Topic 7 Exercise 2

7.2 New devices, aged care and people with disabilities
The use of wireless technologies allows mobile phones to be linked to other devices that have larger screens, simpler commands, automatic functions, better audio output, cameras and other help facilities.
 Severe hearing loss or speech impairment- use of sign language to communicate over a broadband camera link. When a person who does not know sign language calls, the person can re-direct the call via a video relay service where a human operator acts as an interpreter.

 Home alone with very poor vision, cannot read labels on bottles and packaging. A device is used that sends a scanned image to a help centre. A person at the help centre then reads the information to the person allowing them to maintain a level of independence.

 Loss of central vision and poor memory- monitoring systems can turn off devices that have been left on too long, can emit warning alerts, measure temperatures, watch for movements in a room and activate switches. Privacy is important but where alerts are triggered, cameras can help relatives or care professionals to communicate and respond.
Help systems can activate reminders, control heating and entertainment systems and many other devices that will enable people needing care to live independently and yet feel safe and in touch.

http://www.tiresias.org/cost219ter/making_life_easier/making_life_easier.htm

Topic 7 Exercise 1

7.1 Smart screen interface case study

There are three basic systems that are used to recognize a person's touch:
• Resistive
• Capacitive
• Surface acoustic wave

The Resistive System



The Capacitive System


The Surface Acoustic Wave System



Devices that improve display and interaction over other devices.

Interactive Smartboards Vs Traditional black/white boards
The new interactive smartboards allow the teacher to utilize the technology that is available on any computer in the classroom. The data that is produced is then projected onto a screen that is about the same size as a traditional whiteboard. The Smartboard is made with a white membrane that covers a hard board. When the two touch it is processed by the computer, initiating a command, text or drawing. Any work that has been used can be saved and used again at any time that it is required, unlike the traditional white or black board where once it has been wiped off the data has to be rewritten or drawn manually. With the software Notebook 10 the user can write on the screen using their finger or the pens provided and it can be converted (by the software) into text. This process is a benefit to the students as if the students find the writing hard to read then by converting to text, the font style and size can be manipulated as needed.
Other examples
Mobile phone Vs iphone
Walkman/discman Vs ipod

Review Wk7 - CSU Interact

CSU Interact
This is the second review of Interact. This time I was online early and didn't have any drama's conversing with the other students. The small size of the screen does seem to be a problem especially when the chat gets busy. Others noticed the delay and lag that increased as more people wanted to chat. Some users also commented that Interact kept 'freezing' so they were limited in their input. I did enjoy the time interacting with the others. Vicki (fellow POD member) offered for others to join our group as they didn't have many members left in their POD groups, which was very nice of her.

CSU Interact has a basic, user friendly chat room with few bells or whistles. This system has its benefits for inexperienced chatters as it is relatively difficult to go wrong. It just doesn't cope too well with a lot of users.

Topic 6 Exercise 2

Wiki and Moodle Design

What is it about the design of the wiki and Moodle that you liked or disliked?
Likes- Moodle - The lounge…..
Wiki- the content is governed by the users

Dislikes- Moodle, I feel a little haunted by it…….with the frequency of reviews and the learning of new software, my attention span seems to have shortened. I became frustrated with the process involved in using Moodle. I watched the footage and asked users of the site about the joys of Moodle. What I found was mainly American content and a lot of stuff that just didn’t grab my attention (starting to sound like my students!!!!)
Wiki- the content is governed by the users

What features do wiki and Moodle have in common and what are the differences?
Common features- content is governed by the users

Differences- Moodle is made up of a range of groupware including wiki, forums and blog. The wiki is a single part of Interact……so is Interact a form of Moodle? That would seem to be the case.

The successful design of a wiki or Moodle does rely on the level of usability, sociability and sustainability. If the technology is relatively easy to use, encourages others to join and has an element that the users can not find elsewhere then the technology will be successful. If the technology does not have these three points in a high level then the life of such technology will be limited.

Topic 6 Exercise 3

6.3 Trust and reputation: how is it achieved?

Trust & Reputation	Facebook	CSU Interact
Online trust	Some people trust Facebook with their pictures and personal details, others feel skeptical regarding personal security	Very high as the users need a CSU password to Log-in
Online reputation	The jury is still out….	A very good reputation as it can be the life line for many students at CSU
Usability	Facebook has a high degree of usability	Interact has a high degree of usability
Sociability	Very social, similar 'friends' are shown to others to see if they know them or will except them into their network	Interact is mainly used for professional discussion regarding issues affecting the students.
Sustainability	Face book hasn't imploded yet. It has had very quick growth and continues to grow. Perhaps in time it will be replaced by the next 'new' trend.	Interact will be sustainable as it is relied upon by CSU students to communicate with each other and the lecturer. Very important for students studying by distance education
Pragmatist: Pragmatists see the world in terms of what works best or most efficiently. http://www.summerjoy.com/Glossary.html	Facebook is a very efficient and effective tool for a social network, easy to access	Interact may not be the most efficient tool for a social network, limited by the level of technology used
Conservatism (from Latin: conservare = "save" or "preserve"[1]) refers to various political and social philosophies that support tradition and the status quo. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conservatism	Younger, tech savvy, long term users may see Face book as the status quo, loving the connectability with millions of other users	Old school students may prefer Interact over Facebook as it has a higher level of online trust
In ordinary usage, skepticism refers to: an attitude of doubt or a disposition to incredulity either in general or toward a particular object.	There is concern that some users aren't concerned about the long term implications of personal data being available on the net and what some people might do with it, ie employers checking on future employees	Any skepticism toward Interact may be aimed at the usability and the small size of the 'chat' window!

 

Topic 6 Exercise 1 Designing for usability, sociability and sustainability

People	Purpose	Community Size
Users where the people that where a part of the ATTP, generally the same cohort used the forum for approximately 18 months (the length of the course). Users might leave if they dropped out of the course, the only new members may have been people doing the course part-time.	Accelerated Teacher Training Program Bed TAS and Bed Sec Maths – Forum provided by CSU for students to communicate with other students in the same subject	The community started out at approximately 120 potential users, some people chose not to interact on the forum. This number dropped down to about 80 by the end of the course
There was a high level of activity on this forum as a lot of people had come from trade backgrounds and where not used to the university environment. We had many questions that others would happily answer. The forum offered the support that the majority of the students required.	Belonging- As the course was only offered as distance education the forum was utilised to keep in contact with students and to give feedback on topics of conversation.	Satisfaction- An interesting note was when my cohort started on the forum some of the old cohort still had access to it. They briefly had the opportunity to come on and offer pieces of advice. At the time I thought this weird as I thought that they would have something better to do with their time. By continuing my studies at CSU I have regained access to this forum. Twice I have had a look to see what is going on but I haven't made a comment. There was a sense of loss for the 06 cohort forum at the end of the course. I do understand now the sense of belonging that those other users felt.
This forum is subject specific. The users are people at various stages of an ITC degree, with ranges in experiences.	ITIC510 Online Communities is a forum provided by CSU for students to communicate with other students in the same subject.	The community is relatively small (although my other subject only has six students) with approximately 28 students.
The level of activity on this forum is quiet low with there being gaps of days between anyone posting on it.	Belonging- The forum is used to co-ordinate meeting times for the cohort and for subject related questions.	Satisfaction- With such a low participation rate this forum does not provide much sense of community. The users have been split up into POD groups which have been encouraged to meet and discuss points of interest using other social groupware software.