Film, Digital Media & Moving Image projects Cornwall, South West England, UK - Infinite Infants
Infinite Infants ‘Infinite Infants ’ is a developing research programme of work that currently engages three Plymouth infant schools -Hyde Park, Woodford, and Langley -the Institute of Digital Art and Technology (i DAT) at the University of Plymouth, Creative Partnerships, digital media companies HMC and Artytechs and film maker Tim Burton. Infinite Infants is set to explore the potential impact of current revolutions in digital technology in developing creativity, confidence and communication skills in 4-7 year olds, maximising the technology ’s use to facilitate sustainable, inspirational and inclusive resources for multi-sensory communication and learning. Developed from traditional school environments such as role play areas, this exciting programme offers interactive virtual environments, with audio visual components, that would otherwise be inaccessible or alien to small humans – places like the surface of the moon, under the sea, or the bustle of a Tudor market. In a sense, the system creates a third, shared environment between the schools where young people from each of the schools can interact, communicate with each other, develop their confidence and explore ideas together in real time. Chris Speed of i-DAT says: “Children go into role play areas with the most extraordinary powers of imagination: in a simulation of an undersea world with just two or three signifiers like fish and waves, you and I would see it as a pictorial background with some cut-out fish, but children transport themselves completely into those spaces. The system also allows them to share the environment with others, both in real time and asynchronously: if we were sharing a digital beach and, say, I left a shell on it yesterday, you’d find it there the next morning – it ’s been somehow ‘washed up on the internet’. It becomes a real live interface into different spaces, but it ’s mainly and most importantly interfacing with the imagination.” ‘Infinite Infants’ is part of the ‘Virtual Network ’ being developed by Creative Partnerships with HMC and i-DAT. Chris says: “This is a pilot scheme we ’re using as a framework to construct the Virtual Network -it acts as a technical test of how on earth you get teachers and pupils to be comfortable swapping multiple files and images and interacting simultaneously.” Children will have the opportunity to be active participants in their learning and play through exchange of ideas within their class, school and beyond, challenging barriers of access that currently exist due to differing socio-economic, geographical and cultural boundaries. The system also includes a parental portal to enable supervised learning outside of school hours, and there will be further learning links for pupils to access more information about the environment they are exploring on museum sites and other online resources. Mike Cobb of HMC says: “Infinite Infants provides a fantastic resource to help kids learn and communicate. Built upon the flexible Virtual Networks framework, the project is continually expanding to accommodate new tools and resources.” Liz Hill of Hyde Park Infant School says: “We chose the title ‘Infinite Infants ’ to reflect the limitless opportunities for fun and exploration and the boundless imagination of young minds. The inclusive nature of the project aims to offer quality provision promoting active learning and positive engagement with cutting edge technology. Our ultimate aim is to share ‘Infinite Infants ’ as a vehicle for improving the ‘3 C ’s ’ (Communication, Creativity and Confidence) with the global community ”. Chris Speed adds: “The smallest and shyest of people can bolster their communication skills, confidence and creativity in the real world by using this system – we ’re working with 4 and 5 year olds on this pilot, and it ’s so mellow and profound in its approach because it works at whatever level the user needs it to.” Find out more about Infinite Infants by contacting Cass Dennis on 07968 992485 or Ed Whitelaw on 01752 225806
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