment in the Aha Lab book is accompanied by a corresponding set of coding cards. While users can program the cards as they are presented, the Aha Lab encourages them to observe the effects of changing parameters and explore different possibilities.
In the Aha Lab, the design of the sets for each experiment followed either the principle of "form follows code" or "code follows form." Regardless of the approach taken, this methodology served to expand the functionality of the design, enabling the proposal of activities that may have otherwise been difficult to conceptualise. Consequently, the artefacts resulting from this process may serve as a catalyst for creatively exploring technology and electronics in future projects.
Driven by a desire to contribute to the advancement of tinkering with computational and electronic components for children, this project is designed to enable children to create their tools and contexts through an unplugged/plugged computer science experience. By facilitating this experience, the project aims to empower children to construct their understanding of both worlds and tap into the full potential of tinkering.
I began the project by questioning whether screen time and digital platforms were beneficial to children's learning. This inquiry led me to a deeper exploration of the impact of coding culture on children's development and inspired me to adopt a model of learning computing through the materiality of tangible programming. In the end, I believe that digital platforms are beneficial to children's learning when applied appropriately.
The author of this text collaborated with children and teachers to understand the learning experience focused on programming. These collaborations were rewarding and enriched the project tremendously. Through these sessions, I realised that children would eventually be served by the design process and that they are the "experts of their experience." As a result, I decided to assume a student position rather than an expert position. Through combining this student perspective, with an open dialogue established with the teachers in my collaborations, my project can assist both of these groups.