Children's evaluation of a computer-based technology used as a tool to communicate their ideas for the redevelopment of their schoolyard

- An adapted version of Tux Paint drawing software is introduced.
- 10-12-year pupils used the adapted Tux Paint to express their vision on schoolyard.
- Pupils evaluated the adapted Tux Paint as easy, quick, funny and creative.

A surge of interest in empowering children's participation in shaping their environment has led to the development of many participation methodologies. There is, however, little evidence of research data utilizing ICT as a tool for generating children's ideas through a decision making process which results in changes to their schoolyards. This paper presents an evaluation of an adapted drawing program (Tux Paint) that is used as a research tool in a complex participatory method by gathering primary school children's perspectives on development of their schoolyard environment. These changes were to be implemented through a collaborative project with the Department of Landscape Architecture of TEIEMT and the authority of Drama city, Greece. The participating children, ages 10-12, were asked to develop a vision for their schoolyard combining hand drawing plans and sketches utilizing the adapted Tux Paint software. They were the target focus group for the evaluation of the computer program and were asked to answer questionnaires regarding software efficacy, ease, and creative potential. Moreover, they were asked whether they simply enjoyed the experience of using the software and participated in interactive group sessions to discuss the degree of their satisfaction with their computer sketches. Chi-square or Fischer's exact tests were used to analyze the data. Gender and age were defined as variables influencing the evaluation. All the participating pupils valued the Tux Paint program as easy, quick, funny and an overall creative experience.