Epro2: Design of a System and a Curriculum to Support Group Learning for School Children

So far, we have developed systems with a sense of play for supporting group learning. Through evaluations in elementary schools, we have found that enhancing authenticity while retaining a sense of play is critical for engaging children in their learning. Epro2, the system proposed in this paper, is used for learning about urban planning and environmental issues by integrating physical and virtual spaces. In Epro2, multiple sensing boards are placed in physically different locations and connected through a computer network. Physical towns are constructed by children on boards that are brought together in a virtual neighborhood, in such a way that they affect each other. Children in Epro2 not only design a town in a face-to-face setting, but also negotiate with other children located elsewhere through a chat system. We also designed a curriculum in cooperation with teachers, and evaluated the system in classrooms. Several lessons learned through the evaluations are described.