Nintendo DS original ad

Reader Response 9

In his final chapter of The Human Factor, Vicente (2003) asserts “we’ve had enough of the turbulent, frustrating effects inflicted by the traditional current of thought”  (p. 285).  He encourages consumers if they “want to live in a world that celebrates humanity and the human factor, then buy Human-tech products” (p. 291).  I agree we should no longer accept products designed by and for Mechanists, however, can we “distinguish and recognize poorly designed products?” (p. 291).  How do we build the critical skill set necessary to move beyond complacency in our products?

When the Nintendo DS was launched in 2004, I remember the incredible amount of hype that accompanied it.  There was no doubt in my mind that I needed this extraordinary piece of gaming hardware.  It promised wi-fi connectivity, an interactive touch screen interface with stylus, and dual screens.  As I tore past the layers of cardboard and plastic wrapping and held the DS in my hands for the first time, my excitement was curtailed by the sheer bulkiness of the device.  Yet the marketing machine of Nintendo had done such a great job of convincing me this was the future of handheld gaming, that somehow I was able to cast aside the clunky exterior in favour of innovative gameplay.  Subsequent iterations of the DS offered slimmer versions with less cumbersome styluses, but I had already supported Nintendo’s first version and its inferior design.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo_DS

Recently our school purchased a new photocopier.  At a PD day last month, we signed up for a one-hour training session with a company technician to learn how to use the product.  During this session, I recounted some of what I had learned about design in this course.  Armed with this newfound knowledge, I was able to identify the many flaws inherent in the design.  I felt very pleased with myself, yet discouraged at the same time.  The purchase decision had already been made.  We were stuck with this expensive, terrible monstrosity.  Now what?

While I agree with Vicente wholeheartedly in supporting Human-Tech products, the reality is some of these products are either cleverly marketed and disguised as great products or imposed upon us.  This does not mean that change is impossible; rather, change is incremental.  As we become better educated to advocate for improvements in the design of our products,  my the hope is this will accelerate the rate of change.

The Terminator Movie Trailer

Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within - Theatrical Trailer

Reader Response 8

Fear.  Life insurance agents cater to a fear of death and loss while science fiction writers and filmmakers tap into a fear of technology.  In his book, The Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle posits that “fear is divorced from any concrete and true immediate danger.” (pg 43)  Fear is the result of an ego that is “very vulnerable and insecure, and it sees itself as constantly under threat.” (pg 44)

When the Raytheon company introduced the microwave oven to the marketplace in the 1950s, they were met with skepticism and fear.   The short film linked below, “Preparation of Foods: Stone Age to Space Age” captures attempts made to secure public trust and safe use of this product in domestic settings.  This marketing effort romanticizes the microwave by highlighting its use by NASA, elevating its status with the advent of the space age.  The film then contrasts these "superior" North American food preparation practices with less advanced countries such as New Guinea.  The convenience and safety claims of cooking lobster tails or cupcakes within minutes surely cannot be ignored, particularly when hedged up against preparing food in an open pit.

http://www.archive.org/details/preparation_of_foods

http://www.raytheon.com/ourcompany/history/leadership/index.html

The 1984 film, The Terminator, succeeded not only because of the star power of Arnold Schwarzenegger at the time, but because of how it tapped into the collective technophobia that had been accumulating since the Cold War.  Asimov’s I, Robot and Arthur C. Clark’s 2001: A Space Odyssey had previously explored themes of robots running amok.  Norman references Asimov’s Four Laws of Robotics that are “intended to reassure humanity that robots will not be a threat and will, moreover, always be subservient to humans.” (pg 196)  Just as microwave manufacturers had to alleviate fears in the 1950s, so will robotics manufacturers have to address fears of non-compliance.

Norman further complicates matters by stating a common belief that “robots will take over many routine jobs by people, therefore leading to great unemployment and turmoil.” (pg 207)  He questions whether film actors will “be replaced by computer-generated characters. (pg 207)  The 2001 film, Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, is an example of such a film, casting the likes of James Woods, Alec Baldwin, and Donald Sutherland in the roles of these characters.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Final_Fantasy:_The_Spirits_Within

The future of robotics will depend largely on the balance of our collective emotional responses to these advancements.  If we feel threatened by the potential for job loss or human safety, progress will surely be affected.  Norman says,“ this is how it is with all technology: it is a two-edged sword always combining potential benefits with potential deficits.” (pg 211)

Reader Response 7

Reading Response 7

“The goal is to find out what’s to blame, not who’s to blame.” (Vicente pg 201)

A colleague of mine recently attended an Alberta Teaching Association (ATA) meeting and reported that teachers were managing a significantly higher workload this year.  Class sizes are up, new Ends Statements are expected to be reported on, and new ELL benchmarks are in effect.  The stress level is increasing as teachers try their best to navigate through these additional variables in an already impossibly complex job.

