Third video of the primary school journey towards exploring the computer and its codes.

Activity with Terminal Quest, a narrative video game, in the version translated into Italian from the English original included in Kano software.
This video was filmed with a "GoPro" camera, like those used for filming from bikes, etc. I wore it on my chest. This experiment was due in part to the fact that we had been in few during the last meetings, but also to see how this thing worked: we wanted to collect a great amount of close-up footage, from the educator's viewpoint. In fact, some interesting shots emerged. The problem is that walking makes the camera swing, as on a boat - and then I even swing when I talk...

(Andreas Formiconi) This video documents
one of the meetings

based on the use of Terminal Quest,
a narrative video game.

The striking thing is
the unemployment of the educators:

both the teachers' and mine. I just sat
in a corner and filmed.

As you can see, the game consists
of a black screen with some writing.

Let's now see more in detail how the game
presents itself.

On the left, the story appears:

"Beep beep, hello, this is News at Nine.

Strange rumors are circulating
early this morning in Strada in Chianti.

Some are talking of people who disappeared
and of ransacked houses in town.

We'll soon give you updates.

The mayor called for
a new emergency meeting.

We'll refer about it when it happens."

"Time to wake up, Sleepyhead!"

Here, the color changes, because
the player is being addressed.

And here is the hint
for the first command:

"Write ls and hit Send
in order to look around".

On the right, players use
the actual terminal:

"ls" and "Send"

We get a series of objects:

closet, computer, bed,
bookshelf, desk, chair, alarm clock.

Meanwhile, on the left:

"Great! Now you can see the objects
around you.

There's your bed, the alarm clock.

Ugh! Switch off that alarm clock!

"cat sveglia" ("cat alarm clock") to see
the alarm clock.

"cat sveglia".

And on the left:

"Good, you've switched it off!
Better get dressed now...

Write "ls armadio" ("ls closet")"
and so on.

In another video, we describe this
in more detail.

This is what the children are doing.

Drawings are also made
via text signs,

using the so-called ASCII Art,
which the children seem to enjoy a lot.

They are surprised by these drawings.

And this is the meeting
with the other group of 16 children.

Basically, the situation repeated itself.

Here we saw that one child
was still filming

but in the end, all get involved
and collaborate in the game,

with a few incursions to see what
the others are doing.

(Child) But where is the wavy line?

(AF) "Where is the wavy line?"
i.e. he means the tilde.

Such rare interventions

about some strange keyboard shortcut,
happen

But otherwise, almost nothing.

They did everything entirely on their own.

I was amazed when a child dictated
from memory

a complex command to the others

after having worked for only half an hour.

Here, I'd like to describe
the slow process.

This little girl follows with her finger

the command typed on the terminal.

Then she compares it with the instruction
written on the left of the screen,

where the story is narrated
and commands are indicated.

Discussion.

The other child then tries according
to the conclusion they reached.

In other words: this is group work

Another type of intervention:

"How come it does not work?"

"Ah, Upper case!

Ah, you see? Correct it!

If you use lower case
you'll see it'll work!"

Because in Unix commands, upper case
and lower case letters are different.

Again, discussion

and sharing of the written narrations
and of the drawings,

as in former meetings.

Finally , a moving goodbye (applause)

for what has been indeed
a beautiful story.