Mobile Communication and Data Gathering Software for Autistic Children and Their Caregivers

Positive design leads to positive change in our society. In most cases, discussions focus on those who receive the design. However, positive design may also have a positive, but often over-looked, effect on the designers themselves. Learning about difficulties others face and developing solutions is a benefit that can contribute to individual designers’ education and general sense of well-being. Having a broader understanding of alternative views and lifestyles makes one a better person. In addition, positive design may benefit the entire field of information science by improving its ability to renew itself and attract new, young talent

The Industry and Policy Context for Digital Games for Empowerment and Inclusion:Market Analysis, Future Prospects and Key Challenges in Videogames, Serious Games and Gamification

The effective use of digital games for empowerment and social inclusion (DGEI) of people and communities at risk of exclusion will be shaped by, and may influence the development of a range of sectors that supply products, services, technology and research. The principal industries that would appear to be implicated are the 'videogames' industry, and an emerging 'serious games' industry. The videogames industry is an ecosystem of developers, publishers and other service providers drawn from the interactive media, software and broader ICT industry that services the mainstream leisure market in games, The 'serious games' industry is a rather fragmented and growing network of firms, users, research and policy makers from a variety of sectors. This emerging industry is are trying to develop knowledge, products, services and a market for the use of digital games, and products inspired by digital games, for a range of non-leisure applications. This report provides a summary of the state of play of these industries, their trajectories and the challenges they face. It also analyses the contribution they could make to exploiting digital games for empowerment and social inclusion. Finally, it explores existing policy towards activities in these industries and markets, and draws conclusions as to the future policy relevance of engaging with them to support innovation and uptake of effective digital game-based approaches to empowerment and social inclusion.JRC.J.3-Information Societ

The Effect Of A Self-monitoring Treatment Intervention Package On The Academic Productivity Behavior Of Three High School Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder

This study employed a multiple baseline across participants design to investigate the effect of a self-monitoring treatment intervention package (independent variable) consisting of a wristwatch that delivers timed vibrating and digital text prompts, a self-recording form, and a performance graphing worksheet, on the ability of three high school students with Autism Spectrum Disorder to self-monitor the academic productivity component behaviors (dependent variable) of homework assignment completion and submission rates, classroom-based work completion and submission rates, and accuracy and rate of documentation of academic tasks in their student planners. Students earned academic productivity composite scores reflecting the percentage of academic productivity behavior they demonstrated in their target classroom each day. All participants achieved marked improvements in their academic productivity composite scores from baseline to intervention to the maintenance phase. A detailed analysis of the study results, implications for clinical practice, limitations of the current investigation and recommendations for future research completes this investigation

The potential of a classroom network to support teacher feedback:a study in statistics education.

In het wiskundeonderwijs ervaren docenten voortdurend een gebrek aan tijd om hun leerlingen goed te instrueren. In Nederland is daarbij de contacttijd voor wiskunde in de afgelopen vijftien jaar nog eens afgenomen. Wiskunde wordt door leerlingen bovendien als moeilijk ervaren. Dit onderzoek richt zich op de vraag: hoe kunnen we de contacttijd in het wiskundeonderwijs beter benutten? Meta-analyses van leeropbrengsten, zoals die beschreven door Hattie (2009), laten zien dat feedback één van de krachtigste enkelvoudige middelen is om die leeropbrengst te verhogen. In dit onderzoek benutten we de mogelijkheid van grafische rekenmachines (GR), verbonden met de computer van de docent via een draadloos netwerk, om de feedback in wiskundeonderwijs te verbeteren. Enerzijds kregen de leerlingen via hun GR onmiddellijke feedback op bepaalde opgaven en anderzijds gaf de docent, meestal in de volgende les, feedback op het werk van de leerlingen, daarbij ondersteund door een analyse van dat werk door het systeem. Het onderzoek richtte zich in eerste instantie op het ontwikkelen van zogenaamde 'gegevens geletterdheid' bij de leerlingen, waarbij de 'algoritmische vaardigheden' niet vergeten werden. Gedurende vier empirische rondes is deze wijze van werken in negen klassen ontworpen, getest, geëvalueerd en bijgesteld. De wiskundedocenten en hun leerlingen waren over het algemeen enthousiast over het resultaat. Zo adviseren zij bijvoorbeeld om de helft van de lessen aan deze werkvorm te besteden. De docenten geven daarbij aan dat ze een hoge werkdruk hebben ervaren om deze manier van doceren onder de knie te krijgen. De studie expliciteert de voorwaarden waaraan moet worden voldaan voordat de werkwijze succesvol kan zijn. In mathematics education teachers experience a constant lack of time to properly instruct their students. In the Netherlands the contact time for mathematics in secondary education during the last fifteen years again declined. Mathematics is also perceived as difficult by students. This research focuses on the question: how can we better utilize contact time in mathematics education? Meta-analyses of learning outcomes, such as those described by Hattie (2009), show that feedback is one of the most powerful single tools for improving learning achievements. In this study we explore the possibility of graphing calculators (GR), connected to the teacher computer through the use of a wireless network, to improve the feedback in mathematics education. First, students received immediate feedback on their worked out mathematics assignments GR and second, the teacher, usually in the next lesson, gave feedback on the work of the students, supported by an analysis of that work through the system. This study focused primarily on the development of 'data literacy' among students, while the 'algorithmic skills' were not forgotten. In four stages, a prototype of the intervention designed, tested, evaluated and adjusted in nine groups of students. The mathematics teachers and their students are generally enthusiastic about the results. They for instance recommend to spend half of each lesson working this way. Though, the teachers explicitly state that they have experienced a tough workload while mastering this way of teaching. The study makes the conditions to be met before the method can be successful explicit.

