GroupBrainstorm-Group:(P)roficientLanguageLearning
From CS160 User Interfaces Fa06
Contents |
Team Members
Brainstorming Idea List
- 1. Program code generation - C/C++/Java/Lisp/Perl/etc
- 2. LaTeX generation - be able to write out mathematical notation
- 3. Webpage design/generation - make it easy to edit and add to wiki style webpages, support text and jpeg functionality, possible limited html, form filling and drop down menus may be a stretch
- 4. Math problems in Mathematica or MS Word
- 5. Automatic flashcard generator
- 6. Circle a word on paper for a dictionary lookup
- 7. Mindmap on Anoto paper - relational searches
- 8. Relational search engine - similar to ask.com
// Language Learning: [Our Choice]
- 9. Language learning - ranging from English to east asian languages
- 10. Language learning - stroke order
- 11. Language learning - scoring system
- 12. Language learning - learn to write English or a foreign language
- 13. Language learning - picture id for youngsters to write down what they see
- 14. Language learning - educational puzzles and games to enhance productivitiy
- 15. Language learning - circle one animal in a picture of multiple animals and then circle which word identifies this animal
- 16. Language learning - fill in the blank sentences
- 17. Language learning - picture and vocabulary matching
- 18. Flipbook animation - no OCR required
- 19. Searchable lab/research notebook
- 20. Notepad with draw capabilities - like MS Paint
- 21. Search image by drawing it out
- 22. Digital postcards - check off to send
- 23. Security - password and signature protection
// Preprinted Forms
- 24. Preprinted forms - eVote balloting system
- 25. Preprinted forms - travel forms like temporary visas
- 26. Preprinted forms - financial forms
- 27. Preprinted forms - digital checkbook balancing
- 28. Preprinted forms - speedy bank deposits eliminates the waiting in line
- 29. Shoe shopping footprint drawn on paper - sent digitally to mall for instantaneous shoe purchases
- 30. Speedy doctor prescriptions - digitally sent to local Walgreens/Longs Drugs for instantaneous pickup
- 31. Online shopping list transfer to store database - ready for you once you arrive at the store
- 32. Remote control maze game or vehicle driving
// Map Search
- 33. Map search - circle an area on the map for cheapest apt search
- 34. Map search - cheapest local gas
- 35. Map search - cheapest restaurants and shopping stores
- 36. Map search - bathroom locations
- 37. Game analysis - strategize which moves are best at which time
- 38. 3-D modeling
- 39. Sheet music composer - draw notes on scales
- 40. Post-It notes on the go
- 41. Schedule planner/Digital calendar
- 42. Roll call/Roster attendance - student checks off name as he/she enters the room
// Games
- 43. Games - TicTacToe
- 44. Games - Hangman
- 45. Games - Connect the dots
- 46. Sports statistics - live NBA stats sheet similar to yahoo sports
- 47. Design electric circuits - EE courses
- 48. Automated standardized exam grading
- 49. Diary and blogging on the go
- 50. Instant messaging with art - easily transfer sketches or pictures
- 51. Coach's playbook - X's and O's
Idea Selection
Faced with 40+ solid ideas, our group narrowed them down to four choices in the interest of feasibility and shared interests amongst all group members: webpage design, language learning, preprinted forms, and map search. Our group ended up choosing the language learning idea from our brainstorming session as it seems like a very practical scenario where a young child would need to learn the English language. We also believe that the language learning idea is the most modular of all and can easily be expanded to support new features developed down the road (for instance the puzzle game was a feature we thought up while typing up this proposal). Currently it may be cumbersome for parents to teach their kids English using ordinary pen and paper as kids easily get bored and feel restless. With the Anoto digital pen and paper, our project proposal aims to getting the youth involved with technology early on to enhance their education as well as providing distinct boundaries between work and play. Anoto bridges the gap between the analog and digital worlds so children can learn to write using picture identification as hints with the computer then generating status reports of progress. Given the limited attention span of most youngsters, educational puzzles and games come into play to allow the child to be exposed to entertainment while learning at the same time.
Project Description
Target User Group
Our solution targets two types of users: children who are learning to read and write basic vocabulary, and teachers or parents who want to monitor the reading and writing development of their kids. The possible users of this group can be 4 to 7 year old children who have some basic reading and writing knowledge, as well as those parents and teachers who are comfortable of using a computer as an analytical tool. To further narrow down our target user groups, we are targeting those children who are in the learning process of reading and writing and have close attention from their teachers and parents. This group can be easy to identify since most kindergarten to 2nd grade students in elementary schools must take mandatory reading and writing courses. No technical expertise is required for the children themselves, they will be able to use the Anoto pen like a regular pen and the digital paper just like ordinary paper.
