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Computer Science Education. HCI, AI, Game Design, UsabilityProjectsEducational Gaming and CSDT developmentMathematics
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1. Interactive SystemsAuburn University
2. Computer Science Education HCI, AI, Game Design, Usability
Projects
Educational Gaming and CSDT development
Mathematics & Technology Financial Literacy
Alice & Lego Programming Project
Study of Novice Programmer Techniques for Programming
What level of materials for K-12 to keep them engaged?
NSF IPY Visualization and Ice Sheet Modeling, Google API
NSF BPC PAIRS Web Development to support educational digital library
Seniors in Second Life application development
iPhone Development
Web Design and Development
3. User Interface DesignAuburn University
4. Good Design (our goal!)
“Every designer wants to build a high-quality interactive system that is admired by colleagues, celebrated by users, circulated widely, and imitated frequently.” (Shneiderman, 1992, p.7)
…and anything goes!…
5. The Good…
6. The Bad…
7. Why is this a better design?
8. The Ugly…
9. The Ugly…
10. The (really) Ugly…
11. What The…???
12. Closer to Fine Arts: A Philosophy …The human user of any system is the focus of the design process. Planning and implementation is done with the user in mind, and the system is made to fit the user, not the other way around….
13. The Design of Every Day Things “Understanding how to operate a novel device had three major dimensions: affordances, constraints and
conceptual models”
14. Developing a Conceptual Model Object and Action Analysis
Lexicon or Ontology
Scenarios
15. Opportunities for Design Ubiquitous computing (mother of them all)
Pervasive computing
Wearable computing
Attentive environments
Transparent computing
Real-World User Interfaces
Software Agents
Mobile/wearable computing
Information Visualization
Computer Augmented Environments
Virtual reality
Website/Web Application Design
16. Web Design When we begin creating a design, where do we begin.
Like any creative effort, design is like art and for many it is terrible difficult to start with an empty slate. We need something to boost our creativity, like design templates.
You can use templates if you are stuck, but best strategy is to build custom applications that fit you user needs.When we begin creating a design, where do we begin.
Like any creative effort, design is like art and for many it is terrible difficult to start with an empty slate. We need something to boost our creativity, like design templates.
You can use templates if you are stuck, but best strategy is to build custom applications that fit you user needs.
17. UID & Web Design
18. UID & Web Design
19. UID & Web Design
20. UID & Web Design
21. Interface Design
Rules of interface design – Ben Shneiderman
Strive for consistency, informative feedback
Design dialogs to yield closure
error prevention and simple error handling
Support undo and reduce short-term memory load.
First rule of usability? Don’t listen to users – Jakob Nielson
Conducted series of experiments to become familiar with user population and gathered user task profiles
Fun Learning Stagecast Creator. Seals, Rosson, Carroll, Lewis
Community Design of Community Simulations. Rosson, Carroll, Seals
Teachers as Simulation Programmers. Rosson, Seals
22. Universal Design & Auto Design We Are Getting Older
I recently watched an elderly lady struggle to extricate herself from the front seat of a car. "Now there is a huge opportunity," I said to myself, "we live in an aging society, yet we still design for the young and able.
Why not address this huge, important market?" There is a tendency to shy away from designing for the impaired. This is a special-interest group, it is feared, one that will drive away other customers. Wrong. Designs intended to make life easier for the elderly or handicapped can be useful for everyone.
23. Background: Simulations/Construction Kits Allow users to create interesting simulations, but the user is limited to preprogrammed behavior
SimCity [www.simcity.com]
Pinball Construction Set [Electronic Arts]
Star Wars Droid Works [Lucas Learning]
ActivChemistry [Salamander interactive]
We want to provide the rich game-like feeling of a construction kit for ease of creation, but allow user the power to specialize simulation
24. Programming in AgentSheets Agentsheets main interface is a simulation microworld where objects interact.
Users program by direct manipulation: dragging condition and action templates to the rule window.
