Project Ideas and Assignment

I’m certainly open to other ideas for projects but here are a few to get you started:

  • Choose your own adventure type books. Expand our conventional books on Tar Heel Reader into switch-accessible books with decision points. You, of course, would not be expected to write any software. Rather, make an example using PowerPoint or other tools. Propose a way to make authoring such books easy using web technology like we do in the wizard on Tar Heel Reader. Could we produce a record of choices the reader made to create a record of their adventure? The literature on Interactive Fiction is very applicable to this project.
  • Switch-accessible games. Propose a game that is fun, engaging and accessible to players with a wide range of abilities. It will be great if your game is educational too but that is NOT required. The ideal game would be interesting to typical kids as well. Basing your game on existing non-accessible games is fine. Make a storyboard or other description of your game with sufficient detail to illustrate how game play begins, progresses, and ends. You should be able to demonstrate playing the game using Wizard of Oz simulation .
  • Investigate the application of ideas such as supervisory control to enable switch users to participate in real-time online gaming. This project could lend itself well to a Wizard of Oz simulation with one person playing the part of the switch user making high-level decisions while the other person handles real-time tasks such as running, hiding, and shooting.
  • Investigate ways, including the above, to engage otherwise idle children in learning. It seems to me from my admittedly brief observation in classrooms that kids spend to much time passively waiting on their turn for individual instruction. What could we do with interactive media to reclaim some of that time? What has already been done? This project should include a survey of previous work and brainstorming about what could be done.

By 21 October I want to know:

  1. The members of your team.
  2. The project idea you propose to pursue.

The first draft of your paper and presentation on your project is due 6 November. I’ll get feedback to you by 11 November. You will present your projects in class starting 18 November. Your final report including your paper and presentation is due on 2 December.

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