What impact does this have on the quality of the instruction being delivered by Alberta teachers?  According to the Code of Professional Conduct, “ The teacher is responsible for diagnosing educational needs, prescribing and implementing instructional programs and evaluating progress of pupils” (http://www.teachers.ab.ca/About%20the%20ATA/UpholdingProfessionalStandards/UnprofessionalConduct/Pages/CodeofProfessionalConduct.aspx)  At what point does a teacher’s ability to do their job well become compromised?

Vicente examines the Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) and its effectiveness in improving airline safety standards.  In his research, he cites a number of key variables in the organization’s effectiveness.  First, he stresses how “the ASRS couldn’t function effectively if it weren’t independent.” (pg 201)  The Alberta Teacher’s Association (ATA) serves as both a union and professional regulatory body.  By contrast, the nursing profession in Alberta has two separate bodies, the United Nurses of Alberta and The College & Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta.  The latter is in line with Vicente’s recommendation while the teaching profession is all under one body.

In terms of the reporting process of a safety issue in aviation, Vicente emphasizes how those who report are kept completely anonymous to avoid the “risk of being disciplined.” (pg 197)  He continues his analysis of the ASRS, “After the analysis is conducted, the identification strip is removed, and the report is “de-identified” by removing all the potential identifying features.” (pg 199)  This is different from both the teaching and nursing professions in Alberta.  According to The College & Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta website, “Complaints must be submitted to the Complaints Director in writing, include the first and last name of the regulated member, and be signed by the person filing the complaint.   CARNA does not accept anonymous complaints.” (http://www.nurses.ab.ca/Carna/index.aspx?WebStructureID=1212)  While the ATA website is not as explicit, it can be inferred that a name is required to begin an inquiry on misconduct.

So, why does this matter?  According to Vicente, the teaching profession has two strikes against it in terms of regulating itself professionally.  If a complaint process is intended to improve professional conduct of its members, the teaching profession has some work to do.  We are entering a phase of increasing complexities and workloads in education, relying less on specialists and more on generalists.  The scope of responsibilities is increasing, as does the potential for diluting quality.  What body regulates those who impose these increasing complexities on teachers?

Reader Response 6

I recall a talk Sharon Friesen gave at one of our PD sessions recounting the history of education and the industrial model it was founded upon.  She emphasized how in the past we intentionally bored our students to prepare them for working long hours performing monotonous tasks on an assembly line.  She challenged us to consider this model of education in relation to how our students currently learn how to "do school."

In the link below, Ken Robinson argues how "we are educating people out of their creative capacities.”  He maintains that Mathematics and Language Arts are given priority status in educational programming while arts education is universally marginalized.  I would agree; if a student shows proficiency in creative dance, is he given the same recognition as if he were able to solve two digit by three digit multiplication?  In my experience, the first thing parents ask about at parent / teacher conferences is how their child is doing in Mathematics and Language Arts.  Artistic ability and creativity are rarely discussed.

Ken Robinson says schools kill creativity | Video on TED.com

How do we enact change in education?  How do we design a system that fosters and cultivates creativity?  In the 2009 report, What Did You Do in School Today? Willms, Friesen and Milton note that "the longer students remain in school, the less likely they are to be intellectually engaged. (pg 31)  In order to engage students, they must be immersed in tasks that are "relevant, meaningful and authentic." (pg 34)  It is through these authentic experiences that we allow our students to connect in meaningful ways, yet are we achieving this in our classrooms?  The report is as alarming as it is inspiring.

http://www.cea-ace.ca/sites/default/files/cea-2009-wdydist.pdf

We are headed in a bold new direction in education.  As educators, we face many obstacles: an entrenched industrialized model coupled with parents and administrators with a degree of comfort in these traditional approaches.  However, our biggest obstacle is that of stale practice.  We must allow for student creativity to come alive and foster authentic environments rich with creativity and opportunity.