26. Programming Studies of Alice 3D (Strickland, Seals) Consider the Minimalist Model
Minimalist instructional model emphasizes rapid start-up and meaningful tasks
“…uses the learner’s self-initiated efforts to find meaning in the activities of learning” (Carroll, 1990)
Works well when there is no instructor present
Turns errors into learning situations
27. Description of Research Alice 3D has an included tutorial implemented in training wheels technique
Review the current instructional system tutorial
Develop a minimalist instructional tutorial
Utilize non-computer experts to help evaluate both training methods
28. Description of the Work, cont. Software is free 3D authoring tool
Mature
Easy to use by novices
Programmers build interactive worlds
Can run on any computer
Easy to utilize tutorials
29. Alice 3D Training Session This is how the program appears after executing.This is how the program appears after executing.
30. Alice 3D Training Session,cont. In the working example, the user worked with an ice skater. The ice skater can move forward or backwards. The ice skater can spin and jump. Figure 3 shows a screen capture from the system tutorial.
In the working example, the user worked with an ice skater. The ice skater can move forward or backwards. The ice skater can spin and jump. Figure 3 shows a screen capture from the system tutorial.
31. Methodology Compare two tutorials
A 40-page included system tutorial
AU created 16-page minimalist tutorial
Two populations
Youth (late elementary to middle school)
Young adults (college students)
Exposed to only one tutorial
(i.e. Between-groups method)
Sessions timed
Errors logged Reasons for Selecting the Young
Any younger than third grade and the children might be too immature and reading comprehension skills not be well enough developed to understand the language used within the two tutorials. Children between third grade and middle school have had some expose to computers, tended to be more mature, have better reading comprehension, and are eager to try out new things. Any older than middle school, then the person is “bringing to the table” the baggage of being a “teenager in love.”
Reasons for Selecting College Students
Alabama considers anyone including college students under the age of 19 as being minors and still subject to parental oversight. To avoid problems obtaining parental permission of young college student, only those who were 19 and older were invited to take part. Also, computer science majors were not invited since these individuals would have a better understanding of using computers than the typical college student.
Reasons for Selecting the Young
Any younger than third grade and the children might be too immature and reading comprehension skills not be well enough developed to understand the language used within the two tutorials. Children between third grade and middle school have had some expose to computers, tended to be more mature, have better reading comprehension, and are eager to try out new things. Any older than middle school, then the person is “bringing to the table” the baggage of being a “teenager in love.”
Reasons for Selecting College Students
Alabama considers anyone including college students under the age of 19 as being minors and still subject to parental oversight. To avoid problems obtaining parental permission of young college student, only those who were 19 and older were invited to take part. Also, computer science majors were not invited since these individuals would have a better understanding of using computers than the typical college student.
32. Tutorial Evaluation Pre-activity questionnaire
User high-level background
Computer User Experience (CUE)
Paired computers
The participant with Alice 3D
The observer with Remote Assistance and SnagIt
Post-activity survey
Guage user acceptance of software
Investigate whether training communicated basic programming concepts with knowledge test
33. Analytical Exploration and Experimental Assessment, cont. Expectations
System tutorial participants
Would understand the system better
Would take longer to complete the tutorial
Youth would be bored
Minimalist tutorial participants
Have little understanding of the environment
Would finish the tutorial quickly
Both age groups would do well
Able to create new objects and methods immediately
34. Virtual Communities Creating Virtual Communities to Support novice users.Creating Virtual Communities to Support novice users.
35. Virtual Communities Creating Virtual Communities to Support novice users.Creating Virtual Communities to Support novice users.
36. Virtual Community:Teach Alabama
37. SimBuilder Science Cary Woods Elementary School Computer Science Education Research: Project at Cary Woods started in 2006
Study of Novice Programmer Techniques for Programming
What level of materials are appropriate for 4th, 5th and 6th grade to keep them engaged?
