IWS signage - Sophia Rowen

2/17/19 Sophia Rowen

Select one side activity: Ozobots

Develop three varying sign setups:
- 1st sign (12:50-1:20): two signs put together with examples of color codes, placed at center of table. Why: to challenge guests to use as many codes as they can. I wanted to make the codes more salient to guests (as opposed to having them refer to the code reference page) so I put some of the codes on 2 signs that I pushed together to make the sign bigger. I wrote "COLOR CODES: Try these codes on a black line" and drew the codes for Tornado, Spin, Turbo Speed and Snail Speed. I found that most guests did not pay attention or even read the sign. It was mostly parents that referred to the sign. Even though the sign was directly in front of guests gaze, I found that kids took the markers and started drawing without any instruction. Later, I found that the same kids had a good understanding of the activity by their parents describing it to them. I found that signs such as the first one I used were not successful because they were text heavy.

- 2nd sign (1:20-1:50): put sign in center of table that reads "Tip: Use the tip of the marker to make a square. Don't forget to test your track!" Why: guests have trouble writing successful code because it has to be neat and the colors can't be overlapping. I also took away the big window sign. Guests investigate and ask more productive questions when I took away the big window sign that described the Ozobots and what to do with them.

-3rd sign (1:50-2:20): put sign in center of table that reads "Don't forget to test your track as you go!" and "Ask a Spark for a challenge!" I put back the big window sign. A lot of coloring happens at this activity and I believe it is inevitable with young children when they see colors and paper. When the paper is full of tracks I think it should be changed because when there is no space to draw it is discouraging to both kids and adults. I also thought that having little squares of white paper to test codes on first would help guests test to see whether they are drawing them correctly.

- For the 3rd sign I observed that no facilitation plus no parent equals doodling
- Signage does very little for young children, even when it is centered right in front of their eyes
- Without big window sign above activity, it is interesting to see how people make sense of and describe the Ozobots without knowing them name or what they do

If I had the chance to do this investigation again, I would try no signs, no text, just pictures of how to and how not to write code (there was a half sheet paper on the table when this activity first started and I remember seeing it and using it to write the code neatly but since then I think it has been misplaced). I found that the sign that said "Ask a Spark for a challenge" was a good way to have guests