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<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<title>hey</title>
<script src="FreqCountable.js"></script>
</head>
<body>
<h1>Text Input</h1>
<textarea id="textarea" rows="4" cols="50">
Technology Solutions for Increased Student Motivation
Player Experience Design in Software-Based Learning Systems
by
Stephen Burgess
Submitted to the Board of Mathematics/Computer Science
School of Natural Sciences
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of Bachelor of Arts
Purchase College
State University of New York
December 2014
Sponsor: Jeanine Meyer
Second Reader: Irina Shablinsky
2
Introduction
As the widespread adoption of the Internet changes the way information is
distributed and consumed, emergent digital media platforms provide new modes for
skill training and education. Software-Based Learning Systems (SBLS) provide cost-effective
solutions to allow teachers to spend more time with students.
I have implemented several design schemes during my career at Purchase
College using free and often open-source platforms. In this paper I will share my work
exploring the potential of software for learning and skill-training using examples of
designs I have created. Software interface designs for learning I have done for software
that relates to learning are:
• Interactive visualizations of mathematical and logical concepts
• Instructional videos presented in a web environment
• Student Loans, challenge-based educational application
• Search interface Bibliofy with accompanying auto-generated keyword cloud
• User interface design for Moodle-style classroom web software
• Games, ones which include cultural, conceptual, and historical information
The ‘Learning’ in ‘Software-Based Learning Systems’ is important to define as the
intended goal of an educational platform. Learning is broadly defined as the ability to
acquire new or transform existing knowledge, skills, or behaviors (Pereira). More
specifically, learning is “a process which leads to the modification of behaviour or the
acquisition of new abilities or responses, and which is additional to natural development
by growth or maturation” (Oxford-English Dictionary).
‘Pedagogy’ is “The art, occupation, or practice of teaching. Also: the theory or
principles of education; a method of teaching based on such a theory” (OED).
‘E-learning’ is:
any form of education or training that uses computer technology as an essential
part of the teaching process. The term covers a broad range of goals and
methodologies, but two features frequently found are that computerized data
and programs substitute partly or completely for the human teacher; and that
students engage with all or part of the course remotely, for example over the
3
Internet from their homes. (Daintith)
SBLS categorically encompass educational games, electronic learning (elearning),
and mobile learning (m-learning). One subset of SBLS is ‘Digital Game-Based
Learning’ (Lothian, Ryoo), referred to hereafter by the acronym DGBL, which uses
fictional narratives to immerse and motivate students (Beserra, Annetta, Malone,
Lothian). More broadly, SBLS do not necessarily depend on participant immersion in a
fictional world to maintain participant engagement and motivation, as do games.
Likewise, they are not necessarily used outside of the classroom as is implied by the
terms ‘e-learning’ and ‘m-learning.‘
Figure 1: Visualizing Calculus
In the example of Visualizing Calculus (Figure 1: Visualizing CalculusFigure 1), I
created an interactive graph to help students understand what a derivative is. In this
example, students could input any formula that falls in the range of the graph, then can
trace along with their input devices the derivative along any point on the line. Being
able to see how the derivative changes from point to point in an interactive graph on
any inputted formula is just one powerful way that software can aid in learning and
subject comprehension.
Software-based learning enjoys a valuable characteristic after the process of
4
design and implementation is complete: immediate individualized feedback. Other
benefits include processing and tracking numerous data points about student
performance, responsive and flexible frameworks that allow for continual improvement
and adaptation, and access asynchronicity providing expanded options for engagement
outside the classroom. “Asynchronous mechanisms allow players to freely choose when
they play, and they do not have arrange [sic] a time before playing.” (Chien-Hung) The
modularity and capability of randomness inherent in SBLS especially lend themselves
towards designing learning exercise of rote, such as math homework or French
vocabulary training with randomly generated problems. Immediate feedback provides
motivation and lets students know right away if they are able to grasp the concept of a
topic. With less busy work of grading homework or exercises, teachers can spend more
one-on-one time with students already knowing what topics to address.
