Using a smart device:the roles of mobile application usage on toddlers and pre-schoolers

Abstract. Technology has found its way into the hands of young children propelling various researchers to carry out a series of research on the impact which the usage is having on the young children. In the available studies concerning the young children on the effect of technology and mobile application, most researchers have focused either attention on the advantages or the disadvantages. This research work is not focusing on the advantages and disadvantages but instead looking through the two research questions, which are 1. What role do the use of smart devices and mobile apps play in the lives of toddlers and preschoolers? 2. Should toddlers and preschoolers be allowed to use a smart device? to address the role of mobile technology and its’ application on young children. The research methodology used in this work is the qualitative research methods implemented by carrying out a survey. The survey is used to carry out data collection from 20 parents in-order to create a framework for the basis of the result driven. The findings made confirms that smart device and the usage of mobile apps is playing a big role on the young children, but parents are obligated to provide protection and control to mitigate the negative effects could bring on the users. Mobile application for young children has come to stay and will continue to grow; parents should take note on how their kids use the device and for what purpose it used. Likewise, app developers should develop a more suitable app for young children. Also, regulatory bodies in charge of applications developed for young children should regulate what sort of advert pops-up in applications developed for young childre

Applying Brain Computer Interface Technology for Playing Games

Brain Computer Interfaces are specialized systems that allows users to control computer applications using their brain waves. Initially, BCI were mostly used in medical field. But after some research and thanks to consumer-grade electroencephalography (EEG) devices, many applications and research opportunities were opened outside of the medical field. One particular area that is gaining more evidence due to the arrival consumer-grade devices is that of computer games, as it allows more user-friendly applications of BCI technology for the general public. In this report, we are going to talk about one of those games, Maze game. It will be a 2D maze, path known to the user. Using the EEG device named Neurosky Brain Wave Kit user will be able to move the avatar in order to reach the goal from the starting position

Two sides of the same coin: accessibility practices and neurodivergent users' experience of extended reality

Purpose: This paper explores the accessibility barriers faced by neurodivergent individuals regarding the use of Extended Reality (XR) technologies and the difficulties faced by developers in creating neurodivergent inclusive XR experiences. Design/methodology/approach: The authors carried out a survey with neurodivergent participants, and a series of semi-structured interviews with neurodivergent adults and XR developers. Findings: Neurodivergent individuals experience sensory overload when using XR technologies; these negative experiences are exacerbated by excessive multisensory stimulation. Allowing for the customization of sensory settings was seen as the only way to potentially limit negative experiences. The authors found that XR developers lacked awareness of accessibility requirements and struggled to integrate them in current software development practices. Social implications: Accessibility understanding regarding neurodivergence is increasingly available and the time has come to bring computing and information services within the reach of all neurodivergent individuals. The power in the design of XR, which is crucial, is decentralized from neurotypical XR developing practices to avoid artificial barriers that decrease the quality of life. Originality/value: There is a lack of studies exploring how neurodivergent individuals experience XR considering their different sensory processing patterns. There is also no research exploring XR developers' awareness of accessibility needs of neurodivergent individuals. This paper presents an account of the challenges faced by neurodivergent XR users, the difficulties faced by XR developers to integrate neurodivergent accessibility requirements, and proposes specific strategies to overcome challenges

Education Unleashed: Participatory Culture, Education, and Innovation in Second Life

Part of the Volume on the Ecology of Games: Connecting Youth, Games, and LearningWhile virtual worlds share common technologies and audiences with games, they possess many unique characteristics. Particularly when compared to massively multiplayer online role-playing games, virtual worlds create very different learning and teaching opportunities through markets, creation, and connections to the real world, and lack of overt game goals. This chapter aims to expose a wide audience to the breadth and depth of learning occurring within Second Life (SL). From in-world classes in the scripting language to mixed-reality conferences about the future of broadcasting, a tremendous variety of both amateurs and experts are leveraging SL as a platform for education. In one sense, this isn't new since every technology is co-opted by communities for communication, but SL is different because every aspect of it was designed to encourage this co-opting, this remixing of the virtual and the real

Self-Control in Cyberspace: Applying Dual Systems Theory to a Review of Digital Self-Control Tools

Many people struggle to control their use of digital devices. However, our understanding of the design mechanisms that support user self-control remains limited. In this paper, we make two contributions to HCI research in this space: first, we analyse 367 apps and browser extensions from the Google Play, Chrome Web, and Apple App stores to identify common core design features and intervention strategies afforded by current tools for digital self-control. Second, we adapt and apply an integrative dual systems model of self-regulation as a framework for organising and evaluating the design features found. Our analysis aims to help the design of better tools in two ways: (i) by identifying how, through a well-established model of self-regulation, current tools overlap and differ in how they support self-control; and (ii) by using the model to reveal underexplored cognitive mechanisms that could aid the design of new tools.Comment: 11.5 pages (excl. references), 6 figures, 1 tabl

Virtual Reality Games for Motor Rehabilitation

This paper presents a fuzzy logic based method to track user satisfaction without the need for devices to monitor users physiological conditions. User satisfaction is the key to any product’s acceptance; computer applications and video games provide a unique opportunity to provide a tailored environment for each user to better suit their needs. We have implemented a non-adaptive fuzzy logic model of emotion, based on the emotional component of the Fuzzy Logic Adaptive Model of Emotion (FLAME) proposed by El-Nasr, to estimate player emotion in UnrealTournament 2004. In this paper we describe the implementation of this system and present the results of one of several play tests. Our research contradicts the current literature that suggests physiological measurements are needed. We show that it is possible to use a software only method to estimate user emotion