Enhancing Teaching and Learning through iPad Integration in a Clinic-~based Literacy Course

A re-conceptualized clinic-based literacy methods course offered the opportunity to engage participants with digital media, i.e., iPads, as a part of reading and writing instruction. This multiple case study highlights the experiences of those involved with the course: two instructors, 18 teacher candidates, and the 18 elementary tutees who received literacy tutoring. Framed through a new literacies perspective and TPACK framework, the study focused on teacher candidates\u27 use of iPads with their literacy instruction of elementary tutees, tutees\u27 learning experiences, and the ways in which course instructors\u27 TPACK was influenced. Data collection involved multiple case study methodology (Merriam, 1998; Yin, 2003, 2009) and consisted of interviews, collaborative discussions, observation and field notes, artifacts, and surveys. Data analysis involved open coding and axial coding, utilizing additional analytic tools, and drawing from a TPACK content analysis. Categories were constructed and grouped together to form constructs. Four themes formed; honoring course instructors and teacher candidates as learners, tutee motivation and engagement, challenges with using technology creates tension, and broadening literacy perspectives. The findings indicate course instructors and teacher candidates integrating technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge as they learned about and with iPads in a supportive environment that encouraged their learning. Teacher candidates utilized digital media with their literacy instruction as they provided tutees opportunities to engage with a variety of literacies. A key implication for this study involves issues of domestication, where technology is placed into existing structures rather than being recognized for the new possibilities it creates

Haptics: Science, Technology, Applications

This open access book constitutes the proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Human Haptic Sensing and Touch Enabled Computer Applications, EuroHaptics 2022, held in Hamburg, Germany, in May 2022. The 36 regular papers included in this book were carefully reviewed and selected from 129 submissions. They were organized in topical sections as follows: haptic science; haptic technology; and haptic applications

The potential of emerging wearable physiological sensing in the space of human-subject studies

PhD ThesisIn recent years, novel sensing means in the form of smartwatches and fitness trackers with integrated sophisticated sensing emerged on the consumer market. While their primary purpose is to provide consumers with an overview of rough-grained health-related metrics, these signals offer to pick up fine-grained changes within the human body. This thesis considers the suitability of these novel wearable sensing devices to be used in affective research. Firstly, and based on the work with concrete state-of-the-art wearables, issues around the access of research-suitable data are discussed. The findings are put in context by examining common wearable device architectures and data access means provided. The discussion concludes with aspects researchers need to consider when seeking data access from state-of-the-art or future wearables. Secondly, two research probes explore the application of four exemplary devices to detect stress and affect in the wild and in the lab. Issues around the data reliability and participant comfort arose. The experiences are reflected upon to provide researchers with a summary of aspects to consider when applying wearable sensing devices in affective research. Lastly, this thesis contributes a Design Space for Physiological Measurement Tools. This design space was evaluated with a qualitative study enquiring research experts experiences. The resulting Design Space presents seven distinct dimensions of factors to consider when choosing a wearable sensing device for research. This design space has been applied to a novel sensing device which was used for a study on interpersonal synchrony. The insights and the ‘Design Space for Physiological Measurement Tools’ provide researchers with a tool to apply when they consider to use wearable physiological sensing devices in research