Archive for the ‘Assignment’ Category

In Class Presentations

Tuesday, November 11th, 2008

You’ll present your projects to the class beginning next Tuesday 18 November. Your presentation should explain and demonstrate your concept in sufficient detail to “sell” it to us.

Time Allocation: 1 person -> 12 minutes, 2 people -> 15 minutes, 3 people -> 20 minutes.

Presentation dates:

18 November: John/Stephen, Eric, Allison/Emma, Ronald
20 November: RJ/Katelyn/Rainier, Kelly, Taylor/Maria, Luke/Sean
25 November: Ethan, Michele/Shelby, Brad, Alex/Madison/Alyssa

Project assignment

Monday, November 10th, 2008

I’m still getting questions about the paper and presentation for your assignment so I’ll write it down here.

Paper length: long enough to get the job done. The guideline is about 7 pages for a single person project, 10 for 2 people, 12 for 3 people.

Paper content: I organize paper’s like this around answering questions. What is it? Who is it for? Why do they need it? What has been done before? How would it work? What issues must be addressed in the implementation? You’ll want to include references to literature supporting your claims. Illustrations are important too. I really like using headings to guide the reader.

Presentation content: Your in-class presentation should include a slide show that explains your proposal and, as far as possible, includes a simulation of its operation. Of course, the simulation will be fake, with sill images, or drawings rather than a working computer program but it should be sufficient to evaluate the activity. Think of it as selling your idea to a development team.

Project Ideas and Assignment

Tuesday, October 7th, 2008

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.

Listen to a web page in audio

Thursday, September 25th, 2008

Due: 30 September before class.

Next class our guest speaker is going to be a Carolina student who is visually impaired. She will talk to us about the technology she uses to do her work. In preparation for her visit I want you to listen to two audio clips that illustrate how web pages sound to blind people.

As you listen to these clips, try to answer the question: What chemical components of chocolate affect the way we feel? Listen all the way through both. It will hurt, but imagine this is the only way you can use the web.

This first clip is of a typical, poorly designed web page: Inaccessible web page (3 minutes)

This second clip is of a page with much more accessible design: Accessible web page (4 minutes)

Post comments here about your experience.

Writing books

Tuesday, September 16th, 2008

Using the guidelines Karen gave us today, I want you each to write a minimum of 3 books on different topics. I encourage you to think creatively and expand the range of books beyond most of what is on the site now. Please no fish, puppies, kittens, and such. Instead think about sports, music, games, and the stuff an old guy like me can’t imagine. For extra credit you can write more books though high quality is more important that quantity.

How about “Hot and Not” for a title? I took the 26 letter challenge and did Science A-Z, I bet you could do better.

I will email the invitation code for signing up at Tar Heel Reader.

The minimum 3 books are due by Tuesday 30 September, additional books can be turned in throughout the semester.

Story Assignment

Monday, September 8th, 2008

Due: Tuesday 16 September

Here are your story assignments. Try to get through 5 of these for class tomorrow.

Search down through the list for your name. You click on the story name to read the story. Then click on the Edit link to revise the story, set the categories, etc. Finally, click on the Report link to bring up the report page.

I would hold the Control key down while you click on the link so they will show up in a new tab in your browser.

You’ll need to login to Tar Heel Reader for any of this to work. I’ll send your login to you via email.
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Book Review Form

Monday, September 8th, 2008

I can’t get the automated version of this to work. For the moment, copy the text below and paste it into email message to me with 2 blank lines between entries for successive books.

       Book Title:
Book Author:
Is it complete?
  Rate your confidence (1-5):
Does it have an ending?
  Rate your confidence (1-5):
Did you check the spelling?
  Rate your confidence (1-5):
Did you check the grammar and punctuation?
  Rate your confidence (1-5):
Did you check all categories that applied?
  Rate your confidence (1-5):
Did you check/add tags?
Did you check the audience rating?
  Rate your confidence (1-5):
Did you check the book type?
  Rate your confidence (1-5):
Other comments:
      

Try writing with switches

Thursday, August 28th, 2008

For this assignment I’d like you to experience writing with 2 switches. Go to the Tar Heel Typer page and you should see something like this:

Now you can use the “z” key to move between letters (and words) and the “x” key to choose. Type a short paragraph of about 50 words this way. It will be incredibly frustrating but stick with it. I suggest you imagine pressing the keys is really hard work. Notice also how hard it is to hold in your mind what you want to say with such a cumbersome input method.
When you’re done, you can copy and paste what you typed using your mouse. Paste it into a comment on this post. Finally, add your comments about the experience after the text you typed with the switches.

Due: 4 September before class.