ERIC Number: EJ727156
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2004
Pages: 25
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0013-9165
EISSN: N/A
An Internet-Based Design Game as a Mediator of Children's Environmental Visions
Kytta, Marketta; Kaaja, Mirkka; Horelli, Liisa
Environment and Behavior, v36 n1 p127-151 2004
This exploratory study examines ho wan Internet-assisted design game succeeds in bringing forth children's own visions for the environment where they live and their definitions of a good environment. Two connected concepts in environmental psychology, the theory of person-environment fit and the concept of affordances, are applied in the analysis of the results of the design process. The participants were 16 8-year-old children living in a suburb of Helsinki, Finland. The results indicate that children's design solutions are sensitive to the geographical context. The children generally enjoyed the Internet-based design game. The girls designed more affordances for simply being in peace, whereas the boys emphasized affordances for playing games. The study indicates that affordances can be applied as icons in design games. They also function as a viable concept in the operationalization of the person environment fit; however, the theory of environmental fit and its operationalization need further development and empirical testing with larger samples.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Internet, Educational Games, Gender Differences, Adolescents, Environmental Influences, Personality Theories, Design Preferences, Individual Needs
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Finland; Finland (Helsinki)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A