Designing with Children: Reflections on Effective Involvement of Children in the Interaction Design Process

This 
thesis 
contributes 
to 
the
 discussion 
around
 the 
practice
 of
co-design 
with 
children 
by 
providing 
support 
for 
reflections 
to
 practitioners. 
The
 framework
 that 
derived
 from
 this
 research 
aims 
to 
increase 
the
 awareness 
on 
the 
implications 
the 
different 
aspects
 involved 
on
 co‐design
 session 
have
 on 
its 
outcome. 
Researchers 
with 
little 
experience
 in
 managing 
co‐ design
 sessions
 can 
benefit 
from 
it
 when
 deciding
 on 
their 
co‐design 
strategies

Tangible user interfaces and social interaction in children with autism

Tangible User Interfaces (TUIs) offer the potential for new modes of social interaction for children with Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASC). Familiar objects that are embedded with digital technology may help children with autism understand the actions of others by providing feedback that is logical and predictable. Objects that move, playback sound or create sound – thus repeating programmed effects – offer an exciting way for children to investigate objects and their effects. This thesis presents three studies of children with autism interacting with objects augmented with digital technology. Study one looked at Topobo, a construction toy augmented with kinetic memory. Children played with Topobo in groups of three of either Typically Developing (TD) or ASC children. The children were given a construction task, and were also allowed to play with the construction sets with no task. Topobo in the task condition showed an overall significant effect for more onlooker, cooperative, parallel, and less solitary behaviour. For ASC children significantly less solitary and more parallel behaviour was recorded than other play states. In study two, an Augmented Knights Castle (AKC) playset was presented to children with ASC. The task condition was extended to allow children to configure the playset with sound. A significant effect in a small sample was found for configuration of the AKC, leading to less solitary behaviour, and more cooperative behaviour. Compared to non-digital play, the AKC showed reduction of solitary behaviour because of augmentation. Qualitative analysis showed further differences in learning phase, user content, behaviour oriented to other children, and system responsiveness. Tangible musical blocks (‘d-touch’) in study three focused on the task. TD and ASC children were presented with a guided/non-guided task in pairs, to isolate effects of augmentation. Significant effects were found for an increase in cooperative symbolic play in the guided condition, and more solitary functional play was found in the unguided condition. Qualitative analysis highlighted differences in understanding blocks and block representation, exploratory and expressive play, understanding of shared space and understanding of the system. These studies suggest that the structure of the task conducted with TUIs may be an important factor for children’s use. When the task is undefined, play tends to lose structure and the benefits of TUIs decline. Tangible technology needs to be used in an appropriately structured manner with close coupling (the distance between digital housing and digital effect), and works best when objects are presented in familiar form

Improving Validity and Reliability in Children’s Self Reports of Technology Use

Researchers working in child computer interaction are constantly seeking new methods and new techniques that will enable them to carry out more valid and more reliable research. Much of this research typically considers the design and development of new products and of new interactive techniques and researchers seek to understand how easy such innovations are for children, how much fun they are to use and how attractive they may be for use. The impact of prior technology use on the children’s responses in those contexts is the core concern of this thesis. The thesis provides a set of tools (survey instruments and guidelines) that can be used by the CCI research community to ascertain the prior experience of children with any technology and with any task. These tools are generated using theory, experience and literature and are validated through user studies. The PETT survey tool comprises three questionnaires, CTEQ, CTUQ and CTHQ and an associated user guide that clearly articulates how to use PETT and demonstrates the flexibility of PETT to be used in many contexts. The guidelines (RWC, SWC and SRT) can be applied on three levels, for general use in research with children, in the design of surveys and in the specifics of designing self-report tools for prior technology experience

Research Review: Early Childhood and the ‘Intergenerational Cycle of Domestic Violence’

This rapid evidence review was commissioned by the NSPCC to increase our understanding of the complex surrounding the evidence about domestic violence and the potential for this to impact on children's own violent behaviour, and any evidence of effectiveness of targeted interventions aimed at young families

