Oren Zuckerman
Mitchel Resnick
ABSTRACT
We present the System Blocks, a new physical interactive system that makes it easier for kids to explore dynamic systems. A set of computationally enhanced children blocks, made of wood and electronics, the System Blocks can assist K-12 educators to teach the complex concepts of system dynamics and causalities. System dynamics and system thinking are methods for studying the world around us. They deal with understanding how complex systems change over time, and how structure influences behavior. In this paper we will show how the System Blocks enable young children (as early as four years old) to create and interact with systems that simulate real-life dynamic behavior such as a bank account; population growth; or the delicate equilibrium of an ecosystem. The System Blocks gives young children a hands-on environment to learn about complex behavior and encourage new ways of thinking.
- Brosterman, N. Inventing Kindergarten. 1997.Google Scholar
- Forrester, Jay W. 1968. Principles of Systems. (2nd ed.)Google Scholar
- McNerney, Tim S. Tangible programming bricks. 2000. http://web.media.mit.edu/~mcnerney/tangible-programming.htmlGoogle Scholar
- Mikhak B., Lyon C., Gorton T. The Tower System, 2002. http://gig.media.mit.edu/papers/chi02_tower.pdfGoogle Scholar
- Papert, S. Mindstorms: Children, computers and powerful ideas. Basic Books, New York, 1980. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Patten James, Ishii Hiroshi et al. Sensetable: A Wireless Object Tracking Platform for Tangible User Interfaces'. In Proceedings of CHI 2001. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Resnick M. et al. Digital manipulatives: New toys to think with. In Proceedings of CHI 1998. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Senge Peter, The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization. 1990.Google Scholar
- Wyeth Peta, Purchase C. Helen. Tangible programming elements for young children. In Proceedings of CHI 02. Google ScholarDigital Library
Index Terms
- A physical interface for system dynamics simulation
Recommendations
Extending tangible interfaces for education: digital montessori-inspired manipulatives
CHI '05: Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing SystemsThis paper introduces a new framework for thinking about tangible interfaces in education, with specific focus on abstract problem domains.Manipulatives are physical objects specifically designed to foster learning. We offer a new classification of ...
Adult Perception of Gender-Based Toys and Their Influence on Girls’ Careers in STEM
Entertainment Computing – ICEC 2018AbstractSTEM and Computer Science (CS) in general, are perceived as masculine disciplines; a dangerous fallacy that discourages girls to show interest in the domain. However, companies are moving towards designing toys to attract and educate girls about ...
Hands-on modeling and simulation of systems
IDC '04: Proceedings of the 2004 conference on Interaction design and children: building a communityWe present the latest prototype of System Blocks, a new interactive learning environment that facilitates hands-on modeling and simulation of systems concepts. System Blocks, by making processes visible and manipulable, can help students learn about the ...
Comments