USER EXPERIENCE OF DIGITAL DIORAMAS FOR INTERACTIVE WHITEBOARD

This paper presents the methods and procedures applied to evaluate a Digital Diorama: a multimedia product for Interactive Whiteboards, designed to support science teaching in primary schools and specifically regarding environmental issues. The study is part of a wider interdisciplinary research conducted through the collaboration between Academia (Politecnico di Milano, Dipartimento di Design; Universita degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, Dipartimento di Scienze Umane per la Formazione; Universita di Roma Tor Vergata, Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie della Formazione), primary schools and other public institutions for scientific knowledge diffusion. Its overall purpose is to investigate whether Digital Dioramas, used with Interactive Whiteboard Technology, can improve the teaching of some fundamental aspects of biology (with special reference to the ecology), geography, and other scientific content. The applied method is innovative as it combines qualitative behavior observation with eye tracking methodology, which represents a quantitative and objective evaluation tool. Preliminary experimental results seem to indicate that the fruition of Digital Diorama is fairly easy and it stimulates the interaction among kids and their curiosity through emotional and cognitive captivation. Furthermore, Digital Diorama can support teachers in their classroom activities, even more than the typical tools of formal learning such as readers.