Survey of Literature
Studies have concluded that games can be an effective pedagogical tool: “The
use of computer games favors the development of complex thinking skills related to
problem solving, strategic planning, and self-regulated learning” (Beserra). Since “97%
of students between the ages of 12 and 17 years old play video games” (Lothian and
Ryoo), it is a form with near-universal appeal. However, the use of educational games
does not result in higher subject comprehension compared to equivalent non-narrative
digital instruction. Digitally-assisted instruction in a physical classroom setting, whether
constructed as a game or not, produced higher subject comprehension than typical
instruction methods that didn’t use software (Beserra). Considering that fact, this paper
will discuss software-based learning systems as a whole and not be limited exclusively
to software with narratives, or software intended to be accessed outside of the
classroom. SBLS do not need to have a narrative component, nor must they be used
outside of a classroom setting. If the ecosystem of apps intended to be used in a
classroom setting grows, this technology would be more available to under-supported
school. Therefore, while initial investments are comparable or slightly more than
5
textbook-based instruction, software does not become completely obsolete in two
years or less as do some textbooks. This is because software can be changed, whereas
books end up in landfills.
Lacking a term to sufficiently encompass all of these software options, I will
discuss software-based learning as a whole using the acronym SBLS. However I will
relate the finds on studies done on DGBL game learning to SBLS. For instance, Ryoo
found that "[digital] games have also been demonstrated as an effective way to close
learning gaps among previously underperforming students.” Considering that studies
did not find significant differences in learning outcomes between the two, besides a
higher motivation to play DGBL games over other SBLS applications, I will hold Ryoo’s
observations on games to also hold for non-narrative instructional software. Continual
development in this field, and expansion upon existing offerings is necessary in order
for SLBS to be most effective and well understood. “In game-based learning [DGBL], if
the same system is used continuously, long time use would result in lowered curiosity or
even annoyance at the system, resulting in decreased learning motivation“ (Lai). Once
systems are developed, they must be continually expanded upon and updated in order
to maintain the advantage of student engagement. So while there are many effective
offerings already extant, the process of continual investment and development must be
emphasized for most effective results.
Though SBLS as a category do encompass Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs),
and though software is often an integral part of MOOCs, the fact that they are online
and intended to be used massively (in other words, with many users who have minimal
to no interaction with a teacher) puts them outside of the scope of what other literature
I cite. MOOCs have faced serious and increased criticism as their use has grown (Fischer,
Parry). The essential separation of teacher and student a serious of this system due do
the primary role of guidance that teachers play in students’ learning experience. In the
use of interpersonal computers for instance, engagement with software allows more time
for a teacher to give individualized attention to students. In the video “This Will
Revolutionize Education” by popular online educational video-maker Veritasium, Muller
6
makes the point that many technologies have offered the potential to revolutionize
education without delivering in the end. This is due to the powerful role of teachers in a
role of learning guide and diminishing returns of an increased classroom size enabled
by technology options. As such my argument is not to increase classroom sizes
significantly, but simply to allow teachers to spend more time in a guidance and
advisory role to students.
The United States is consistently given scores of average or below average for
quality of education and is often ranked around 20th in the world (OECD, Pearson)
despite spending the most on post-secondary students ($25,576) in relation to grossdomestic
product per capita (NCES). Worldwide, literary rates are around 84% as of
2010. The largest concentrations of the world illiterate are located in India, China, and
Pakistan (CIA) and three-quarters are women. In the United States, states spend an
average of $10,608 per pupil each year for public elementary-secondary schools
(Dixon). Further development of educational regimens is needed in the United States in
order to achieve more cost-efficient education as well as universal literacy worldwide.
If the cost-efficiency of education improved following the integration of software into
the learning process, increased accessibility could only promote educational equality.
Beserra found in 2014 that the learning impact of technology-based exercises “was
significantly greater among students who were initially in the less knowledgeable half”
of the groups in the study. ****On the other hand, in the implementation of Massive
Open Online Classrooms (MOOCs) showed that the students who succeeded from this
form were the same ones who were already motivated to succeed. As such, adoption of
SBLS depends on situation, and may only be a benefit for students already enrolled in
classes. However in a classroom setting, SBLS promise to most benefit underperforming
students, the same ones who have a greater need for individualized feedback. Overall,
adoption would expand educational opportunities and increase the efficacy of
educational regimens in struggling and underfunded schools.
