13 - 08 - 2017 Designing an Interactive Storytelling System for Children Using a Smart Toy Design of a prototype to investigate the effect of emotional behaviour of a toy on children’s storytelling CREATED BY: CREATED FOR: SUPERVISORS: Silke ter Stal Master Thesis dr. Mariët Theune Human Media Interaction | University of Twente dr. ir. Dennis Reidsma dr. Alejandro Catala iii Abstract The society is changing towards a knowledge-based society, A quantitative analysis of the results of the final study did not demanding a different set of skills than in the past, the so- show any influence of the robot’s emotions on the quality of called 21st century skills. Among the 21st century skills is the stories told. However, qualitative analysis indicated some creativity. Children’s creativity can be developed through differences between the conditions. In the NE condition storytelling activities. Children often tell stories during children only described the robot as being happy, whereas pretend play activities in which they make use of toys. they used multiple emotions in the E condition. In addition, However, traditional toys do not, or only rarely, respond to in the E condition children tended to better link emotions to children’s actions, let alone respond to their storytelling. The occurring actions. Also, they summarised stories more often aim of this research was to investigate how to incorporate a from a third person perspective in contrast to summarising smart toy in an interactive storytelling system for elementary the story by solely providing a list of events, indicating they school children. In addition, it tested the influence of the toy’s perceived the robot more as an autonomous character. Finally, emotional behaviour on children’s storytelling. in the E condition children mainly took the randomness of the robot’s emotions for granted. However, the “why-questions” The research followed a user-centred design approach triggered them to come up with reasons to match the random including three user studies. Throughout the research a emotions with the story. prototype combining a little robot, a tablet application, a play mat, object (blocks) and figures was designed and improved. Overall, the research indicates the prototype designed can be The robot functioned as the main character in the children’s used as a starting point for an interactive storytelling system. stories. A conceptual framework was created in which the The system has possibilities to be used for instructional character was approached as an agent. A character can be scaffolding. In the current setup, the influence of the presence reactive; only responding to stimuli, or hybrid; combining or absence of emotional behaviour is expected to be small reactivity with deliberation. This research only focused on the compared to the influence of the difference in amount of development of a reactive character toy. reactivity of the robot between both conditions. Therefore, it is recommended to improve the prototype by extending The first two studies researched the interaction between the tablet application with a goal reminder, content specific the children and the prototype. The final study tested the questions from the characters’ perspectives and suggestions, influence of emotional behaviour of the robot on children’s and extending the robot behaviour with autonomous driving, storytelling. Two conditions were compared: condition NE speech, object pick-ups and deliberation. Also, the research in which the robot did not show any emotions and condition raised many new issues, such as the link between creativity E in which the robot did show emotions. and storytelling, the type of activity to support: story creation or storytelling and support for the creation of complete stories Results of all studies show that in general children liked or creation of solely story fragments. It is recommended to the activity and understood the tablet application and the research these issues and, in addition, perform brainstorm robot emotions. Children collaborated according to different sessions with elementary school teachers and parents and patterns, in the E condition both children tended to be more caregivers and research gender differences in play. Finally, active than in the NE condition. As the prototype design a new follow-up study with children could test the updated evolved children’s storytelling improved. But, even in the final system’s support for storytelling, the influence of emotional study storytelling was limited and lacking global coherence. behaviour (random or according to an emotional model) and The activity supported barely incorporated pretend play; it the influence of deliberative behaviour. better approached a puzzle game. iv Contents 1. INTRODUCTION 1 4. RELATED WORK 29 1.1 Motivation 2 4.1 Traditional Toys 30 1.2 This Research 4 4.1 Commercial Interactive Toys 30 1.3 Users 8 4.1 Research Toys for Storytelling 36 4.2 Discussion 40 2. STORYTELLING 13 2.1 Storytelling 14 5. SYSTEM DESIGN 43 2.2 What is a Story? 