Innovative Interfaces Within Reach

Educational Media Access & Production (EMAP)

TLt Conference, May 2008

Mr. Dave Trottier

Mr. Jordan Epp

Ms. Carrie Gates

Where are we?Where are we going?

• Mobile - Cell Phones

• Mobility revisioned - iPod Touch

• Video Game Systems - DS

• Haptic Input Devices - Wii

• Biometrics - EEG

Cellphones

• Not just voice anymore

• Ubiquitous Mobile Communications device

• Audio / Video device

• playback / recording / collection

• Data / Web gateway

• mLearning, Geomatics

Saskatchewan: Land Line 95.5% / Cell Phone 67.9% Canada: Land Line 90.5% / Cell Phone 66.8%

http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/070504/d070504a.htm

What’s being done- SMS texting

• Text messaging – txtdrop.com

• Mobile notes – jott.com

• Surveys – mobiode.co

What’s being done- Audio

• Podcasting – GabCast.com

• interviews, debates

• sound clip collection, field trip

• audiobooks, language skills/ESL

• practice speech presentations

• poetry slams, ringtone poetry slams

• assessment, assignments

What is being done- Video

• Photoblogging – flickr.com

• Video posting – eyespot.com, jumpcut.com (these two allow editing), youtube.com

• Documentary work

• school news

• digital storybooks

What is being done- Geomatics

• Marriage of all previous

• Built in GPS or cellphone triangulation

• CAERUS

• Behaviour and context

CellphonesAdvantages

• Data collection tool

• Organizational tool

• Automated publication to the web

Disadvantages

• Screen Size

• Texting as cheating, distraction, prohibited in schools

• Time required to learn and teach

• Variety of input devices, so applications must be general

• Not everyone has one

iPod Touch Interface•OSX 1.0

•400mhz processor

•512MB RAM

•8, 16, or 32GB

•USB 2.0

•802.11b/g WiFi

•Multi-touch display

•Accelerometer

Safari Web Browser

Web Apps

Remote Buddy

Remote Buddy

iPhone Remote

iPhone Remote

Documents

Touchpad Pro

•3rd Party Application

•iPod Touch must be “jailbroken” to install

•Brings multi-touch capabilities to any mac

Touchpad Pro

Abilene Christian University

•All freshmen will be provided an iPod Touch

•ACU mobile web-app

•Schedules, registration, calendars, to-do lists all accessible

Nintendo DS

Dual Screen Video Game Platform with touch interface (stylus or fingers)

Built in microphone (speech recognition)

stereo audio

Repurposed as a small computer through freeware and open source modification

IEEE 802.11 Wi-Fi wireless communications

Nintendo DSWhat is being done?

• 70,600,000 units sold as of 03.31.2008

• Brainage

• Schools in Scotland and Japan

• “Homebrew” is being used to make the system a small computer – flashcard comparison

• tour guide Disneyland and Museums, enhanced events

• Rumble pack, Camera, Accelerometer add ons

Nintendo DSAdvantagesActively seek out other ds Plays video games old and newPictochat

DisadvantagesPictochatProprietarySmall screens

Wiimote

• Bluetooth• IR camera• Accelerometer

EEG• EEG stands for electroencephalography• Measures brainwave activity in left and right sides

of the prefrontal cortex• Non-invasive• IBVA model is inexpensive and easy to set up• Early research stages• Exciting prospects

Types of Brainwaves Measured by EEG

Image courtesy of IBVA http://www.ibva.co.uk

Examples• Brainball http://www.tii.se/touchingtheinvisible/brainball.html • EEG Games http://webideas.com/biofeedback/neurofeedback/

and http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,269155,00.html • Luciana Haill’s EEG musical compositions

http://www.myspace.com/lucianabrain • Photoreading http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvwEWIg4RS4

Clinical uses• Brain activity studies

• Epilepsy testing

• Prosthetics control

• Monitoring anesthetic effects

• Behavioural research (ADD, ADHD)

• Hypnotherapy

• Sleep Studies

What else is being done?•Gaming Interface

•Sports training

•Interactive art

•Music Composition

•Meditation and Relaxation

•Self Awareness and Personal Development

How could this be used in education?

• Teaching focus and mental alertness• Stress therapy• Non-competitive team building skills• Visual art and music• Sports training• Interface for differently abled students• Photoreading research• Virtual presence enhancement• Open research question

Advantages•Realtime feedback of brain activity•Teaches self control, concentration, focus•Gives greater insight into the self and mental processes•Excellent training for study, relaxation, and concentration•Inspires creativity•Many possibilities for discovery and innovation

Disadvantages•Delicate equipment•Starting price is $1700 per unit•Specialized programming knowledge (Max/MSP/Jitter and IBVA)•Few educational programs offered yet

3 Things to look up

• Brainball• Luciana

• EEG Games

Thank you !

Educational Media Access and Production (EMAP)

University of SaskatchewanRoom 25 Education Bldg.

28 Campus DriveSaskatoon SK S7N 0X1

Phone: 966-2500

www.emap.usask.ca