What do you think about curious machines?

Children aged 6 to 10 years who live in the United States or Canada and speak and understand English

This study will take place on a video call, live with a researcher! Clicking on the “Schedule a time to participate” button will send you to an online calendar where you can select a date and time that works for you.
During the study, your child will watch short videos of digital devices (similar to smart speakers such as Alexa or Google Home) sharing interesting science facts about different moons. After each video, your child will answer questions about the device, such as whether they think it is curious, friendly, or knowledgeable. Your child will also answer questions about their own curiosity and interests and play a game in which they choose which topics, such as countries, they would like to learn more about. Partway through the session, children will have the option to take a short movement break with a song and dance. The study takes approximately 45 minutes to complete, and families will receive a $15 electronic gift card for participating.

Children's encounters with digital devices, such as smart speakers and other technology-based learning tools, continue to increase, both in the classroom and at home. However, there is relatively little information about how children perceive these digital devices as sources of information for their own learning.
In this study, we are interested in how children perceive different characteristics of digital devices that are discussing a specific topic of moons. By watching short videos of each of the devices, sharing science facts and answering questions about the devices, such as how nice or curious they seem. By comparing children’s ratings on the different devices, we hope to understand how these characteristics shape children’s expressions of digital learning tools, especially in their own classrooms.

45 minutes

Families who participate in the study will receive a $15 electronic gift card as compensation for their participation, received via email. Gift cards will be sent to the email address provided by the parent or guardian within a week of completing the study. Families will receive only one gift card per participant within the specified age range, and the child must be visible during the study.