Reading Response 5

For the past three years, I’ve been involved in running an extracurricular robotics club at our school.  There are two key goals of the club: to create an extracurricular opportunity for students to problem solve and socialize with other robotics enthusiasts, and to enable these students to serve as peer teachers in their respective classrooms.  The club has had a successful track record as an extracurricular group; parents and students show great enthusiasm for the work.  Yet where we fail is in the implementation of robotics kits into classroom settings.  Currently, teachers at our school do not incorporate this technology into their classrooms, and considering the significant investment of over three hundred dollars per kit, one has to wonder if this has been money well spent.

How then, could we build capacity for teachers to effectively implement robotics into their practice?  Vicente identifies one of the characteristics of poor teamwork as, “a failure to identify and communicate priorities, intention and plan.” (pg 164)  An effective communicator must “explicitly communicate his or her intent and actions.” (pg 168)  I think I assumed that if we got parents and students excited about robotics and achieved our first goal, the second goal would soon follow.  The problem is I haven’t effectively communicated these intentions to the staff.  Consequently when the extracurricular club ends, the robotics kits lie dormant.

Compounding the issue of communication are hierarchical considerations.  Vicente states how a class system “affects how people deal with each other; the level of respect and deference offered to an individual is determined by his or her place in the hierarchy.” (pg 171)  I am new to teaching and relatively new to my school, surrounded by colleagues with twenty or more years of experience compared to my four.  How does this factor into my initiation of a technological utilization plan?  What role should an administration play in guiding this process?

Human-tech thinking, according to Vicente, is defined as “designing systems to fit people at the team level.” (pg 179)  Given my place in the hierarchy and lack of communication of intent with my colleagues, how would I design a sustainable, team-focused technology integration system?  How would I convince a teacher who has never used robotics before to get on board?  What supports need to be in place to provide assurance to teachers that assistance is there when they need it?  The implementation strategy must not only be a sustainable fit for the team, but also sensitive to constraints of time, scheduling, resources and curricular requirements.

Reading Response 4

The readings this week have opened up new avenues for inquiry.  Our proposed prototype is targeted at children with Asperger’s, a syndrome characterized repetitive movements, social impairments, preoccupation with certain objects, and inflexibility on routines. (http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/autism/detail_autism.htm) What are the specific design requirements for this type of user?  Take a look at the video, "Leo's Social Story Made with Stories2Learn" posted below.

In this clip, the parent reminds the child, “you only have to touch it once.”  What can we learn from this product that will inform our design decisions?  If we know Asperger’s students are prone to repetitive behaviours, for example, how will we address this?  Sharp, Rogers and Preece identify constraints as “determining ways of restricting the kinds of user interaction that can take place at a given moment.” (pg. 31)  What constraints do we need to implement that would facilitate a productive and enjoyable experience for both the child and adult mediating the technology?

In addition to considering constraints for our product, our users also exhibit repetitive preoccupations with objects.  How can we ensure our users view our product favourably, and derive “pleasure and satisfaction when using it, looking at it, holding it, and opening or closing it?” (pg 15)  The interface must be engaging and intuitive for our target audience.

Another consideration drawn from this week’s readings is a tendency of humans to “treat tennis rackets, balls, and hand tools as animate beings, verbally praising them when they do a good job for us, blaming them when they refuse to perform as we had wished.” (Norman pg 136)  Asperger’s children can become very volatile when things do not go their way, as evidenced in the "Asperger's Child - Meltdown video below.

As we begin designing a software product for existing hardware, should we sell an accessory to protect that hardware too?  Iphone hard-shell protectors and accompanying screen protectors are available (http://www.zagg.com/), however, will the thin screen protectors hold up to an Asperger’s meltdown?  Should we consider a more durable, harder screen protector for this user?

These are some of the considerations we must address as we enter the next phase of our design.