15 5.1 Story Theme 44 2.3 Narrative Elements & Story Assessment 16 5.2 Main Character 44 2.4 Pretend Play 18 5.3 Implementation System Components 47 2.5 Use of Toys in Pretend Play 19 2.6 Discussion 21 6. PILOT STUDY 51 6.1 The Prototype 52 3. FRAMEWORK 23 6.2 Goals 56 3.1 Components Interactive Story 24 6.3 Procedure 56 3.2 Components Interactive Storytelling System 24 6.4 Sampling Method 58 3.3 Reactive Behaviour & Storytelling 27 6.5 Measurements 58 3.4 Deliberative Behaviour & Storytelling 27 6.6 Results 59 3.5 Discussion 27 6.7 Discussion 61 6.8 Suggested Improvements 62 v 7. SECOND STUDY 65 10. RECOMMENDATIONS 115 7.1 Prototype 66 10.1 Recommended Improvements Prototype 116 7.2 Goal 70 10.2 Recommended Follow-up Research 120 7.3 Procedure 71 7.4 Sampling Method 74 REFERENCES 123 7.5 Measurements 75 Literature 124 7.6 Results 75 Images 128 7.7 Discussion 80 7.8 Suggested Improvements 82 APPENDICES 131 A1 Index of Narrative Complexity 132 8. FINAL STUDY 85 A2 Technical Solutions Reactivity 138 8.1 The Prototype 86 A3 Observations Pilot Study 142 8.2 Goals 88 A4 Interview Results Pilot Study 148 8.3 Procedure 88 A5 Interview Results Second Study 152 8.4 Sampling Method 88 A6 Observations Second Study 158 8.5 Measurements 89 A7 Tablet Selections and Reasoning Final Study 170 8.6 Results 90 A8 Observations Final Study 174 8.7 Discussion 98 A9 Interview Results Final Study 184 9. DISCUSSION & CONCLUSION 103 9.1 Implications Results 104 9.2 Limitations 108 9.3 New Goal: a System for Story Fragment Creation 110 9.4 Conclusion 112 1 Education prepares children for their professional life. The corresponding skills that are important these days are different from the skills that were important in the past. Several models focusing on 21st century skills have been developed to adapt education to the demand of society. One of these models is the KSAVE model. This model includes creativity and innovation as one of the 21st century skills. Creativity can, amongst others, be stimulated via storytelling. Creating stories asks for creative tinkering by the child. Children often perform storytelling during pretend play, in which they make use of toys. However, existing toys do not respond to children’s actions. Therefore, this research focuses on the design of a storytelling system using smart toys. This section describes the motivation and research focus in more detail. Storytelling plays an important role in child development, Still, https://www.flickr.com/ photos/milks3/5698148454 1 Introduction 1.1 Motivation 2 1.2 This Research 4 1.3 Users 8 2 1.1 Motivation TOWARDS A KNOWLEDGE- and problem solving are mentioned as BASED SOCIETY essential skills. According to Voogt & There largely is a consensus about the Roblin (2010) all models specifically fact that our society is changing from mention the importance of ICT skills an industrial-minded society to an in the core. Binkley, Erstad, Herman, information and knowledge-minded Raizen, Ripley, Miller-Ricci & Rumble society (Voogt & Roblin, 2010). This (2012) say that especially creativity changing society influences the pro- has increased in importance as a 21st fessional environments of individuals. century skill. The 21st century demands a very dif- ferent set of skills and competencies Dede (2010) performed a similar re- than the past, since many children search to Voogt & Roblin (2010). He are educated for jobs that do not even concluded that the frameworks re- exist yet. Several parties have been searched consist of skills that are large- designing a set of 21st century skills, ly consistent in terms of what should consisting of core competencies need- be in the curriculum. He only argues ed in a large range of jobs, related to each framework emphasises a different the knowledge-minded society. Some skill set. Some of the frameworks focus other parties are not in favour of the on the technical skills, whereas others 21st skills, they argue not all students emphasise digital literacy. will have a knowledge-intensive job later (Ananiadou & Claro, 2009). Ana- Also, Binkley et al. (2012) analysed niadou & Claro (2009) researched the several frameworks, leading to their importance of 21st century skills in KSAVE model. This model focuses several countries. Most of the countries on three categories: knowledge, skills researched see the importance of the and attitudes, values and ethics. The 21st century competences and are partly model organises these aspects into already, indirectly, integrating the skills four themes. The first theme, ways of into the curriculum. thinking, consists of creativity and innovation, critical thinking, prob- 21ST CENTURY SKILLS lem solving and decision making and Voogt & Roblin (2010) researched the learning to learn, meta-cognition. The differences and similarities between second theme consists of ways of work- eight common models focusing on 21st ing: communication and collaboration century skills.