Lights, Music, Stamps! Evaluating mealtime tangibles for preschoolers

Ying-Yu Chen, Jason Yip, Daniela Rosner, Alexis Hiniker

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

8 Scopus citations

Abstract

We present an evaluation of three prototype tangible user interfaces (TUIs) for preschoolers during mealtime. Building on past work identifying value tensions between adults' and children's perspectives at meals, we examine how the TUIs address different tensions in this context (for example, the tension between children's interest in experimenting with food versus adults' interest in cleanliness). Thirteen preschool children and their parents tried out the prototypes, as did an additional seven preschool teachers. Adults and children alike were excited by the prototypes; parents were surprised by children's increased food intake, and children used the prototypes to engage in artistic expression with food traces. We also found that the prototypes motivated children's increased consumption, sometimes displacing their own hunger cues. We conclude that TUIs have the potential to enhance shared meals between children and adults but also have the potential to distract or persuade children in inappropriate or harmful ways. We present design guidance differentiating these two outcomes, such as incorporating the TUI into pre-existing mealtime objects and routines.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationTEI 2019 - Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Tangible, Embedded, and Embodied Interaction
PublisherAssociation for Computing Machinery, Inc
Pages127-134
Number of pages8
ISBN (Electronic)9781450361965
DOIs
StatePublished - 17 Mar 2019
Event13th International Conference on Tangible, Embedded, and Embodied Interaction, TEI 2019 - Tempe, United States
Duration: 17 Mar 201920 Mar 2019

Publication series

NameTEI 2019 - Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Tangible, Embedded, and Embodied Interaction

Conference

Conference13th International Conference on Tangible, Embedded, and Embodied Interaction, TEI 2019
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityTempe
Period17/03/1920/03/19

Keywords

  • Child-computer interaction
  • Meals
  • Preschool
  • Tangible-user interfaces
  • Value tensions

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