iCalculia @ YouTube

Finally we can present our project idea and final result as a movie:

Scenario for VIDEO

This is initial scenario for demo video.

Some terms used: EWS(extreme wide shot), VWS(very wide shot), WS (Wide Shot), MS (Mid Shot), MCU (Medium Close Up), CU (Close Up), ECU (Extreme Close Up), CI (Cut-In), CA (Cutaway), Point-of-View Shot (POV). As our idea is basically to create cartoon, than these terms are more illustrating the view at current point.

Scene	SCREEN	AUDIO	Comments
1. What is iCalculia	Cloud of maths symbols, which move around inside cloud CU	music begins slowly and goes faster when symbols start move faster.	music is some kind of classical type
2. iCalculia explained	Cloud blurs to background and into foreground comes text iCalculia	voice: Some sentences about problems with learning/teaching math. iCalculia is the solution.	while cloud on blur quiet music on background and symbols still moving around. on speech start music mutes.
3. …	Cloud comes to focus and CA  to MCU and watcher can see, that cloud comes from a head of child.	continues last text.	Child is worried or even sad
4. Usage of iCalculia	Paper and pen pop to childs hands and he starts to calculate	Explained how math is difficult to study without special tech.	child on paper has some operation without answer
5. …	suddenly paper and pen becomes to touchscreen computer CI to device	Previous text continues till the CI to device.	from here to end different mockups according design session results
6. iCalculia features overview	short screenvideo of device usage and features: 1. multiple childrens, 2. changing settings, 3. DEMO games/lessons	comments about features and advantages of different features	along speech there will be action on screen of device.
7. Conclusion	CU child with happy face. CA to MS child holding device, smiling and math symbols in cloud becomes to correct math operation.Credits.	conclusions…	after the speech again quiet SLOW music which ends and fades out with end of credits.

Current scenario is in draft status and will be improved during film-making process. Point 6 will be more detailed, but final elements will be decided during shooting.

Usability testing!

During the usability testing session we managed to test our paper prototype by designing some tasks and ask the teacher and students to perform the tasks. During the process, main problems of our interface design went clearer. Testing paper prototypes were very useful before starting to design by use of computer interface design programs because it helped to find some interface problems via a primary usability testing.

To understand the problems these tasks were tested:

To address the main problems:

There was no place to type to ‘log in’ as a teacher, student or parents. There need to be a place to click or an Enter key to facilitate the ‘log in’ function.

To see the comments of teacher, ‘Reply’ button should come after ‘Read more’! At first user need to read the whole comment that was written by teacher then replies to the comment if needed.

Add a new task in the list of students is not well placed. Button labels should have a clear meaning. For example, ‘Add student’ instead of ‘Add’ in the list of students and ‘Add task’ in the list of tasks!

Some of the features and figures on pages were sort of vague for users. For instance, the stars in front of math tasks were confusing whether they show the difficulty level of tasks or the student’s achievements!

Additionally, It is suggested to have ‘Game’ icon instead of ‘Task’; because ‘Task’ is a concrete word which means someone carries out a task and would not go back to it anymore. While a game can be played several times, each time with some figures different than before, so a student can play the game over and over again to reach more stars. In this respect, getting a report of student’s achievement through time would make more sense!

In the list of students’ tasks on teacher’s interface, using radio buttons is not appropriate because it would let user choose one option at a time. It is better to have a different style to enable changing level of tasks as well as adding/removing tasks at a time. For instance, having just an ‘Add’ button there and for removing a red cross or trash can icon would be useful.

User stories

To design the prototype, first user stories have been written. As can be seen in the table, Benjamin (as a child) has a simple user story with fewer tasks, followed by parent and teacher who have more tasks to carry out. It should be considered that parents have the child stories and teacher has all.

Prototypes

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The prototype is considered for three different users (children, parents, and teachers) who can have access to their own interfaces by logging into the application. To design the paper prototypes, various pieces of user stories were cut in different pieces of papers and combined to illustrate the interfaces.

Scenario 3. Primary persona Benjamin

Benjamin has just finished 1st grade and he his very keen to reading, but not so good at mathematics. Hes teacher suggested his parents to use special software to help Benjamin reach the level expected at this age.

As his parents are not so sure about new software yet, they asked teacher to give tablet with learning app for trying from school. As new machines are just arrived and ready to test, than Benjamin gets also one after class. First teacher supervises him to make sure Benjamin manages independently with software usage. Also she asks him to try out different menus, where user can add and edit own custom information like fonts, colors, backgrounds etc.

As usually Benjamin struggles a lot with math exercises, than in first place he is a bit doubtful about this system, but soon after starting with first exercise he finds this “game” very interesting, as it motivates a lot better and more efficient than teacher. It interacts personally with him and gives instant feedback after each move and activity.

