Emerald | Interactive Technology and Smart Education

Speech development of autistic children by interactive computer games

Md. Mustafizur Rahman, S.M. Ferdous, Syed Ishtiaque Ahmed, Anika Anwar — 2011-11-22 00:00:00.0

Abstract

Purpose – Speech disorder is one of the most common problems found with autistic children. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the introduction of computer-based interactive games along with the traditional therapies in order to help improve the speech of autistic children. Design/methodology/approach – From analysis of the works of Ivar Lovaas, it is already known that there are several disadvantages to the “applied behavior analysis” approach to solve the problems of autistic children; so the authors' methodologies were to encourage children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) to “play,” where playing is mediated through technology. By creating technological methods of interaction (visual displays and physical robots), play and comfortable interactions can be garnered from children with autism. There is a feeling of “safety” in having the main form of interaction occur with non-humans. Further, these devices allow the child, rather than a third party, to be in control of the interactions. Findings – From the observations, it could found that the problems of autistic children have a wide range and it is almost impossible to design a single game for a group of children. Instead, each child needs to be treated individually. Hence, the authors are suggesting different types of games for different problems. Research limitations/implications – The authors have proposed some computer game-based therapies for two types of autism that are discussed in the paper. Interactive games can be built for other types too. After having a group of these games it can be an experimental topic to determine the order of execution of these therapies. However, the proposed games heavily depend on the instructors. Research should be conducted to minimize the duties of instructor. Social implications – The autism spectral disorders are defined by the qualitative impairments in social communication. Although the actual reason for autism is still unknown to the medical sciences, it has been proved to be the result of abnormal and irregular growth of cerebral neurons of human brains. People suffering from autism very often demonstrate a poor performance in social interactions and hence find it difficult to communicate with other people. So if vocalization can be encouraged at the age of 3, a pivotal age for children with ASD, this could lead to an increased communicative ability, which makes not only the child's life easier, but also increases their chances of functioning in the world around them. Originality/value – This paper offers a hierarchy of speaking skills and suggests corresponding games for each stage to achieve a necessary level of efficiency.

Enabling user to user interactions in web lectures with history-aware user awareness

Markus Ketterl, Robert Mertens, Christoph Wiesen, Oliver Vornberger — 2011-11-22 00:00:00.0

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a user interface for web lectures for engaging with other users while working with video based learning content. The application allows its users to ask questions about the content and to get answers from those users that currently online are more familiar with it. The filtering is based on the evaluation of past user interaction data in time-based media. Design/methodology/approach – The work is implemented as a prototype application in the context of the Opencast Matterhorn project – an open source based project for producing, managing and distributing academic video content. The application compares users viewing behavior and allows communication with others that are good candidates to answer questions. Findings – Different filtering approaches for identifying suitable candidates are being discussed that foster past interactions in time-based media. Practical implications – The paper shows that web lectures can benefit from user awareness ideas and presents examples of how learners can benefit from the knowledge of other users who are working with the same video based content. Originality/value – User awareness has become an important feature in today's Web 2.0 experience. The paper discusses different user awareness models and explains how they can be adapted to time-based video content. The presented work is available as a plug-in for the Opencast Matterhorn project.

WhoKnows? Evaluating linked data heuristics with a quiz that cleans up DBpedia

Jörg Waitelonis, Nadine Ludwig, Magnus Knuth, Harald Sack — 2011-11-22 00:00:00.0

Abstract

Purpose – Linking Open Data (LOD) provides a vast amount of well structured semantic information, but many inconsistencies may occur, especially if the data are generated with the help of automated methods. Data cleansing approaches enable detection of inconsistencies and overhauling of affected data sets, but they are difficult to apply automatically. The purpose of this paper is to present WhoKnows?, an online quiz that generates different kinds of questionnaires from DBpedia data sets. Design/methodology/approach – Besides its playfulness, WhoKnows? has been developed for the evaluation of property relevance ranking heuristics on DBpedia data, with the convenient side effect of detecting inconsistencies and doubtful facts. Findings – The original purpose for developing WhoKnows? was to evaluate heuristics to rank LOD properties and thus, obtain a semantic relatedness between entities according to the properties by which they are linked. The presented approach is an efficient method to detect popular properties within a limited amount of triples. Ongoing work continues in the development of sound property ranking heuristics for the purpose of detecting the most relevant characteristics of entities. Originality/value – WhoKnows? uses the approach of “Games with a Purpose” to detect inconsistencies in Linked Data and score properties to rank them for sophisticated semantic search scenarios.

3-D pose presentation for training applications

Kaitlyn Fox, Anthony Whitehead — 2011-11-22 00:00:00.0

Abstract

Purpose – In the authors' experience, the biggest issue with pose-based exergames is the difficulty in effectively communicating a three-dimensional pose to a user to facilitate a thorough understanding for accurate pose replication. The purpose of this paper is to examine options for pose presentation. Design/methodology/approach – The authors examine three methods of presentation and feedback to determine which provides the user with the greatest improvement in performance. An on-body sensor network system was used to measure success rates, and address the challenges and issues that arise throughout the process. Findings – A three-dimensional interface allows for full control of the camera, and after conducting all of the experiments, the importance of this feature became exceedingly apparent. Though other elements of feedback were able to illustrate specific problem areas, the camera rotation improved some success rates by more than double. Research limitations/implications – Refinements of visual feedback methods during training could include determining the ideal position for the camera to view the avatar after the rotation to maximize pose comprehension. Future research could also include working towards providing the participant with more specific instructions, verbally or symbolically. Originality/value – In a traditional setting, such as a yoga class, a physically present moderator would provide coaching to participants who struggled with pose reproduction. However, for obvious reasons, this cannot be implemented in a computer-based training setting. This research begins to examine what is the necessary user interface for activities that are traditionally very closely monitored.

An investigation on the role of multimodal metaphors in e-feedback interfaces

Dimitrios Rigas, Abdulrhman Alharbi — 2011-11-22 00:00:00.0

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the usability (effectiveness, efficiency and user satisfaction) of e-feedback interfaces. The experiment compares a traditional visual approach with a multimodal approach in order to determine the impact of multimodal metaphors upon the user's understanding, reasoning and engagement with the e-feedback. Design/methodology/approach – The empirical investigation involved visual (text with graphical illustrations) and multimodal (audio-visual with expressive avatars and recorded speech) experimental e-feedback platforms. Both experimental platforms provided the same e-feedback but used different interaction metaphors to convey the information. The evaluation approach measured effectiveness, efficiency and user satisfaction. Findings – The results showed that the multimodal approach increased usability in terms of effectiveness, efficiency and engagement of users with the e-feedback. There is a very clear prima facie case that combining different communication metaphors to convey information involved in the e-feedback simultaneously does not increase the information overload on users. This however was observed to be the case when the visual channel was used. Originality/value – This paper introduces a unique approach that uses specific combinations of multimodal metaphors to communicate information about e-feedback simultaneously. This approach increased the usability of e-feedback and user's engagement in interfaces for e-learning applications.

Themed Section: MTEL 2010 workshop

2011-11-22 00:00:00.0