Leo's Social Story made with Stories2Learn

Asperger's Child - Meltdown Mode

Reading Response 3

Take a moment to review the world’s worst website.  What makes it as terrible as it professes itself to be?  What improvements might you suggest and why? http://www.angelfire.com/super/badwebs/

Years ago I presented this website to my grade 3 / 4 students as a critical thinking exercise.  My goal was to provoke thought into what makes for effective web design and provide samples of both “good” and “bad” websites.  I dug up a number of sites with consideration to aesthetics, intuitiveness, and usability.  From my years of web searching, I thought I had a reasonabl grasp of what made for effective design, however, having read through the Research-Based Web Design & Usability Guidelines document, I wish to reopen this.  Consider the link below:

http://visualculture.wisc.edu/

The usability article outlines a number of key design considerations, including layout and intuitiveness.  In terms of layout, the Wisconsin Visual Culture program website is simple, providing relevant visual content with minimalist sensibility.  There is nothing graphically intensive that would impact load times.  At first glance, the eye chart on the left is identifiable in its formatting, however, a closer examination reveals it represents characters from a variety of languages.  I infer this to mean the program is designed to meet a diverse range of learners.  The diagram of the eye to the right is also relevant to the content.

While the site succeeds in its aesthetics and load times, it is lacking in its intuitiveness.  The usability article stresses, “users will make the best use of Web sites when information is displayed in a directly usable format and content organization is highly intuitive.” (pg 9)  The coloured vertical squares provide no accompanying text, yet we are expected to intuit these will provide us with pertinent information.  I accept that this site is promoting visual navigation, however, if there is no text, there should be visual icons associated with each category.  How am I to reasonably intuit that a light blue square means ‘events’ while darker blue means ‘curriculum’ and ‘faculty members?’  In addition, holding the mouse over one of these squares extends a line to the eye diagram.  ‘Departments and units’ is at the back of the eye.  Does this mean it is of lesser importance than ‘Trans Conference,’ which is at the front?

I think a visual presentation for this website is an interesting idea, but it should not be at the expense of intuitiveness and usability.  This could be easily remedied through the use of quality visual cues and connecting these cues to fit with the diagram of the eye.  One way might be to imbed the categories in with the terminology of the eye.  For example, ‘Through the lens of curriculum’ could associate curriculum with a particular anatomy of the eye, and so on.  Otherwise, I think the eye must be separate and not interfere with the accompanying visual cues.

Portfolio Design Rationale

This web-based portfolio serves to document my journey of learning throughout the course of my graduate work in educational technology.  It houses current research and confronts academic queries to inform my thesis on creating a technological acquisition protocol in education.  The portfolio also provides a platform to open a professional dialogue with its core audience of instructors, administrators, and colleagues.

As a multimedia documentation hub, the portfolio allows for documentation of current and emerging technologies.  By accumulating relevant audio and visual material, it stimulates comparisons of technological advances and regressions.  Here we can critically engage with different design considerations sourced from a variety of fields.

The portfolio organizes my thesis research by documenting current factors in educational technology development and distribution.  The intersection between what designers promise and the perceived benefits to the user will be explored.  The criteria school boards currently use to determine the timing of when to invest in a technology during its product life cycle is of particular interest.

This documentation tool invites its audience to engage in a forum aimed at critiquing current technological designs, implications for learning, and future applications.  In this way, it is a living, interactive tool designed to spawn new questions and inquiries.  The portfolio is a culmination of current research in educational technology coupled with an opportunity to engage in an ongoing professional dialogue.

Reading Response 2

My father delights in new technologies.  He also curses their very existence.  These products promise to enhance his life with a host of intoxicatingly rich features, yet it is unlikely my father will reap their full benefits.  His attempts to sift through manuals and intuit different combinations of buttons to push often prove unsuccessful. However, this does not dissuade him from supporting the likes of Sony, Apple, and Toshiba.  Yet if these technologies are too complex for my father to use, why does he continue to buy them?  What are these companies are doing right?

Recently my father purchased a BMW X5 at around the time the company was commemorating its one-millionth sale. (http://www.bmwblog.com/2010/06/08/bmw-celebrates-production-of-1-million-bmw-x5s/)  As a proud owner of a new BMW, he made it a point to showcase its many features.  The X5 boasts the idrive control system, which integrates climate, sound, and navigation.  Technically, it is an impressive feature, however, the complexity of the interface and cumbersome mechanism to control it detracts from its overall usability.  The screen is accompanied by a clunky directional knob, akin to a CRT television before the invention of remote controls.  Consumer Reports would agree with this assessment as well, listing the idrive controls among the drawbacks next to fuel economy.  (http://consumerguideauto.howstuffworks/2009-bmw-x5.htm)  My father would have known this as well as the likelihood he wouldn’t be able to use half the features, yet he still went ahead with the purchase.  Why?

