Designing Multimedia Environments for Children

"A must read for multimedia developers and also for parents and teachers concerned by recent bunk about the dangers of cyberspace." —Nicholas Negroponte Founder and Director, MIT Media Lab and author of Being Digital

The demand for innovative new multimedia software for children has never been greater. Now experts Allison Druin and Cynthia Solomon help you meet that demand with an in-depth look at creating vibrant multimedia environments to enhance children's educational and play experiences.

Drawing upon more than thirty years of research and experimen-tation in children's software development, the authors show you a multimedia museum of examples that offer a framework for designing environments tailored to kids' unique needs. You'll explore the recent developments in multimedia environments for children and find out about new and emerging multimedia technologies.

With this unique book you won't simply read about successful multimedia environments for children, you'll get to experience some of the best, firsthand, on the enclosed CD-ROM. Compatible with both Mac and PC operating systems, the CD includes:

• Sample educational and "edutainment" products
• Videos of successful computer environments for kids
• Demo versions of commercial software tools