Transmedia Making Experience Design

This conceptual paper proposes utilizing educational media as inspiration for maker activities for children (ages 4-8). This connection of media and making is introduced as "Transmedia Making Experience Design", a plug-and-play framework to design learning environments. The application of the proposed framework is explained with an example from a Summer Camp held in Central Pennsylvania (n=45) where children watched an episode of Curious George (PBS Kids) about weather prediction, and later designed their own anemometers and weather vanes. Preliminary findings are presented to illustrate the possible strengths and challenges of the proposed framework in practice. Ideas for further research are presented for scholars interested in adapting, testing, and refining this framework to potentially design new learning environments.