Architecture :: Learning Process :: Engagement vs. Non-Engagement :: Experimental Setup :: Hypothesis

Experimental Setup

 
The overall design of the experiment is a Two-Group setup where the independent variable is engagement, which can be either on or off. This study was a between group study, meaning that one participant did not experience both non-engagement and engagement.
 
During the experiment the subject was asked to perform two different teaching tasks. The first task was to teach a modified Hokey-Pokey dance to the Geo (the subject was provided with a list of dance moves which makes up Geo's Hokey-Pokey). To accomplish this task the subject was given 15 minutes. After the time was up the subject was graded based on how well the subject was able to teach the assigned dance and how well Geo could do the dance. After the grading the subject was given the second task which was to teach Geo any type of dance the subject wished to teach. The subject was encouraged to spend about 10 minutes on the dance though the subject could leave earlier or stay later. After the subject was done teaching the free form dance it was graded based on the length of the dance and how well Geo knew the dance.
 

At the end of all the tasks the subject was given a survey to complete. The survey included Likert Scale questions such as the subject's rating the stress, frustration and enjoyment felt during the interaction. Also included in the survey are free response questions such as asking the subject how intelligent the subject thought Geo was and asking the subject how the subject generally felt about the interaction.

The dependent variables being measured are the success rate for the two dances, the types of touches being made to Geo (which are recorded internally), the subjective observational report, the length of time of the free form interaction and the survey data.

Physical description

- The setup of the experiment will involve two people: the experimenter and the participant

- The experimenter will explain the instructions and then leave Geo to the participant

- Geo will be setup at the Pleo playground on a desk; the participant will be asked to keep it there while interacting

- A video camera will be setup in a spot where the participant and Geo will both be visible; the camera will be focused on the interaction

- The experimenter will keep time with a watch

- When time is up, or the participant hollers that he’s finished, the experimenter will come back in, stop the watch, stop the camera, and ask the participant to fill out a survey

- The same setup will be repeated (with different instructions) for the next part of the experiment

Survey.doc