The Role of Children In The Design Of New Technology

"Children play games, chat with friends, tell stories, study history or math, and today this can all be done supported by new technologies. From the Internet to multimedia authoring tools, technology is changing the way children live and learn.

As these new technologies become ever more critical to our children's lives, we need to be sure these technologies support children in ways that make sense for them as young learners, explorers, and avid technology users. ...with children as users, it has been difficult to bring them into the design process. ...a child's role in the design of new technology has historically been minimized."

But "...are [there] ever inappropriate roles for children in the design process? Are there roles that children should not be asked to consider? This can be answered by asking if there are ever inappropriate roles for artists, or educators, or even computer scientists in the design of new technology. ... If we do not take advantage of all that an artist or a teacher or a musician can offer the design process, then it is wrong.

I believe the same can be said for children. ...we can expect children to tell us what excites and bores them, what helps them learn, and what can be used in their homes or schools. We can expect children to be creative, honest collaborators.

In the future, we can look forward to greater challenges given the proliferation of new technologies and new more demanding users that are young people. ... Every time a new technology enables a child to do something they never dreamed of, it offers new possibilities for the future."
(PDF - 35 pages)