A Fast Pace Method for Involving Children in Edutainment-Technology Design

Aiming at edutainment technologies for museums, elements of participatory design techniques and focus groups were combined under the theoretical framework of the cycle of creative imagination in order to involve 10 year-old children in the design process of such applications. In contrast to existing practices where children are called to evaluate games designed by adults, the proposed method involves children from the initial phases of development. The main advantage of the proposed method is its short duration (1-2 school days) allowing for its wide use. The distinct steps of the method assist children in visualizing the possibilities of using new technologies in museums. The method was tested with children in a primary school. The ideas produced by the children demonstrated their ability to generate concepts and inspire the development of new gaming technologies.