Learning in our increasing digital World by connecting it to bodily Experience, dealing with Identity, and systemic Thinking (original) (raw)

Linking physical perception and computer science in education offers new possibilities to comprehend the present world and develop coping skills. We show that a specific exposure to computers in schools can contribute to an understanding of our complex world. It shows how digital, interactive media can increase our perception of our immediate surroundings and also and handling skills. Detailed descriptions are presented of three experiments, which were held at schools, which incorporated a body-based, an Internet-based, and a systemic-based approach to learning. The theoretical background behind the three experiments is explored. 1. Three experiments at school 1.1 The inclusion of the learner's body (as interface to the vi rtual world) In primary schools it is a good idea to interweave interactive systems with physical activity and individual expression of the body. Picture recognition is ideally suited as an interface to register the movement of a body within its environment. Different types of iconic software are available on the commercial market, which program picturelinked sensors and physical outputs (actuators). These software programs utilize a multiplicity of sensors and actuators to assure the direct connection of the digital system within a physical space. In the first experiment, primary school children (a 3 rd grade class) incorporated their whole bodies and created the interactive performance "The World of Dragons" using digital media. This performance created a transdisciplinary learning experience, which included art, free dance, and computer science. The children deve loped the story and its choreography themselves (Fig. 1). They designed an interactive stage for the mixed reality performance together with their teachers. The experiment used two main digital media elements. When these two elements were combined with traditional work processes they created a mixed reality. The first main digital media element used was a video animation created by the pupils (Fig. 3, 5). The pupils created real elements of scenery (Fig. 4), such as self-made trees, a well, dragons, and lava lumps, and then filmed them. The animation used stop-motion technology to show a volcano, its eruption, and a bucket moving in the well (Fig. 5). They projected the animation onto a background on stage during their performance (Fig. 9). The second main digital media element used was an interactive stage, which linked the actors' movements to image recognition software (Fig. 7). The children defined the position and parameters of various virtual interactive spots on the stage using the image recognition software and a web camera (Fig. 8). The spots were programmed to react to the movements of the children on the stage by creating different sound effects. These were self-made and digitalized sounds effects representing phenomena such as a rattling chain, thunder, volcanic eruptions, and the rustling of trees (Fig. 6). The camera was used as a sensor, which registered both movement (e.g. speed) and color (e.g. orange watering can, yellow lightning,) at the virtual spots on the stage (Fig. 9).