One especially cost-effective model is the interpersonal computer. In this setup,
a group of students all have input to a single computer and a single shared screen.
7
“With an interpersonal computer, multiple users located in the same space share one
output device, like a computer screen, but each user has their own input device that
they use to interact simultaneously with the virtual world” (Beserra). Having to purchase
a set of input devices rather than individual computers for a classroom could provide
many of the benefits of software-assisted learning while keeping the cost low per
student. Pereira found that “a team-based game can lead to better performance
results, a better learning process, and better cognitive development.” Attracting and
maintaining student engagement through active, social engagement in learning
activities could serve to alleviate some of the strain of passive learning experienced in
secondary education as outlined by Strauss in her 2014 article “Teacher Spends Two
Days as a Student and Is Shocked at What She Learns” in the Washington Post. Of
course this would not completely replace traditional chalkboard instruction. Software
would be just another tool to use in pedagogical settings, but it would be an important
one. If buying a full-set of computers for one classroom is unrealistic then the
interpersonal computer offers a more cost-effective model.
Existing SBLS technologies such as Khan Academy, Lynda, Code Academy,
Code School et al. already provide opportunities for subject training for free or at low
cost. Khan Academy, the most well known of online learning platforms, enjoys 10
million unique viewers per month as of February 2014 (SRI International). The microtutorial
videos Salman Khan produces are a low-cost resource for independent learners.
Kolås (2012) explores in greater depth the use of Easy Production Educational (EPE)
videos as a cost-effective pedagogical tool. EPE videos only need minimal equipment
to produce, using a computer with a microphone and using inexpensive screen capture
software can record a short pedagogical video. Filming an instructor at a chalkboard or
a white board is another kind of EPE video since it requires very little to produce
beyond a computer and a camera.
Kolås’ study found that “it is more efficient to work with the subjects based on
an inquiry-based approach, making the students ask questions and wonder about why
different mathematical formulas are defined the way they are.” This is in contrast to the
8
traditional format of a chalkboard lecture. In m-learning (mobile learning), such as the style
of the flipped classroom, students can access EPE videos remotely, and can watch them
on their phones while commuting or at home. Then, when they get to the classroom,
students focus on exercises, what would traditional be homework, with the teacher on
hand to provide support at the very moment the student is struggling. In this case, the
transmission of knowledge takes place when it is most convenient for everyone
involved. Then, when students are in class they have access to teachers to provide
guidance. The unusual style of the flipped classroom is made possible by the use of EPE
videos. Now imagine if students could also do practice exercises without having to go
to another page. Then, more classroom time could be dedicated towards students
practicing exercises or more social learning activities generally.
Looking forward, e-learning and m-learning both offer new possibilities to
reshaping the educational experience. Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) offers one of the
most cost-effective models, but requires strict control of device use in classrooms that
would present its own challenges (Bruder). With BYOD learning, students navigate to
web software with their mobile devices and use them in class. This way, the school does
not need to purchase computers for students. However without a healthy and robust
ecosystem of existing software platforms for mobile devices, BYOD and m-learning
models will struggle to gain traction.
The relationship between instructional content and its motivational appeal is
important in building an effective SBLS platform. Motivational appeal can be built
through contextual understanding of a subject’s importance, but it can also be built
through creating engaging experiences. “Intrinsically motivated learning [emphasis
added] is learning that occurs in a situation in which the most narrowly defined activity
from which the learning occurs would be done without any external reward or
punishment.” (Malone and Lapper). One SBLS site, Khan Academy, has 10 million
unique visitors a month. This speaks highly of how successfully the platform has created
an intrinsically motivating learning experience through their videos and challenges.
Software that does this most successfully puts students in a state of flow.
