7.8.5 Symbol use
As an initial step towards a pedagogic use of Alphabot’s symbol system to guide children’s informal learning, we asked them to recall the effect of placing a symbol on the character in both conditions. Sixty-four percent of the interviewed children in both conditions verbally recalled a symbol. Some of the children that did not verbally recall a particular symbol during the interview, drew them when they were given time alone to reflect and draw freely. One child drew the Japanese symbol on Alphabot and added jet packs as well as two letter “P”s, a symbol not found in the play test set. Several children drew alphabots with hearts. Another child drew Alphabot with the number three and yet another with the letter “a”. A four year old girl told us “I hope Alphabot gets to see my picture, I’m drawing alphabets.”