Partner und Internationale Organisationen
(Englisch)
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King's College, London (UK); Anitra Medienprojekt, Munich (D); ETH Zurich (CH), Hewlett-Packard Research Labs, Bristol (UK); Arjo Wiggins Fine Papers (F/UK)
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Abstract
(Englisch)
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Despite incredible advances in computing technology the use of paper persists. Paper++ aims to build upon the resilient properties of paper to develop innovative techniques that cross the threshold between the material and electronic domains. Focusing on educational settings we will examine the current activities of students, children and teachers and their needs and requirements. Drawing on these studies, and parallel consideration of designers and publishers of educational materials, we are developing conceptual designs and creating prototypes that aim to enrich current paper-based practices. These developments focus on one particular way of enhancing through the use of invisible inks and simple location detection devices. This technology is being subjected to both laboratory and naturalistic assessment to evaluate the appropriateness of the approach in everyday practices and in light of comparable attempts to enhance or replace paper.
OBJECTIVES
Paper++ is developing and assessing innovative concepts and systems that augment the use of paper in everyday settings such as homes and classrooms. We are particularly concerned with providing children and students with ways of creatively interweaving paper documents with digital materials using unobtrusive, flexible and portable tools.
The project is:
- Creating enhanced paper products coupled with devices such as wands, which can be used to retrieve digital materials and create new associations between paper and digital documents;
- Identifying the requirements, and possibilities for, children and students, as well as different kinds of publishers, to use devices to augment the paper/digital interface;
- Providing concepts and candidate solutions which allow end users, as well as content providers, to enhance their use of paper and to develop new and emerging functionality with paper documents and related tools and artefacts.
DESCRIPTION OF WORK
Work description:
Paper++ is primarily concerned with providing distinctive ways of interleaving paper documents with digital materials, using devices and electronic artefacts to enhance the paper-computer interface. We aim to provide both children and adults with new forms of functionality in everyday environments with seemingly mundane objects. The project adopts an approach, which places everyday activities, experience and communication at the heart of the social-technical agenda. The project involves a range of activities, which, at each point, give critical consideration to people, practice and the use of everyday documents. The project includes video-based empirical studies of children and students using paper documents and associated tools as part of their everyday activities. Drawing from the findings of these studies we are developing not only working prototypes but also design concepts for augmented paper technologies. The project also examines how publishers, teachers, both formal and informal content providers, currently design materials using particular media. To support the design activity the project is undertaking a series of technical interventions where we provide children and students with various 'off the shelf' technologies and working prototypes to use as part of their daily activities.
These help assess how such tools transform practice, and the extent to which they can be interleaved with the use of more conventional resources such as paper books. The project also involves extensive discussion with various stakeholders; designers, publishers, teachers, children and students and through workshops and symposia, engender discussion and debate concerning ways to enhance and enrich the use of paper. Finally and critically, the project involves the design and development, demonstration and field evaluation of innovative technical solutions, which we hope allows children and students to creatively interweave digital materials with a pervasive every day object; namely paper.
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