9
Csikszentmihalyi (1990) defines flow as “the state in which people are so involved in an
activity that nothing else seems to matter, the experience is so enjoyable that people
will do it even at great cost, for the sheer sake of doing it.” Flow consists of eight
elements (Sweester):
1. a task that can be completed
2. the ability to concentrate on the task
3. that concentration is possible because the task has clear goals
4. that concentration is possible because the task provides immediate feedback
5. the ability to exercise a sense of control over actions
6. a deep but effortless involvement that removes the awareness of the frustrations
of everyday life
7. concern for self disappears, but sense of self emerges stronger afterwards
8. the sense of the duration of time is altered
The main types of learning—“auditory, visual, and kinesthetic” (Pereira) should
be considered when designing educational software, though the brunt of the work will
fall in the visual category. Two important considerations are balancing the cognitive
load and providing advice and feedback. Annetta created the six “I”’s of educational
game design. The six I’s are as follows:
1. Identity
2. Immersion
3. Interactivity
4. Increasing Complexity
5. Informed Teaching
6. Instructional
Identity, as discussed in the last section, can be built through such methods as
allowing for choice and customization of in-game personas through avatars, name
customization, in-game professions and through many other means. “One of the critical
issues in designing educational games is to sustain student motivation over time during
gameplay“ (Eseryel). Creating a strong in-game identity won’t lead to better test
scores; it will put the reins of education into the students hands. SBLS could provide
10
children and learners of all ages with a more active role in their own education. Identity
is a factor of becoming immersed in a virtual world, as are interactivity and increasing
complexity. Greater immersion leads to finding a flow state, thus greater engagement in
the learning process. Incorporating fictional narratives into a learning module is
intended primarily to elicit student immersion in the game and student identification
with their in-game avatar (Chien-Hung, Sweetser). This immersion is intended to
promote motivation and engagement with the material in game, and to make the
learning module intrinsically motivating.
“Informed Teaching” and “Instructional” are two factors that are applicable
outside of the scope of educational software design that feature a narrative element.
Utilize strong feedback cycles to tune the learning experience to address specific
needs.
Student Loans
In my Student Loans application (Figure 2), I set the task to the learner of having
a greater understanding of student loans by the end of the experience. I used minimal
design elements to encourage concentration on the subject, one that is usually not a
part of general curricula. The key concept with which this application engaged was
compound interest. The concept of “Annual Percentage Rate” can be misleading to
people unfamiliar with loans. Considering compound periods are generally per month
instead of yearly, and can be of any variety of time frames, interest gained on loans is
usually functionally higher per year than the stated rate. This application aimed to
educate students on concepts such as the loan principal, how often interest
compounds, and how much interest will be paid over the life of the loan. These
numbers should be part and parcel of any loan agreement, and calculations for
cumulative student loans should be done every time the principal amount increases
through new loans, which for many students happens every semester.
11
Figure 2: Student Loans
Through the use of three quizzes (Figure 3), I engaged students with the
concepts presented in each informational section. According to Leemkuil, “learners
need to be prompted for reflection to occur.” Without a warning, the pop quiz
reinforces the need to do close reading in each section. For those without finance
training, I estimate that the entire application would take 20-30 minutes to work
through with close reading. One friend who I asked to use the application to learn
about student loans commented that the information sections could be rewritten to use
clearer and more concise language. While she said the language was grammatically
correct and made sense, it could be redone to be less dense. This is a note I’ve
received on other writing that I’ve done. Having short, clear sentences lets readers
move smoothly through material.
12
Figure 3: Student Loan Quiz
Design should be as transparent as possible. That is, the design choices of an
interface including layout, buttons, typography, color, and so on should not draw
attention to themselves. The less cognitive effort put into understanding an interface,
the easier interaction with the software will be. Warde (1956) wrote that typography
should be like a crystal goblet, allowing the meaning of the content to be read clearly
without being obscured. Extending that concept to interface design means following a
strategy of simplicity, clarity, and convention. This was a struggle for me as I developed
my design aesthetic. In my earlier projects, I liked to break convention and use bold
colors or unusual symbology. In feedback I received for my Student Loan education
application (Figure 3), I never received notes that it was hard to understand, slow, or
distracting. I view the lack of negative feedback as positive feedback that the design
choices were not distracting or garish.