Have existing tutorials appropriate for their teachers
Redesign after semester to have more kid friendly instructional manuals
Research in Computer Supported Collaborative Work and Virtual Teacher Community (teachalabama.net)
38. Auburn University & Auburn City Schools Broadening Participation in Computing
39. The Need Among the Top 10 fastest growing jobs through 2014
20,000 American graduates with degrees in computing
Impact America’s position in global economy
40. Projected Job OutlookFrom Bureau Labor Statistics
41. The Perception Scientists are boring.
Scientists are uncool.
Scientists are geniuses.
Scientists are only white men.
42. The Ripple Effect A small pebble dropped in still water causes change.
Excite the youngest
Interest the oldest
Watch college enrollment increase
43. Student Motivation Today’s student...
wants to share knowledge
interconnects working, learning, & play
anticipates the next level of change (Whitehead, 2003)
44. After School Computer Club Use Carnegie Mellon’s free Alice 3D software (www.alice.org)
Create a digital stimulation of a story
Explore different literary genres
45. Screen to Turf Integrate programming & robotics
Lego Mindstorms NXT
Pilot at CWES
5th Grade Venture Pull-Out students
46. Game to Teach & Game to Learn : Benefits for CS Education Gaming is NOT a panacea or Holy Grail
Will NOT solve the problems of CS education, such as dwindling enrollments, incorrect perception that there are few jobs because of outsourcing
But can offer more interesting challenges
May be attractive to students intrigued by games
NCSU reported that 80% of their students became majors because they wanted to create computer games -R. Michael Young Center for Digital Entertainment
Full Time occupation (Game Development)
ElectronicArts (30-50% college hires), Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo, SecondLife, LucasArts…
Gaming and All CS/IT have lots of job opportunities
Very new field of study
Standard theory, practice & terminology still being formulated
47. Things Necessary in training Great Problem Solvers = Great Gamers Game vs. Play
Need Strong Programmers with the following background
Data Structures/Algorithms/Artificial Intelligence
Graphics
Networks/Parallel Processing
Strong Science: Physics
Strong Math: Discrete,3D Math vectors/matrices, etc.
Introduction to Game Design (2D & 3D)
Problem Solving Skills
Team work in teams > 2
Work on larger code bases Game is objective Rule Bound PlayGame is objective Rule Bound Play
48. Intro to Game Design Intro with Visual Programming with RoboCode, Alice 3D, AgentSheets, AgentCubes, SimBuilder, GameMaker NL
Game AI
Game Design Engine
3D Game Studio
for 2D & 3D creation with C++
Graphics Design for Character & Scene Development
Maya and Blender
Open GL (from Graphics class)
Cg
Game Theory & Multiple Project Components
Apply Software Engineering & HCI Techniques
Loads of programming Maya and Blender for Model building
Open GL (from Graphics class)Maya and Blender for Model building
Open GL (from Graphics class)
49. Gaming and CS ED Research Does the medium of game creation cause students to spend more time on their assignments? Spark a Spirit of Competition?
Will it inspire them to learn more about computer science and the merits of being a proficient programmer & designer?
Will it attract more students to Major, Minor or achieve a certificate in Gaming Technology?
Will the students that take this type of course be prepared and competitive in the workforce, because of competitive incentives in class
What type of games do girls like to play? Does gender influence gaming, Etc…
50. Game Projects Gaming for Education:
Culturally Situated Design Tools
Games to support CS
Games to support High School AP CS
Games to support K-12 mathematical concepts
Games for Senior Citizens
51. Educational Games
52. Gaming in Computer & Information Sciences Games can give students incentives to spend more effort into assignments
Increases spirit of competition
Apply all your computing knowledge
Gaming assignments, classes and affinity groups
Games are a familiar medium for many students
Possibility of attracting more students to Major
Job Security
Games can be used for training
53. Questions?