1. PBL & Career and College Awareness
RESOURCE FOR: Edutainment Presentation
Edutainment
PBL & Career and College Awareness

2. Edutainment: Engineering Design Process
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3. Edutainment: Quotes to consider
“The coolest toys don’t have to be bought; they can be built. In fact, sometimes the only way they’ll ever exist is if you make them yourself…” ~Adam Savage (Mythbusters) “Technology is permeating every single thing we do… And to the extent that we can better expose our young people to all the different ways that technology can be used, not just for video games or toys, we’re planning for the future.” ~Marc Morial (politician) “I decided to be an inventor when I was five. My parents had given me a few various enrichment toys like erector sets, and for some reason I had the idea that if I put things together just the right way, I could create the intended effect.” ~Ray Kurzweil(inventor)

4. Edutainment Step 1: identify the Problem
Think about the quotes on the previous slide- what are these people trying to say?
What do they think about toys and games in general?
Could they have a bias, based on their occupations?
What do you think?
About toys?
About technology and its use with toys and games for young children?
About educational/enrichment toys?
About what kids can learn from toys?
What makes a toy “fun?

5. Edutainment Step 2: Identify criteria and constraints
What kinds of limits or rules are there for designing or making a toy or game for young children?
BANNED
Lawn Darts
Gilbert Glass Blowing Kit
Sky Dancers
Atomic Energy Lab
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6. Edutainment Step 2: Identify criteria and constraints
Things to consider:
Cost
Size (not too small- can choke; not too big- small hands can’t hold onto things)
Weight
Material
Colors
What age is it appropriate for?
What does it teach?
Will kids want to play with it?
Is it safe?
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7. Edutainment Step 3: Brainstorm
Sketch, list, whatever- but come up with as many ideas as possible in the time given.
Remember the rules…
No criticism, positive or negative
Idea hitchhike
Get wild (with your ideas)
Go for quantity
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8. Edutainment Step 4: generate ideas
According to TIME magazine, here are some of the most influential toys from the past century
Have you ever played with these? What makes them fun?
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9. Edutainment Step 4: generate ideas
If you could design a toy or for a young child, what would you do?
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10. Edutainment Step 4: generate ideas
What were your favorite toys as a young child?
What were your favorite online games to play when you were younger?
Why did you like them?
What would you change about them?
What kinds of toys are popular now?
What kinds of toys do kids want?
What kinds of toys do parents want?
Identify 2-3 possible solutions and think them out- create orthographic and isometric drawings and other information to be shared with others

11. Edutainment Step 5: explore possibilities
Take a look at all of the ideas developed in step 4.
Share your ideas with others- sometimes it can be beneficial to get an opinion of a person outside your team. They may ask questions or see issues you had not considered.
What is good and bad about each design?
What parts of each design do you like?
Which design requirements are addressed through each design?
Which requirements are missing?
Can you actually make a model or prototype of the solution (for step 6)?

12. Edutainment Step 6: Select an approach
What ideas have you had that will work?
Create a solution that fills the requirements given
This may be one of the ideas created and analyzed in steps 4 and 5, or it may be a combination of those ideas with bits and pieces taken from a variety of designs

13. Edutainment Step 7: build a model or prototype
Make a full size or to-scale model or prototype of your design

14. Edutainment Step 8: refine
Use the model or prototype from step 7 to evaluate your design.
Does it work the way you intended?
What needs to be fixed/changed?
Are all of the design requirements being filled?
Identify any problems, and repeat the design process?

15. Edutainment: Present your Design
Be ready to explain how you filled each of the design requirements and solved the original identified problem.
Use this as an opportunity to show how your design meets the criteria in a unique, innovative way.
Presenting your idea can be done in many ways- videos, live demonstrations, posters, pamphlets, multimedia presentations- anything that lets you inform potential users about your product.