Other feedback I received from my professor, Irina Shablinsky, was that the loan
calculator could have been standardized to existing loan interfaces such as for
mortgage repayment calculators. Having a format that fits in with existing conventions is
an easy and simple way to create transparent design. Giving monthly repayment values,
monthly interest values, and other information couched in conventional language is
most often an ideal way to communicate new information to learners. Although most
people who are interested in learning about student loans would not have experience
13
with mortgage interfaces, some way. Even if they don’t, they most likely will later
encounter mortgage calculators, and so my role as an interface designer goes even so
far as to prepare learners for those later experiences to minimize cognitive overload.
Figure 4: JavaScript Sketchpad
In some of my previous work at Purchase College such as Bibliofy (Figure 10:
‘Bibliofy’ Search Interface, 2013) and the JavaScript grapher (Figure 4: JavaScript
Sketchpad), I made bold color choices that feedback showed distracted from the
software’s purpose. While these colors appeal to me personally and I believed would
provide an exciting flare to simple flare, I have come to believe through feedback from
professors Hakan Topal and Peter Ohring that opting for cleaner and simpler design
schemas is the wiser option for user interfaces.
Astrablade Game
Transparent design is just one component of building player engagement. It
prevents confusion and frustration, allowing the content to reach its audience.
Interactivity (that the student has agency in the learning environment, and that her
actions have measurable effect) is another important motivator. Interactivity is also one
of Annetta’s “six I’s of educational game design” as explored in the next section.
“Not only has the provision of choice been shown to enhance intrinsic
motivation per se, it has also proved a significant variable in a variety of motivational
14
paradigms” (Malone and Lepper). Choice was found to be an effective tool for building
student interest even when it only gave the illusion of control to the players without any
actual effect in the program. Interestingly, even the false illusion of agency may be
more effective at sustaining student interest than when student actions do create
change but the effects are imperceptible.
Figure 5: Astrablade Name Generator
The game Astrablade was designed around the idea of a non-linear experience
for players, one determined by the series of choices they made. One of the first choices
players are presented with is the choice of what name they would like to use in the
game world. For this I wrote a fantasy name generator in JavaScript (Figure 5). After
choosing gender and degree of familiarity, this widget generates a name from options
of prefixes and suffixes. In the feedback I received on this, most players generated
names that sounded strange and unfamiliar, even when using the familiar option. This is
an effect of English names inheriting from Germanic as opposed to Romantic
languages. In Latin and languages that have evolved from it, names are more often
made of a prefix (Jul-) and a gendered suffix (–ia and -ius) in the case of the names Julia
and Julius. I built the widget with this in mind, but the effect was not understood as well
as it would be for speakers of Romance languages. One key consideration for me in the
creation of the name generator was to allow for third-gendered name endings. This was
to encourage thought in players of moving beyond the cultural construct of a gender
binary (i.e. only male and female) to be inclusive of options outside that range. In this
way, choosing a name and being offered a choice for third gender would lead to
engagement with broader cultural issues as an ancillary activity in the game world.
15
Figure 6: Astrablade Avatars
For the Astrablade game demo, I also created three avatars (Figure 6) for
players to choose from. Since this game takes place in a fantasy world, I did not include
anything I felt would be an obvious marker of time, place, or another potentially
anachronistic features. Players start with a default avatar, and are given the option to
change it to any of the above three. The system is easily scalable and would be just a
matter of adding another avatar element, in other words the game is not limited to
three avatars. Avatars represent a similar level of choice as a chosen in-world game.
Annetta found that:
…using avatars increased social presence and built a strong community of
practice. During game play, students who had a choice of which avatar they
would like to represent them reported greater course satisfaction and felt closer
to their classmates and instructor than students who could choose only between
a standard male or female avatar.
Avatars serve as a source of identification with a virtual world increasing a sense of a
immersion and making easier a state of flow as described by Csikszentmihalyi.