Annual Report of the University, 2005-2006, Volumes 1-7

PROPOSED POLICIES The Office of Government & Community Relations is in charge of advancing the University\u27s interests at all levels of federal, state and local government. The following policy guidelines for working with University units will achieve a coordinated and effective institutional advancement program. • To inform the Office of Government & Community Relations of all planned contacts and correspondence with elected officials and policy-making employees of federal, state and local government, including those who are alumni or friends of the University. Those items which pertain to sponsored research should be coordinated with the Vice President for Research. • To consult the Office of Government & Community Relations on any verbal or written statements made on behalf of the University that concern federal, state or local policies, legislation or regulations. • To advise the Office of Government & Community Relations on any activities, conferences, seminars, lectures or projects that involve the community and/or impact the University area. • Faculty or staff members who contact federal, state or local policy-making employees as experts in a specific field, or who act on behalf of themselves or another organization, should include a disclaimer which clearly states that they are not acting on behalf of the University

DigiPal: Cross-Cultural & Interlingual Mobile Interaction for Children

This thesis contributes research and analysis towards, and the design and development of, a Digital Pen pal application (DigiPal) for children from two different countries and languages. Children from a developed and a developing country came together and participated in multiple studies for the design of the app with their ideas and input both matching and differing. Feedback and thoughts provided by them contributed to the design of the app and towards a generalised model for similar applications. DigiPal required a translation system to be integrated into the App so that the children could talk in their own language which not only makes sure they can talk confidently, but also contributes to preserve local languages. Google translate was the option which was used in this case following a study that assured its effectiveness. Accuracy was relatively low but higher levels of Understandability gave some hope to advocate the possibility of use of Google translate as a translator and most importantly as a facilitator of cross-cultural chat. A real time letter exchange activity, with children from Nepal and England was conducted. In a deep analysis of text entry errors and their impact on translation, and on other translation errors and their possible causes, findings show why and where Google translate struggled. However, children’s reaction to the translated letters, as well as analysis that shows how improving text entry correctness can support the translation software, shows that regardless of some error children could communicate and they enjoyed the activity overall. This work also contributes insights for design that are needed beyond translation to create an engaging and culturally level experience. Two separate studies were conducted to gather some culturally influenced attributes from the children. In one, children drew pictures to introduce themselves whereas in the second one they drew pictures of games they would like to have in an application like DigiPal. The thesis concludes with a generalisable model that can be used by other app developers to consider how to create culturally level products for children from different countries and with different languages

The impact of high voltage overhead power lines on the value of residential property in the United Kingdom

This thesis investigates the impact of electricity distribution equipment on the value of residential units in the UK. This is a complex task, due to the potential influence on the market from the publics' perception of a perceived link between living in close proximity to high voltage overhead power lines (HVOTLs) and a number of adverse health effects. A review of the literature revealed that no previous studies had been undertaken within the UK to establish the impact of HVOTLs on house prices and as such, identified a gap in knowledge within the UK and provided a focus for this thesis. Due to a lack of available transaction data in England, investigating the impact on house price relies entirely on the use of qualitative research methods. Therefore to test the accuracy of the results from the perceptual study, a benchmark was developed using transaction data obtained from a residential housing estate in Blackwood, Scotland where a HYOTL was present. The thesis begins with an overview of the current planning and development controls relating to the siting of electricity distribution equipment and the subsequent development of land near HYOTLs. A critical review of the literature is presented which, due to the perceived relationship between living near HVOTLs and a health risk, includes literature on other related areas, for instance, property stigma, risk analysis and scientific and epidemiological studies on the possible health effects. ' A multimethod approach is adopted towards data gathering, using both qualitative and quantitative research paradigms. Buyers' and valuers' perceptions of the impact of a HYOTL on value are obtained using postal surveys and interviews. Additional information is gathered from the electricity utilities, residential developers and government planning departments. Using a case study approach and a hedonic pricing methodology (to enable the relationship between a HYOTL and house price to be explored), selling price data and asking price data from three locations were gathered and analysed. Regression analysis established that a INOTL near a residential unit does have an impact on house price, although this impact is not always negative. The results from three case studies, the opinion surveys and the interviews are compared, indicating that opinion surveys may result in an underestimation of the impact of a HYOTL on selling price and, by contrast, appraisers may overestimate the negative impact of HVOTLs on asking price when marketing a house. The results suggest reliance on one method may prove misleading and therefore the use of a multimethod approach towards data collection may improve the reliability of findings