Narrative and meaning in the design of interactive learning environments

摘要

One problem in developing Interactive Learning Environments (ILEs) that incorporate narrative is how to ensure that the narrative elements used are meaningful to the target audience. This paper proposes a design approach that allows child users to express design ideas that are meaningful to them, in narrative form. The Brampton project is described; this investigated how children could be involved directly in the design of educational resources. It shows how the Informant Design (ID) and ethnographic approaches used in the project were not simply complementary but interdependent in uncovering meaning. The Garstang project builds on this by focusing on the role, that narrative can play in an ILE designed to teach map-reading skills. The design process attempted to address the need for a narrative that had meaning for its target audience. A design framework has been devised that elicits narrative design from children in a way that is useful to designers.