Another feature I explored with Astrablade was hidden information. For
instance, at the beginning of the game players can choose a profession such as
“Merchant Trader” or “Martial Artist.” Players can view a description of these
professions, but when they select one option it provides different starting conditions for
their characters in the game world. This information could not be predetermined by
anyone unless they had access to, and could read, the code that I’ve written. Hidden
information provides an element of the unexpected. In complex systems, this can be
even more effective through the process of observation and learning behavior. Actions
may have an outcome that is impossible to determine beforehand but after observing
16
the effects of an action, strategy can emerge. While Astrablade was only a proof of
concept demonstration, my concept for the finished product included a complex
system of non-player characters (NPCs) with which players could engage (Figure 7). In
this concept, becoming friends with a morally ambiguous character such as a thief
would lead to decreased favor with authority figures. In other words, mutually exclusive
choices would result in unforeseen outcomes with an opportunity to adjust behavior for
desired results. Still, it is important to not overload players with data outside the
primary scope of the experience as that would result in a less immersive experience.
Instead, hidden information can be used to effective create interesting and dynamic
experiences in a game setting or in any complex simulated environment.
Figure 7: Astrablade Game
There are some features in Astrablade for which I laid the groundwork but did
not have the opportunity to fully implement. One of these features was a time score
(Figure 7, top right). For every second players stayed on the page, their time scores
incremented by one. In the concept of the final piece, this time score could serve as a
kind of in-game currency. After gaining enough time score points, players would be
able to ‘spend’ them to reveal new locations or meet new NPCs.
Another aspect of the game concept yet to be implemented was to have tiers of
goals. Some goals would be small, such as meeting a new character. Other goals would
be larger, such as meeting every character in a town. Players could train in different ingame
skills, and once a skill was trained could use it to accomplish a task that was
previously inaccessible. Malone’s observation on the use of tiered goals was that
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“Hierarchical goal systems—that simultaneously provide both proximal and distal goals
across a wide range of performances—may prove especially effective motivational
devices.” In addition, “challenge appears to be intrinsically motivating, in large part,
because it engages the learner’s sense of self-esteem.” It seems as though a healthy
mix of proximal (e.g. “Get 5 correct in a row,” Figure 8) and distal goals will provide the
greatest boon to motivation. Increasing complexity is a strategy to ensure that an
appropriate degree of challenge is maintained.
Figure 8: Khan Academy Math Challenge
Astrablade is the most powerful framework of any I developed during my time at
Purchase College. Considering the application is contained within a single page from
the player’s perspective, the many links and state changes in the game do not overload
the player’s web history. In addition, the use Asynchronous JavaScript and XML (AJAX)
allows lightning-fast page returns for short load times and therefore a smoother game
experience. Astrablade was built in a way inspired by the representational state transfer
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(RESTful) style of web architecture. REST web applications feature modularity, minimal
calls to the web server, and scalability among other qualities (Fielding). Like a RESTful
application, Astrablade is lightning fast, functions well even without a fast web
connection, and is inherently scalable. As other demands required my attention during
my final year at Purchase College, I was unable to expand upon the original demo.
Indeed, much of the most impressive work I did in this application is invisible to players
in its current form. However, I have created a framework that could easily be adaptable
for a number of purposes beyond this game per se. Within the context of this game,
next steps would be to develop the scenes of the narrative story as well as challenges.
The modularity of this structure creates a form that lends itself towards “scenes.” Each
scene contains narrative information as well as a selection of options of where to go
next (Figure 7: Astrablade Game). A combination of third person narration and
character dialogue uses conventions of prose fiction, while the Uniform Resource
Identifiers (URIs, or links in common speech) (Fielding) brings the power of web
architecture to create an interactive narrative experience. The potential for interactive
engagement with text is one of the most attractive qualities of web frameworks.
The next step is to put to use the modular framework of Astrablade. The
concept I have had for that game was to create a series of proximal and distal goals
within the game that involve learning skills that may also be applicable within real-world
contexts. For instance, the player could choose to work as an “editor” within the game
world. After getting a primer on grammar, the player would be presented with text with
grammatical errors. Identifying the errors would earn the player in-game achievements
and points. After attempting this task enough times, the player would gain a badge
indicating their success at editing, opening up new challenge options. In this way,
learning about grammar could be an active process and its situation within a challenge
environment would provide motivation. While having a page to boast of achievements
and badges has not yet been integrated into the game, the framework already exists to
implement the challenge of providing a selection of random grammar challenges with
UI elements to input answers and client-side scripts to check for correctness.
