1. When eShadow met ALICE and
the Akritans

2. Overview
 What is eShadow – Main goals
 Features of eShadow
 Technical aspects
 eShadow editor
 Activities using eShadow

3. What is eShadow
 Digital shadow theater application
 Inspired by Greek traditional shadow theater
 Combines tradition, education and intra-family
communication

4. Main goals
 Adapt traditional shadow theater in modern times
 Preserve traditional art
 Collaborative learning experiences
 Children express and improve their creativity

5. Overview
 What is eShadow – Main goals
 Features of eShadow
 Technical aspects
 eShadow editor
 Activities using eShadow

6. Features of eShadow (1/3)
 Digital shadow theater plays:





Create
Record
Share
Watch
Export in video format
 Collaborative creation of plays


Local and via internet
Video chat for collaborative creation and watching of plays
 eShadow editor

External tool for shadow theater puppets creation

7. Features of eShadow (2/3)
 Provide alternative methods for controlling the
virtual puppets


Mouse
Motion sensing controller
 Integrated physics engine
 Handles every movement of the shadow theater puppets
 The puppets movement is very realistic
 Very easy to use
 This can be verified by our evaluation

8. Features of eShadow (3/3)

9. Overview
 What is eShadow – Main goals
 Features of eShadow
 Technical aspects
 eShadow editor
 Activities using eShadow

10. Technical aspects (1/3)
 Both desktop and web versions
 Online collaboration
 Cross-play (desktop and web versions)
 Users can create collaborative scenes
 Online collaborators awareness through tags

11. Technical aspects (2/3)
 Control model:
 Created an OSC (Open Sound Control) API
 Motion controllers use this API
 Support other devices that implement this API
 Puppet Physics:
 Automatic creation of physics for puppet parts
 Automatic creation of joints for puppet parts
 Add new figures easily

12. Technical aspects (3/3)
 Recording of plays:
 Real time recording of game is very demanding

Recording by using XML is our solution:
Defined an appropriate XML Schema
 Small file size for the recordings
 Replace figures on an existing recording
 Editing of recordings


13. Overview
 What is eShadow – Main goals
 Features of eShadow
 Technical aspects
 eShadow editor
 Activities using eShadow

14. eShadow editor (1/2)
 Compose puppets

Predefined parts
 Edit puppets
 Color puppets

15. eShadow editor (2/2)
 Change puppets shape
 Change facial characteristics
 Add items on puppets
 Export puppets for use in eShadow

16. Overview
 What is eShadow – Main goals
 Features of eShadow
 Technical aspects
 Evaluation
 eShadow editor
 Activities using eShadow

17. eShadow activities summary
 Use of Digital Storytelling and Games
 Train teachers to use a digital storytelling tool
 Teachers can make related classes much more interesting and
engaging for children
 Providing a new way for children to express their creativity
and learn
 Children learn to use games in a safe way in the school
environment

18. Use of eShadow in ALPPs
 2 ALPPs in Greece used eShadow
 “Play with Shadows” implemented by Marios Christoulakis
 “Creating a shadow” play implemented by Andreas Pitsiladis

19. Use of eShadow in ALPPs
Play with Shadows
 Implemented sessions:




|
2 with the EcoFans group of Hellenic American Union
2 sessions with people with disabilities
2 sessions with groups of adults and children volunteers
Sessions in Students creativity Exhibition in Chania

20. Use of eShadow in ALPPs
Play with Shadows
 Adults benefited: 50
 Children benefited: 200
 Special groups:


6 Adults with mental disabilities (and 6 trainers)
6 Children with physical disabilities (and 6 teachers)

21. Use of eShadow in ALPPs
Creating a shadow play
 One implemented session (duration 3 hours)
 People benefited:



Adults benefited: 4
Children benefited: 36
Special children groups:
3 immigrant
 3 with learning difficulties
 1 unprivileged


22. Skills gained
 Understand how Shadow Theater plays :
 Structure
 Performed
 Create their own play
 Creation of figures, sceneries and scenario
 Scenarios and plays are created cooperatively
 Children and Teachers

23. Activities using eShadow
 Four elementary schools in Chania created plays
 Creation of scenarios, figures and plays
 Participated in Students creativity exhibition of 2012
and 2013

Many elementary and middle schools from Chania participated

24. Activities using eShadow – Photos
 Students creativity exhibition of 2013

25. Activities using eShadow – Photos
 Students creativity exhibition of 2013

26. Activities using eShadow
 EcoFans Club of Hellenic American Union created a
play in English

Created the scenario and the play
 Participated in the exhibition “The triumph of
Shadows”



Athens 12 November 2012 – 15 December 2012
341 students from elementary and middle schools
24 teachers

27. Activities using eShadow – Photos

28. Activities using eShadow – Photos

29. Activities using eShadow – Photos

30. Activities using eShadow – Photos

31. Activities using eShadow
Let Us Share The Music
In cooperation with Open Discovery Space (ODS)
project
 Music education support in remote schools of Greece
 Kastelorizo, Gaudos, Karpathos, Cyprus
 Akritan songs

32. Activities using eShadow

33. Activities using eShadow
 Let Us Share The Music
 Visualization with eShadow
 Online live session with the participation of all the schools
 Used Akritan puppets

Created by the children and a professional painter who specializes
in byzantine paintings and hagiography

34. Activities using eShadow – Photos

35. Activities using eShadow – Photos

36. Activities using eShadow – Photos

37. Activities using eShadow – Photos

38. Activities using eShadow – Photos

39. Activities using eShadow – Photos

40. Activities using eShadow – Photos

41. Future uses
 Support the safer internet contest.

The theme of the context is shadow theater scenarios
 Educational shadow theater scenarios


Platanias Middle school
Scenario about learning equations
 Multi-literacies in pre-primary education

42. Epilogue
Thank you
 More information on ALICE: www.alice-llp.eu
 “Let Us Share The Music”: dma.ea.gr/en
 Videos and more information about eShadow:
www.youtube.com/eShadowTheater
www.eshadow.gr
www.music.tuc.gr
Contact emails:
christoulakis@ced.tuc.gr, pitsilad@ced.tuc.gr, nektar@ced.tuc.gr