Web browser for children using bubble metaphor

摘要

Purpose - It has become common for children to browse web pages. However, there is no webrnbrowser that takes into account children's characteristics on information acquisition. Therefore, evenrnthough such general pages have a variety and detailed information, children cannot effectively use therninternet with current web browsers, e.g. they have difficulty in understanding the contents and easilyrnget bored when browsing general pages. The purpose of this paper is to propose a children-orientedrnweb browser, which aims to keep children's interest on pages and help them understand the contentsrnof the pages.rnDesign/methodology/approach - The paper designed and implemented a web browser forrnchildren using a bubble metaphor, which converts general pages into a children-friendly presentation.rnThe browser is displayed in an undersea scene and presents contents of a web page in bubbles ofrndifferent sizes, speeds, and colors. Furthermore, it presents the details of the content in a picture bookrnstyle in a way that children can easily understand.rnFindings - The paper conducts a user experiment with 13 children between four and ten years ofrnage. The experimental results show that the browser changes general pages into a children-friendlyrnpresentation and make a web browsing fun for children.rnOriginality/value - To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first investigation into the webrnbrowsing characteristics of children. The findings may be useful to researchers who are interested inrnthe relationships between children and the web, as well as information acquisition of children.