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Pen +ool
In my project Pen +tool (Error! Reference source not found.), I embedded EPE
videos on a website to provide some basic instruction on how to trace a raster image in
Adobe Illustrator and make a vector image out of it. A raster image is one that it made
out of a grid of squares or dots with per-pixel information about color. Digital
photographs are stored in raster format. Vector format images on the other hand are
created from a set of mathematical instructions given to the computer, which process to
draw lines and colors as defined by the image creator. This creates a scalable illustration
that is especially useful in printing and digital animation. Pen +ool provides EPE videos
that show how to trace a raster image in order to create a vector representation.
Figure 9: Pen +ool
Coupling EPE videos with challenge prompts not only takes the pressure of basic
instruction and grading off teachers, it is more efficient and engaging. Interactivity with
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learning software would give agency to students in becoming active participants in
learning and move us away from the poor results of the dominant passive learning
model. If I were to implement challenges in Pen +ool they would use the HTML5 canvas
element, and be a basic simulation of using the pen tool in Adobe Illustrator. Once the
student arranged the elements on the canvas to match some certain criteria, the
exercise would be complete and the student will have achieved a proximal goal. For a
distal goal in this case, it would be that the student successfully completes three
simulations of vector manipulation, thus finishing the section. With both proximal and
distal goals, students would be motivated to learn this useful skill and be participating
actively in kinesthetic learning.
Bibliofy
Figure 10: ‘Bibliofy’ Search Interface, 2013
Bibliofy (Figure 10) was a concept I explored for an integrated application in a
library setting. The idea was that students and researchers could approach an
integrated touch screen unit that would be constantly cycling through popular search
keywords. This would engage those without a clear idea of what interesting topics they
wanted to look into. In this way, this library interface could become a more engaging
place for casual readers. If a reader did have a clear idea of a topic to research in
coming to the search interface, the word cloud would dynamically regenerate based on
whatever terms were entered into the field without needing to search. These words
clouds would be informed through a dynamically updated database. In other words, as
searchers click terms of a word cloud, the words that are clicked would gain priority of
21
association. Likewise, searching related terms in succession would give a stronger
relationship between those terms for future users. This algorithm would evolve, and
become better as the user base increased. Considering that this interface would be
embedded, I felt the keyboard could easily be eliminated utilizing existing jQueryUI
keyboard interface elements. Isolating this application from its hardware and providing
an keyboard interface not dependent on a tablet or physical keyboard would give it a
modularity allowing for use in a variety of settings and with a variety of hardware
options. For this semi-functional mockup, feedback from fellow students focused on the
distracting and bright color and not understanding the function of the emerging words.
Conclusion
Software has many as-yet unexplored possibilities for integration into learning
environments. These possibilities could be cost saving for educational institutions, but
that is not the strongest case for increased use. Instead, the possible use of software in
freeing up the time of professors to work closely with students has yet to be explored in
public education in the United States. With the U.S. trailing behind other developed
countries in education despite spending more than any other country, it’s clear that
decisive action is needed and options should be explored. While SBLS have specific
limitations and should not be seen as replacing the powerful relationship of student and
teacher, it could open up time for teachers to engage individually with students.
Following principles of design, powerful and simple software could help transition
education from a passive experience that fails to engage restless students. Making
education an active experience could serve to address the problems of motivation and
attention in U.S. schools. Feedback on my work consistently shows that working within
the framework of convention and depending on transparent design are essential to
successful interface design.
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<h1>Word Frequency</h1>
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document.getElementById("freq").innerHTML += word + " " + counter[word] +"<br>";
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Countable.live(document.getElementById("textarea"), function(counter) {
document.getElementById("count").innerHTML = "";
for (word in counter) {
document.getElementById("count").innerHTML += word + " " + counter[word] +"<br>";
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