The Study on Creative Tutoring Service Design to Improve Self-presentation and Learning Abilities for Kids Focusing on Visual Association and Storytelling

Dong-Min Lee, Hye-Jung Park, Sung-Bae Cho
2012 Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea  
Objective: The goal of this study is to design a creative tutoring service, which helps children gain confidence and creativity through learning activities. Background: Nowadays most kids are growing up in a very competitive environment under their parents' zeal for education. A stressful environment can deter a child from the confident undertaking of challenges, leading to depression, anxiety, and feelings of inadequacy. Art therapy helps children work through these issues, however the process
more » ... led by instructors or parents, and kids still feel anxious studying adults' face to read their thought. Method: To help children address challenges, a creative tutoring service application can provide abstract images with certain tasks instead of asking them to fill in blank areas. The tasks asked by the service system are 1) to visualize children's own experience utilizing visually associated images from given abstract images and 2) to create an illustrated story modifying and re-composing given images. Another task is to learn basic math and words with numbers and alphabets in customized colors. By completing each task children collect awards, which allow them graduate to higher levels of challenges. The outcomes from the tasks are sent to the main server system and reviewed by analysts. Those results are sent to children's parents as a text message on smart phone. Results: Visual implication using abstract images inspires children to make creative stories based on their own experience. Also, children can find their own patterns of reaching answers by using synaesthetic imagery through repetitive practices of creative thinking tasks. Conclusion: Understanding how they feel about doing tasks in certain environments and assessing them in varied situations should be carefully considered when designers approach service design for kids. By focusing on how to tutor children in creative ways, as opposed to focusing on the expected outcome, creative service applications can be designed to reduce children's stress and encourage self expression. Children are predicted to gain confidence through using the service without the concern of comparison by others. Application: The creative tutoring service needs to be developed and tested by varying types of children.
doi:10.5143/jesk.2012.31.1.117 fatcat:ads5zgfc3jfd7iltc7fhfgdyui