Designing manipulative tools for creative multi and cross-cultural storytelling

Abstract

This paper presents and discusses the preliminary findings of a research focusing on the design and use of Mobeybou, a digital manipulative aimed at promoting the collaborativecreation of multicultural and cross-cultural stories amongyoung children. We frame the research in the widerdiscussion of the 21st century skills and competencies, andpresent the digital manipulative as the product of a participatory design methodology. We discuss narratology,multiculturalism, embodiment and collaboration as thecornerstone ideas underpinning the design of Mobeybou. We also show how storytelling is envisioned as implying thecreative use of the multicultural and multimodal informationthat is offered to users in the form of constraints and open-ended options. A pilot study, carried out with twelve 8-year-old children, has validated these design options and offeredinteresting insights for its further development. Here, wepresent the interface and discuss the feedback provided in theuser study