Kid-Powered Learning
Doctoral student Greg Walsh’s research has kids jumping with joy—literally. Walsh and his design team of young children have developed a prototype game that teaches kids about electricity and sustainability.
With a background in instructional design, Walsh was drawn to the iSchool’s highly esteemed Human Computer Interaction Lab by its history of partnering with kids to build new learning tools for young adults. “There is nothing like this anywhere else,” he says.
His team designed an interactive floor mat coupled with a nearby wall display that shows users how much physical energy it takes to provide electrical power for common household items. Kids playing the game have to jump longer and harder to power up the larger appliances.
“If they understand a lamp takes a little jumping power while a flat-screen TV takes quite a bit of work, then we think it teaches them just how much energy needs to be produced, and conserved, to power our communities,” Walsh says.