And of course you can limit most things in the etoys UI if that is a preference. E.g. there are quite a few options that educators can choose from for the initial halo of handles, starting with only three or four basic handles. However, the experience now with literally thousands of children has shown that the full complement of halos bothers them not at all, and the basic etoy system is now shipped with the full preference turned on.
However, there are many other things that could stand improvement ....
Cheers,
Alan
At 06:28 AM 11/4/2004, lex@cc.gatech.edu wrote:
Blake blake@kingdomrpg.com wrote:
If you're dealing with kids who have used computers before, clicking-and-dragging in a circular motion--well, first of all, it's a relatively difficult motion. It's an unfamiliar motion. And it's not an enjoyable motion.
By the way, you don't have to do a circular motion. Up/down and left/right also work fine.
Then there are the ten icons surrounding the morphic, which is rather a lot.
Somewhat agreed. It must be shocking to see them come up the first time, but then after that, is it really a big deal?
Keep in mind that Squeak is usually introduced to kids while an adult is around to guide them. The halo is probably terrible for people learning Squeak *alone*, because there is so much in it. I doubt it is a big deal for people learning with a helper at hand, though, because the helper can guide them through the initial steps.
Anyway, real UI questions have to be answered by trying in front of people in a realistic setting. We could shoot in the dark all day. :|
In practice, drive-a-car is eminently learnable. Squeak Central has a ton of experience at this point (I bet a few have drive-a-car dreams and nightmares at this point :)), and I've tried it a few times myself with near-universal success. (The exceptions have been grown up computer guys; the 4-6 kids I've shown all got it to work and really liked it.)
I recommend people try it if you get a chance. Find a kid or a kid-like adult, and show them how to recreate drive-a-car. Just mimic Alan from one of his OOPSLA talks. Insist that the kid [sic] begins by drawing their own car (or other vehicle), because it sets the stage very nicely. And then enjoy the show. Most likely your kid will have a blast. They love finally being in control of their own computer!
-Lex