Browsing by Author "Kara, Nuri"

Now showing 1 - 5 of 5

Citation - WoS: 16
Citation - Scopus: 27
Design and Development of a Smart Storytelling Toy
(Routledge Journals, Taylor & Francis Ltd, 2014) Kara, Nuri; Aydin, Cansu Cigdem; Cagiltay, Kursat
Because computers generally make children passive listeners, new technological devices need to support children's storytelling activities. This article introduces the StoryTech, a smart toy that includes a virtual space comprised of computer-based graphics and characters as well as a real space that involves stuffed animals, background cards and a receiver panel. When children put real objects on the receiver panel, the computer displays related backgrounds and characters. Through this flexible context, children are expected to tell a story about what they see on the screen. The aim of this article is to present the development period of the StoryTech and to provide design principles for smart toy technologies based on the usability study. The article focuses on attributes of new technology and the significance of supporting storytelling activities to find the best combination of and moderation between real and virtual spaces.
Citation - WoS: 28
Citation - Scopus: 36
Investigating the Activities of Children Toward a Smart Storytelling Toy
(Natl Yunlin Univ Science & Technology, Taiwan, 2013) Kara, Nuri; Aydin, Cansu Cigdem; Cagiltay, Kursat; Computer Engineering
This paper introduces StoryTech, a smart storytelling toy that features a virtual space, which includes computer-based graphics and characters, and a real space, which includes plush toys, background cards, and a communication interface. When children put real objects on the receiver panel, the computer program shows related backgrounds and characters on the screen. StoryTech encourages children to produce their own stories. Empirical research with a total of 90 children indicated that StoryTech contributed to narrative activities of children and made a positive impact on their creativity. The paper also focuses on the attributes, design, and development process of StoryTech.
Smart Toy Based Learning
(Handbook of Research on Educational Communications and Technology, 2014) Çağıltay, Kürşat; Kara, Nuri; Aydın, Cansu Çiğdem
This chapter examines the general characteristics of and related recent research on smart toys. Smart toys can be defined as new forms of toys featuring both tangible objects and electronic components that facilitate two-way child–smart toy interactions to carry out pur poseful tasks. In this chapter, smart toy based learning projects are discussed and the char acteristics of smart toys as cognitive tools to facilitate learning are analyzed. This chapter also covers the relationship between smart toys and children’s developmental stages—with a particular focus on motivation—in order to understand smart toys’ potential effects on children.
User Study of a New Smart Toy for Children’s Storytelling
(Interactive Learning Environments, 2012) Kara, Nuri; Aydın, Cansu Çiğdem; Çağıltay, Kürşat
This paper introduces the smart storytelling toy (StoryTech) which provides mixed reality environment. StoryTech with a flexible context leads children to tell their imaginative stories. For usability testing of StoryTech, an empirical study was carried out with totally 90 children. The findings indicated that StoryTech created richer experience especially for age groups of five and six in producing stories.
Citation - WoS: 4
Citation - Scopus: 14
User Study of a New Smart Toy for Children's Storytelling
(Routledge Journals, Taylor & Francis Ltd, 2014) Kara, Nuri; Aydin, Cansu Cigdem; Cagiltay, Kursat
This article introduces StoryTech, a smart storytelling toy that offers children a mixed reality environment in which to tell imaginative stories. During usability testing, an empirical study was carried out with 90 child participants. The findings indicated that StoryTech creates a rich storytelling experience, especially for ages five and six.