Loopo all started when we were trying to solve the problem of why kids don’t learn programming enough today. We thought what are the main things needed to create an effective programming environment for children. This application needed to focus on teaching the fundamental idea behind programming; to break down a larger problem into smaller manageable steps. To help solve this problem we came up with the idea that Loopo needed to fuse tangible controls with digital interactions to create an intuitive and engaging process for children.
We iterated and prototyped many different tangible objects that would coexist with a digital interface. From our various research and prototypes, we came up with an idea that allowed us to build at a low cost but also be rigid enough for children to handle.
Click here for the Conference research paper.
Research and Findings
In our research we found when teaching computer literacy, education’s main focus should not be simply to acquire knowledge and reproduce what others have done before. Instead, it should be about helping build an environment where students learn how to create new things and collaborate. We aimed to help nurture and develop creative collaboration among elementary students through a tangible and digital interface.
Physical and Digital Design
We created Loopo to fuse both digital and physical applications together through a tangible game board with tiles that can send the controls or actions to the digital output. The reason for this separation is to simulate an actual programming environment, where the coding tools and algorithms are often disconnected from the product or outcome. This then enables children to explore different concepts of feedback and control.
The physical interface is also used to provide children with a more tangible way to interact with computer versus the traditional lines of text on a screen; Loopo uses rows of physical tiles in place of lines of code. To reinforce the separation of the programming environment to the resulting outcome, Loopo's controller does not activate the user's code until the button is pressed. This represents the act of running one's code, while also marking when the user should switch their attention between the physical and digital interface.
What we Learned
What we learned from user research and testing is that Loopo is still in an early stage of design and development. Being a game is a significant factor in its ability to motivate the user. Therefore much attention has to be put into Loopo’s game design to ensure that it is not only fun to play, but educational as well. Currently, as a game, Loopo is still quite bare, its storyline and game mechanics are in their first iterations and need more feedback and improvements. As with any game, new mechanics must be constantly introduced to keep the player engaged.
Presently, Loopo only allows directional movement, this mechanic alone will not be enough to keep the user engaged, nor would it be enough to teach more advanced programming concepts. However, in future iterations, advanced tiles could be included to do things such as conditional commands or custom functions. Story is also an important factor in creating a successful game, therefore much effort will also have to be put into writing an immersive and engaging story.