Problem Description
Bill Gates describes training the workforce of tomorrow with the education system that was designed 50 years ago as “trying to teach kids about today’s computers on a 50-year-old mainframe”. Traditionally, a kid learns to write by copying words again and again. Such process is repetitive, isolated, and unrewarding. Some existing machine interface learning tools are attempts to solve these problems, but they haven’t been very successfull due to the lack of interaction, limited mobility, and difficult learning curve.
Problem Context
- Researches show that the best way to learn is through interaction – interaction with teachers, peers, or even computers. The amount and duration of the attention a child gives to a task is proportional to the attention he/she is given for working on the task. In a traditional classroom, a child’s individual work is not recognized instantly; instead, feedback is general given (by parents or teachers) hours even days after the completion of the task. The delay in feedback prevents a child from being engaged and concentrated, especially when the task is repetitive such as learning to read and write.
- Some machine interface tools have been developed to aid in teaching reading and writing in an interactive manner, but these tools have a steep learning curve for a child that can barely read basic words. These tools (tablet PC, magnetic writing board, etc) are not as natural as paper and pen, and even if they do teach a child to read, they still fail to improve a child’s handwriting. Have we noticed that handwritings have been getting sloppier and sloppier over generations?
- Many of the existing machine interface tools fail to provide peer interaction. Without peer interaction, a child is often less motivated to learn. Plus, an isolated learning experience is not beneficial to a child's character development.
- These tools are not widely adopted due to limited mobility and affordability. Tablet PC and other machines are generally too bulky for a kid to carry. Yet they cost much more than average parents and schools can afford.
- Evaluating and recording progress is often neglected by teachers of young children. As a result, a child is not always rewarded/penalized for what he/she did well/poorly in. A system that can aid teachers in the task and provide timely report to parents is desired.
Why the Anoto System is a Good Technology for this Problem
We believe that using technology to coach a child how to read and write is the most effective approach. A pen and paper are the most easy-to-use and inexpensive tools, and we found that they are an appropriate solution for our product. Here are our reasons:
- real time scoring/interactive: a child can learn to read and write anywhere since an Anoto pen can transmit written data to our software in order to provide a real time coaching and generate progress reports for his/her parents.
- collaboration: using a pen and paper encourages a child to write and read, while parents can monitor their child's learning progress. This technique will increase an interaction between parents and teachers because parents will be notified and aware on their child' performance. They will plan to meet their child's teachers once they found a problem with their child's writing and reading.
- simplicity: Without an Anoto pen, children will need to learn how to use a computer, and teachers will spend many hours grading their student's homeworks by hands.
- personalization: A child might forget to write his name on his paper, a teacher will have no idea whose paper it is. Since an Anoto pen has its own unique id, a teacher can easily verify a paper.
An Anoto pen and digital paper VS a Tablet PC
It is also possible to develop our system on a Tablet PC. However, we found that using an Anoto pen and digital paper is more feasible than a Tablet PC. Here are the favorable circumstances of using an Anoto pen and digital paper over a Tablet PC:
- Ease of use: Using an Anoto pen and digital paper is much simpler than using a Tablet PC because the pen-and-paper conceptual model is a more intuitive model for young children to learn. They can be easily trained to use an Anoto pen and digital paper, while they have to overcome the steeper learning curve of using a Tablet PC.
- Affordable: An Anoto pen is cheaper than a Tablet PC. Providing children with Anoto pens will be the less expensive choice. Moreover, an Anoto pen consumes less power than a Tablet PC. This power consumption difference can be greatly noticeable when using multiple Anoto pens and Tablet PC's.
- Durability: A Tablet PC can be easily broken, especially when we let young children to use them. Its screen can be scatched. Although digital paper can be easily torn, it is still cheaper to replace a new digital paper than a new Tablet PC's screen.
- Mobility: It is easier to transport an Anoto pen than a Tablet PC. Due to the heavier weight and bigger size of a Tablet PC, young children would prefer to carry a lightweight Anoto pen.
- Health: Reading from a computer screen for a prolonged period of time can cause a headache or dizziness. Reading from digital paper can eliminate these types of problems.
Solution Sketch(paragraphs + sketches)
Our solution begins with the child filling out pre-printed forms that are designed to help him build his vocabulary while learning how to write properly. The Anoto pen allows for the characters written by the child to be analyzed for mistakes, such as being the wrong character or being too tall or too small. The forms use pictures of objects that the child is already familiar with, such as common animals, in order to get them used associating the concept of the object with writing the name of the object. In order to increase interactivity, the child can play the tile puzzle game. The tile puzzle allows for the child to see his progress in real time. It is important to have feedback in order to encourage the child when he is doing well and notify him when he is not. As the child gets closer, letter by letter, to writing out a given word, the puzzle comes together allowing them to see a fun picture of what they are writing. The data that is collected by the Anoto pen is analyzed and graded, allowing for a progress report to be generated that can be sent home to the child's parents.
