Page 46 - JCBP-2-4

Journal of Clinical and
Basic Psychosomatics A hackathon of cooperative play over 1000 km

greater number of first-time participants, and the other 2.2. Recording with an online conferencing
was the duration of participation and communication, application
with a focus on investigating age and gender differences. Using the recording functionality standard with the Zoom
To investigate the impact of the ICT-based playpark trial online conferencing application, the event content was
on children’s psychology, we evaluated their stay total recorded on a local PC. During the event, we switched
time in each play, regarded as a quantitative index of between a gallery view, in which the camera images of all
willingness to participate, considering gender and age participants’ ICT terminals were displayed on the screen
dependence. in a small size, and a speaker view, in which the screen of
2. Materials and methods the person who was speaking was displayed in a large size
by itself automatically, and selected a screen layout that
2.1. Ethics deliberations, event details, and facilitated observation of play and participants’ actions and
participants expressions toward each other.

This study protocol was approved by the Yamaguchi 2.3. Analysis of presented play
University Review Committee for Non-Medical Research
Involving Human Participants (approval ID: 2020- All types of play presented by children and parents were
047). Consent for video recording was obtained from all analyzed. Four introductory films were presented, which
parents, the children themselves, and the organizers. The were considered one form of play. The number of children
data were recorded in such a way that individuals could who participated in each type of play was visualized in
not be identified. The children who were forced to stay at bar graphs for females (red) and males (blue) and for
home in abnormal conditions were approached at random, lower and upper age groups. The age boundary between
and those who agreed to participate were analyzed. It was the lower and upper groups was defined as either 8 years
not required to ask whether the participants included old or younger or 9 years old or older, which is the
children diagnosed with developmental disorders, for average age of children in a 6-year elementary school in
which quantitative diagnostic methods have not yet been Japan.
established. 2.4. Classification of each child’s behavior
On May 3, 2020, assuming a communication scale of The video recording was viewed, and each child’s behavior
about 15 children, we randomly selected addresses that was classified every 5 s into one of the following eight types
had participated in previous children’s events in each city of emergent behaviors, which were used as the original
and sent an email invitation to participate in an event with data. These eight typical behaviors were preliminary
the theme “Children propose play ideas to each other in an classified and summarized in the same recorded video data
online conference, and the children who received the ideas by the children’s educators, considering the contextual
participate in the play and co-create the play” without prior flows and vocal contents.
notice. We invited a total of five children’s communities: (i) Engagement: All actions. All time spent at the event.
three in Yamaguchi Prefecture and one each in Saitama and (ii) Play suggestion: Actions to present and explain the
Chiba Prefectures, which are about 1,000 km apart. The play to the other participants as a time to take charge
number of children and parent participants who presented of the presentation, followed by actions to lead the
their own play were eight female and seven male children play with the other children.
and two parents. All were included in the analysis. The (iii) Online participation: Behavior of the play suggested
event began on May 5, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. with an online by the presenter together or outside of the time after
conference system and at 3:00 p.m. on the Internet using the the presenter’s presentation. If the play presented was
Zoom online conference application to share information a self-introduction video, children were considered
about each other’s favorite games and play together. The to be joining the play if they could confirm that other
online conferencing system has three advantages: (i) to children were watching the video.
maintain a relatively stable connection between terminals (iv) Online conversation: A conversation was considered
for both video and audio; (ii) to separate into multiple successful only if a two-way online exchange could
groups and maintain communication with each group; and be confirmed by reviewing the content of the
(iii) to securely record video. “Children’s Day Project” and conversation, e.g., a question followed by its answer or
“1000 km Online Play Park” were named and announced. response.
Parents were asked to be present on the day of the event. (v) Watch: Watch the screen.
After receiving consent, the event was recorded. The order (vi) Satisfaction: Watching with a smile based on subjective
of the game suggestions was randomized. judgment (for reference)

Volume 2 Issue 4 (2024) 3 doi: 10.36922/jcbp.4221