Norman’s three levels of design, visceral, behavioural, and reflective, provides a framework for this inquiry.  The BMW X5 holds immense visceral appeal.  It is sleek, smooth, and sexy, perhaps even iconic. (See video post on BMW X5: Every moment has its icon).  As Norman states of the visceral, “make the car door feel firm and produce a pleasant chunking sound as it closes.” (pg 67)  From a behavioural standpoint, the vehicle offers fluid functionality and safety features.  My father refers to it as “the ultimate driving machine.”  Above all though, it is at the reflective level that the BMW X5 truly delivers.  The price tags are significant, attributing status to owning a BMW.  Also, the vehicle offers a plethora of technologically advanced features, from extendable sport seats to backup parking camera.  In addition, the one-millionth sale link above is accompanied by a blog.  This way, a community of BMW owners can connect and share their driving experiences, similar to what Vicente sites in the case of Palm and their “cool user story section.” (pg 105)  My father is now part of the BMW community.

While the X5 has much going for it from a design standpoint, it does not change the fact that my father cannot use many of the features embedded in this vehicle.  To what extent is the BMW design team aware of this?  Norman reminds us of Diesel’s marketing strategy, one that “deliberately confuses and intimidates.” (pg. 93)  Is BMW’s objective to inject a massive amount of technology in its vehicles to elevate its reflective appeal and status?  Is there reflective currency attached to mastering BMW technology, no matter how unintuitive it may be?

At the reflective level, technology creates a story, much like Norman’s Juicy Salif he finds “bizarre, but delightful.” (pg 113)  How willing are we to overlook unintuitive designs for the sake of a good reflective design story?  In the case of my father, the reflective design of the X5 is clearly the winner.  He has a story to tell.

BMW X5: Every moment has its icon

Reading Response 1

Two years ago, our school developed a hedgehog statement derived from the work outlined in Jim Collins’ book, Good to Great.  The hedgehog statement was the result of many hours of debate over the direction we wanted for our school.  The statement reads, “Creating meaningful, valuable, purposeful relationships to enhance learning through a culture that expects questioning, reflection, and the improvement of professional practice.”  To question another teacher’s practice demands a high degree of professional fortitude.  As a relatively new teacher in a team-teaching environment, questioning and reflection has been crucial to my professional development.  Questioning practice, however, not been without its challenges.  During the course of my undergraduate work, Dr. Jardine gave a lecture warning us to watch out for  “nay-sayers” in the profession.  These teachers would resist a shift toward inquiry, favouring tried, tested, and true practices derived from a history of industrial-based teaching methods.

I’ve encountered a number of “naysayers” in my journey as an educator.  These teachers resist change with such conviction, remaining clouded by emotion and the methodologies they hold dear.  As educators we are swimming against a strong current of stale practice, remnants of a deeply engrained industrial model.  Traditional practice is streamlined and efficient, comprised of dispensing a series of discipline-specific undifferentiated worksheets.  It’s tempting to get drawn into this comfortable way of teaching.  It’s a method many of us are familiar with because it’s the way we were taught.

During the year our school hedgehog statement was being developed, my team partner and I were debating how to approach mathematics in our classroom.  While I was advocating for integration, she preferred to teach mathematics as an isolated subject.  When I proposed a project that could incorporate Science, Social Studies, Mathematics, and Art, she responded with, “What about the pureness of Math?”  It had not occurred to me that by integrating curriculum I might be taking something away from Mathematics.

The question of the pureness of Math relates to Vicente’s concern with Humanistic vs. Mechanistic views, contrasting a focus on people vs. hardware and software in developing new technologies.  Vicente argues that when we foster the latter, it results in “technological systems that are technically sound and easy for other designers to use, but that bury ordinary people in a quagmire of complexity.” (Vicente pg 34-35)  Norman would agree, arguing that designers “know too much about technology and too little about how other people live their lives and do their activities.” (Norman pg 81) Teaching the pureness of math embraces the mechanistic view of design, the stereotypic “geeky technologists.” (Vicente pg 32)

As I reflect on these readings, I believe the goal of creating inquiry-based integrated projects is to bridge the Humanistic and Mechanistic views.  I cannot accept that by designing authentic projects, we ignore the pureness of math.  Instead, it not only serves to enhance mathematical application by creating a relevant context for mathematics to come alive, but also balances Mechanist with Humanist thought.