Space Center
The objective of the project is to create a fun environment, which children can immerse themselves in interactive games as well as learn how to use the classification numbers as clues in order to find books. This design aims to raise children’s motivation through gamification learning. Children are taught about the meaning of classification numbers in a supportive atmosphere and encouraged to find books that appeal to them personally. This project is a collaboration between the National Library of Public Information and the National Taipei University of Technology Department of Interaction Design. And it is located in the National Library of Public Information in Taichung since 2017.
I took the whole responsibility for ideating, defining, designing, developing the final deliverables game. Alongside, I have collaborated with a developer to connects the hardware.
Brainstorming ideas, game flow, expert interview, post-test surveys, analysis
Responsible for establishing the key vision for the game, designing the game user interface, and also illustrations.
Responsible for developing and programming all the creative aspects and animations of the game.
As the wave of digital technology has gradually spread globally, this wave has changed the lives, culture, environment, and even education of modern people. Public education spaces such as museums and libraries have also caught up with this wave in response to the new generation of visitors. It shows that the digital library is no longer just a field for borrowing books but an excellent place for interactive learning.
We visited the National Library of Public Information in Taichung to understand how children interact with the library and how they were finding books. And we also observed how visitors explore the library and how the crowd's traffic. Since I have to use the original hardware equipment, I need to understand the field I would create Interactive installation.
National Library of Public Information Children’s Library
In children's minds, the number system is a very vague concept. Even more, the book classification number is based on the Decimal system which is even harder for children to remember and think.
In order to achieve that goal, this immersive learning game transforms library entrance into a space center that allows children to launch number-rockets to find the classification planet and unfold the library journey. At the end of the game, children will see a map of this library that tells where are the books match the classification number they just choose. So they can easily understand the meaning of these numbers and build their cognitive map in their heart.
computer, CCD cameras, projectors, infrared lamps, directional speaker, mixer amplifier
Size: Width 10m x Height 3.8m
Hardware placement
There are few limitations during the whole process. One of the challenges was coming out with the idea that matches the library's original hardware equipment. Because of the old CCD cameras and the narrow corridor space, the users' motion can't be too fast or too complicated, otherwise the computer can't detect accurately. However, we made it eventually and all the efforts worth.
This project creates a virtual environment based on a learning game in order to increase children's attention span and help them stay motivated to accomplished the task at hand. Children are taught about the meaning of classification numbers in a supportive atmosphere and encouraged to find books that appeal to them personally.
The survey was answered by 253 people who had to answer questions regarding their experience and usability after playing the game. This research explores the eight factors that affect flow experience and perceived use on children's game-based learning and discusses the relationship between the factors through the Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM).
The results show that part of the children's cognitive differences will affect the interface operation and the degree of flow experience. On the other hand, children's flow experience will not be different because of gender. From the point of view of the information usage, Perceived ease of use has a significant impact on the antecedents of the flow experience. Perceived ease of use also affects Perceived playfulness and Perceived usefulness. It keeps enhancing the user's positive emotions.
On the contrary, Uncertainty will reduce Perceived playfulness and Perceived usefulness. It brings a bad experience to the user. Effect stage of the flow experience and Perceived playfulness both will have a positive effect on Learning efficiency, but Effect stage is more influential.
In this research, we hope that we can understand how the Perceived using and flow experience impact children’s behavior and learning through this model framework. So that interactive game-based learning and flow experience may have more development possibilities in the education field in the future.
All the planet that children can explore
Number rockets
The standby screen is played when the user is not detected in the sensing area. The screen is full of shining stars, moving bubble planets, and randomly launched digital rockets. This scene uses many dynamic animations to attract readers' attention and arouse users interested in play.
After starting the game, users can see the countdown time and three question marks on the bubble planet appear on the screen. This question mark is like an unanswered question and will stimulate the reader to complete the selection of three digital rockets.
At this point, the camera has begun to track the user's location, and the user only needs to move freely in the corridor to operate the game. When the user stands in front of the digital rocket, it means that the rocket is selected for launch. The digital rocket will glow so that the user can clearly know which number of the digital rocket he/she has chosen.
After the three digital rockets are successfully launched, the user will enter the galaxy map, displaying the number of the classification planet that just explored and the theme name. Also, the floor plan of the children's center is shown on the left to guide the user to the position of the bookshelf.
Final Present Video
Gaming Screen Record