As Benjamin always had difficulty in subtraction he sees that some of the games are around this kind of exercise. He selects a task, a new window will open and ten little dogs will appear on the window, on the bottom he could see the task showing: 10 – 2 = ?  then following by a note: “Remove the unwanted dogs by clicking on them!”

So he clicks on a dog and a cross will be shown on it, then clicks on the second one, the same happens. He starts to count the remaining ones: 1, 2, 3,…, 8

Writing 8 on the free place in front of the question mark and confirming, he sees a note: “CORRECT! You got 1 star!”, the next tab shows: “Play next!” followed by “Go back to the list of games”

He clicks to go to the second task. He sees a more complicated one: 7 – ? = 9 – 4 this time he sees 9 apples. He removes 4 of them then counts to 5. He is confused and cannot finish the test so tries to fill in with a number. A note shows up and appears: “Wrong! Play again!” followed by another tab: “Try an easier level: game 3”, then: “Go back to the list of games”.

He goes back to the task again, repeat the same thing, this time he notices a help button and pushes: “Add by clicking on the removed apples, how many should you add to get to 7?”. He starts clicking on removed apples and counts: 6, 7. He finds out that he has clicked on 2 of them. He writes 2 in the empty place and gets another star!

Exercises are quite easy to solve as system supports thinking right way and using knowledge already acquired. Benjamin takes tablet to home and presents with proud his progress to parents and suggest them to get for him personal tablet for learning and playing.

Scenario 2. teacher Anna

Anna is teacher at primary school and in everyday work she often struggles with problems like students with unequal level in math. Mostly the problem appears when she makes next test and finds out that some students haven’t got whole material and system of calculation given in material.

The solution till now has been only extra work with students, but there is available solution now as learning program, which supports learning math for students. App is specially designed for children with dyscalculia, but has good effect with every child, who stay behind. The School Anna works for just ordered 10 tablet PC-s with application for teaching math installed.

First She goes trough quick manual and sets basic settings like time schedule for training, students data and current level data according last test students performed. Then She picks students, who need special training and inserts their profile information to the system. Now she can pick exercise types for each student and also level of difficulty. When all is done, she saves settings and exits from teachers interface. When all is set, Anna gives tablets to students for practicing application. She supervises their first try and gives instruction for further practicing at home. Student gets also instruction book for parents, who can adjust application later at home by themselves. These possibilities give to student, parent and also for Anna possibility to follow students progress without continuously working with them.

Scenario 1. Parent Peter

Peter works as engineer in Construction Company.  He has been very good at math whole during his studies. In the beginning he didn’t like math at all, cause it was too hard for him. Luckily he had very good teacher in primary school, who had good approach for him and after that he had possibility to show his brilliant mind in math.

Now after first grade Peter’s son struggles with math. According his teacher he needs some catch up exercising and she suggested new software for tablet, where user as parent or teacher can choose different exercises for learner.

When Peter gets software installed on the tablet he has throw walk trough, where all possibilities of software are explained. First Peter chooses exercise level according teachers suggestions. Next he has to set exercise type, which should most support, his son knowledge at current time.

Next Peter sets password for parent entrance and will be guided how to next time enters parent area and check learners results. Than Peter has to close the program and it’s ready for use. Peter hand tablet over to his son but stands by to support and asks child to comment loud, how he thinks.

After a while he notices that child manages quite well on current difficulty level and he decides to adjust program and change current settings. After child has finished next level, uses Peter so called “secret touch” combination to log into parents account. Then he finds menu called adjust learning exercises.

From the menu Peter chooses next level, saves new settings and exits from parent area. Right after that continues his son with exercises and now they both see, that it needs more thinking to solve new exercises.

Questions:

Do you think idea behind cooperation between teacher, parent and student will work?

Is described functionalities good enough for average parent to support childs learning?

Supplemental persona – Peter

Age: 28
Education: Engineering
Occupation: Engineer

Peter works as chief engineer in construction company. He has been always brilliant in math, but only after his first grade student had a perfect approach for him. Now Peter’s son also struggles with math.

Goals:

To be sure that new learning material for math is effective and works for his child.

To ensure that child catches up other students and development of his skills in math continues.

To be able to adjust learning material according progress child makes.

Photo by singleparentspecials, taken from http://www.flickr.com/photos/singleparentspecials/2284872198/

Supplemental persona – Anna

Age: 35
Education: Teacher
Occupation: Teacher

Anna works as teacher in primary school. She has struggled for while with students, who are not able to keep up with others in mathematics. Now she started to use new software which helps her to monitor students progress and give new exercises according students level.

Goals:

To find out students level in math. Give them new exercises according their level of progress.

To ensure that students catches up other students and develops his skills in math.

Choose and adjust learning material difficulty level according students progress.

 

Photo by F Delventhal, taken from http://www.flickr.com/photos/krossbow/2944168917/