A Multimodal Ambient Intelligence Environment for Playful Learning

This paper reports the design, development and evaluation of a technological framework for learning applications, named AmI Playfield, aimed at creating challenging learning conditions through play and entertainment. AmI Playfield is an educative Ambient Intelligent (AmI) environment which emphasizes the use of kinesthetic and collaborative technology in a natural playful learning context and embodies performance measurement techniques. In order to test and assess AmI Playfield, the “Apple Hunt” application was developed, which engages (young) learners in arithmetic thinking through kinesthetic and collaborative play, observed by unobtrusive AmI technology behind the scene. “Apple Hunt” has been evaluated according to a combination of methodologies suitable for young testers, whereas Children Committees are introduced as a promising approach to evaluation with children. The obtained results demonstrate the system’s high potential to generate thinking and fun, deriving from the learners’ full-body kinesthetic play and team work.