When Children Program Intelligent Environments: Lessons Learned from a Serious AR Game

TL;DR

This study demonstrates that children aged 7-12 can learn to program intelligent environments using a gamified AR tool, highlighting potential for fostering responsibility and independence in managing smart spaces.

Contribution

First empirical evidence showing children can program IEs with a block-based AR interface, informing future design of child-friendly intelligent environment systems.

Findings

Children understood and manipulated smart artifacts in AR.

Children successfully used trigger-action programming paradigms.

The study provides preliminary design implications for child-centric IEs.

Abstract

While the body of research focusing on Intelligent Environments (IEs) programming by adults is steadily growing, informed insights about children as programmers of such environments are limited. Previous work already established that young children can learn programming basics. Yet, there is still a need to investigate whether this capability can be transferred in the context of IEs, since encouraging children to participate in the management of their intelligent surroundings can enhance responsibility, independence, and the spirit of cooperation. We performed a user study (N=15) with children aged 7-12, using a block-based, gamified AR spatial coding prototype allowing to manipulate smart artifacts in an Intelligent Living room. Our results validated that children understand and can indeed program IEs. Based on our findings, we contribute preliminary implications regarding the use of specific technologies and paradigms (e.g. AR, trigger-action programming) to inspire future systems that enable children to create enriching experiences in IEs.