This paper suggests a framework for understanding the roles that children can play in the technology design process, particularly in regards to designing technologies that support learning. Each role, user, tester, informant, and design partner has been defined based upon a review of the literature and my lab’s own research experiences. This discussion does not suggest that any one role is appropriate for all research or development needs. Instead, by understanding this framework the reader may be able to make more informed decisions about the design processes they choose to use with children in creating new technologies. This paper will present for each role a historical overview, research and development methods, as well as the strengths, challenges, and unique contributions associated with children in the design process.

With the "WayMaker" software construction kit, users can design layouts for virtual spaces. These layouts are arrangments of structural elements described by Kevin Lynch in his book, The Image of the City. WayMaker tranforms arrangements of districts, paths, edges, nodes, and landmarks into street scenes. The initial prototype fits roofs, facades, and other scene components into perspective views of pathways through an imaginary place, which resembles paintings by Cezanne. Our focus on the act of construction and on the use of Lynch elements as building blocks may suggest a model for users' extensions to graphical multiuser environments. Context In "The Lessons of Lucasfilms' `Habitat'," Morningstar and Farmer describe how the "inhabitants" of virtual environments need to feel comfortable in the domain, to the point of developing a sense of "ownership" (Benedikt, 1991). In MUD-like environments, people typically develop this sense by creating objects, characters, and rooms or other spaces, and adding them to the environment for others to enjoy (Curtis, 1992; Rheingold, 1993; Bruckman & Resnick, 1995; Mitchell, 1995; Turkle, 1995). This constructive component is the basis for considering such virtual domains potentially interesting as learning environments (Harel & Papert, 1991; Kafai & Resnick, 1996; Moshell & Hughes, 1996; Strohecker, in press). The work described here focuses on participants' development of the space itself. Our "WayMaker" construction kit enables people to create and/or extend representations of a virtual place. We use the metaphor of a village or city because it enables us to think of the space in both structural and social terms. Contribution WayMaker is based on Kevin Lynch's foundation work in the field of urban planning and design. He studied ...

WayMaker" is a tool enabling non-professionals to create digital layouts for large-scale graphical virtual environments. The design tool is based on "elements of the city image" as described by the urban planner, Kevin Lynch (1960). Ultimately, WayMaker should be situated within a virtual environment so that output from the tool is transformed as extensions to the virtual world. Here we describe an initial prototype that simulates a virtual domain through a series of composited frames. Our work with users informs continued development of the tool. We also plan usage studies conducted from a cognitive science perspective, examining issues of constructive learning and spatial cognition. This work may not be copied or reproduced in whole or in part for any commercial purpose. Permission to copy in whole or in part without payment of fee is granted for nonprofit educational and research purposes provided that all such whole or partial copies include the following: a notice that such copying is by permission of MERL - A Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratory, of Cambridge, Massachusetts; an acknowledgment of the authors and individual contributions to the work; and all applicable portions of the copyright notice. Copying, reproduction, or republishing for any other purpose shall require a license with payment of fee to MERL - A Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratory. All rights reserved. Copyright MERL - A Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratory, 1998 201 Broadway, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 2 Long ago the urban theorist Kevin Lynch pointed out the fundamental relationship between human cognition and urban form --- the importance of the learned mental maps that knowledgeable locals carry about inside their skulls. These mental maps, together with the landmarks and ed...

This paper describes a conversational agent for language learning. Our goal is to provide an environment that allows learners to practice language skills by interacting with other learners and artificial conversational agents using instant messaging and mail. The learners take part in an adventure story and must use dialogues that are typically found in basal language textbooks to move forward in the adventure.

The objective of this proposal is to show the applications for a Virtual Reality (VR) Studio under development in Washington State University. A large display screen is proposed to provide an affordable VR system. This project will provide an instrument for communicating research results, develop tools for 3-D visualization, and new tools to enhance current WSU's classes.