GoElemental!

Bath Taps 2005

11 + 12TH MARCH 10-4 PM
GREEN PARK STATION OPEN MARKET

Bath Taps is a free science fair that takes place around National Science week at Green Park Station in Bath. It has been running for five years now and attracts over 400 school children on the Friday and several hundred member sof the general public on the Saturday. Different departments from the University, other Educational establishments, Science Groups and enthusiastic individuals put on stalls covering a wide variety of science topics. The idea is to be interactive and fun, as well as educational.

Goelemental at Bath Taps took the format of a two-day interactive animation, projected onto a wall inside the Green Park Station open area in Bath. Using a touch screen the participants pressed on an element's button on the touch screen which had its name and a picture from the animation on it. On receiving the request, the projection changed to a humorous or exciting animation of their chosen element. The animation showed where their chosen element is used and what it does.

Outcomes

The touch screen complemented the project especially when children in groups were interacting with Goelemental. Some children argued over who was going to have a go next and one boy went through all 72 animations! Children would tell newcomers to the piece 'how to do it' and which animations/elements were good ones according to them.

Some children stayed for over 10minutes trying out lots of the elements and one group of boys did the same element 5 times because they thought it was soo funny - (In Zinc's animation a boy eats a lemon then screws up his face - to show how Zinc helps your taste buds work)

The duplication of the touch screen on the big projection enabled lots of people to see the animations at once. It also added an element of empowerment to the user - 'I changed this massive screen that all my friends can see'. Due to the light in the day time I need to invest in a brighter lumen projector. As the photographys show the proejction was not bright and clear as i would have liked. (as opposed to the first showing on evenings see Bath 2004)

Many children under the age of 10 also enjoyed the piece even though they probably have not some in to contact with the periodic table of elements. The bold use of colours and fun animated elements helped catch the imagination of users.


Choose your element... And your chosen elements animation is shown on the wall and on the touch screen		Bath Taps 2005 11 + 12TH MARCH 10-4 PM GREEN PARK STATION OPEN MARKET Bath Taps is a free science fair that takes place around National Science week at Green Park Station in Bath. It has been running for five years now and attracts over 400 school children on the Friday and several hundred member sof the general public on the Saturday. Different departments from the University, other Educational establishments, Science Groups and enthusiastic individuals put on stalls covering a wide variety of science topics. The idea is to be interactive and fun, as well as educational. Goelemental at Bath Taps took the format of a two-day interactive animation, projected onto a wall inside the Green Park Station open area in Bath. Using a touch screen the participants pressed on an element's button on the touch screen which had its name and a picture from the animation on it. On receiving the request, the projection changed to a humorous or exciting animation of their chosen element. The animation showed where their chosen element is used and what it does. Outcomes The touch screen complemented the project especially when children in groups were interacting with Goelemental. Some children argued over who was going to have a go next and one boy went through all 72 animations! Children would tell newcomers to the piece 'how to do it' and which animations/elements were good ones according to them. Some children stayed for over 10minutes trying out lots of the elements and one group of boys did the same element 5 times because they thought it was soo funny - (In Zinc's animation a boy eats a lemon then screws up his face - to show how Zinc helps your taste buds work) The duplication of the touch screen on the big projection enabled lots of people to see the animations at once. It also added an element of empowerment to the user - 'I changed this massive screen that all my friends can see'. Due to the light in the day time I need to invest in a brighter lumen projector. As the photographys show the proejction was not bright and clear as i would have liked. (as opposed to the first showing on evenings see Bath 2004) Many children under the age of 10 also enjoyed the piece even though they probably have not some in to contact with the periodic table of elements. The bold use of colours and fun animated elements helped catch the imagination of users.