Google Glass for Distance Learning: Using a Head-Mounted Display to Record and Stream Video for Education
Wearable computers with optical head-mounted displays have great potential to transform the way educators develop curriculums and deliver instruction. A Web-connected beta version of the Google Glass Explorer Edition with augmented reality technology was the first to become available to developers who have found it to be a unique and useful tool in online teaching and in the classroom. A website was designed to instruct users in basic operations and how to record and stream live video to remote locations. With proliferating adoption of mobile devices, it is important that online instructional websites are optimized to respond to a range of device capabilities. User experience is a key usability element to mobile learning success. This project was a cross-device, mobile usability study of the website eLearn.Glass.

The focus of the research was the users’ overall satisfaction and perceived ease-of-use, effectiveness, learnability, and attractiveness of the website’s design and layout. Data were collected using a concurrent, moderated method via Google Hangouts following think-aloud protocols. An un-moderated online method was also used to gather data as was a pre-survey and post-survey. Screen activity was recorded and data were aggregated for analysis and reporting. Two rounds of iterative usability testing were conducted with 6 participants with revisions after each round based on user feedback. Study results showed iterative evaluations improved ease-of-use, effectiveness, and overall user satisfaction.

Low-income youth consistently demonstrate low self-efficacy and poor self-regulating behaviors, which in turn leads to low academic achievement. The purpose of this TCC presentation is to share the creation process and results of an online game-based instructional design module intended to increase these affective behaviors among low-income third, fourth, and fifth grade students in a residentially based afterschool program. The game, entitled This Is Me: Mars Escape, was created from scratch in GameSalad, a game-development software package for non-programmers.
Mars Escape uses John Keller’s ARCS model of motivation to engage players in a fictional world in which the fate of the human race rests on their shoulders. Albert Bandura’s theory of self-efficacy has four main aspects, three of which Mars Escape directly targets: mastery, modeling, and persuasion. In conjunction, Mars Escape targets self-regulating behaviors by encouraging the player to keep track of their progress in relation to their ultimate goal. In the hopes of making the in-game self-regulation a transferrable skill, the game integrates a challenge to players to think about their real life goals and ways to keep track of those goals.

This TCC presentation will discuss the game-creation process, as well as the unique challenges of targeting affective behaviors among a marginalized population.

This presentation will examine participant results, and discuss the theoretical frameworks and instructional design models that informed design choices.

Early recognition of possible medical emergencies leads to quick intervention, potentially saving lives. Radiographers (x-ray techs) are often the only healthcare professionals present during an imaging exam and must be able to accurately assess vital signs readings in order to determine the need for medical response. The only radiography program in Hawaii had no formal method for teaching this important skill; therefore, an online vital signs assessment module was created to address this issue. The successful implementation of the Saving Lives: Learning Vital Signs Assessment website lead to the conversion of the module into a complete course hosted by the NEO learning management system (LMS).

John Keller’s ARCS Model of Motivational Design was used as the theoretical foundation for the new Saving Lives course, as literature reviewed supported application of this framework for online instruction. Attention and relevance were gained through presentation of medical scenarios. Confidence and satisfaction were boosted by immediate feedback which the NEO LMS provided.

The Saving Lives course was evaluated in January 2015, with one-on-one interviews conducted with a content matter expert and a website design expert. Suggested changes to the module were made, and small group implementation was conducted in February 2015. Thirteen first-year radiography students worked independently on the instructional module for one week. Results demonstrated an overall improvement between pre- and post-test scores and positive reception of this online method of instruction. This study supports the effectiveness of e-learning in the healthcare field when teaching practical hands-on skills such as vital signs assessment.

In order for students to be successful, parents need to know what is going on at school so they can help support their child/children. This usability study was developed to improve parent teacher communication using a classroom website in an elementary school. During the year there is a lot of communication between families and schools. Although many newsletters and flyers are sent home, parents still seem to never have all of the information they need, perhaps because information gets lost in transit from school to home. The purpose of this usability study was to evaluate the effectiveness of navigation and the organization of the content for a classroom website to improve weekly communication with parents at a Hawaii public elementary school on the Windward side of Oahu. Peer feedback suggested minimizing text on web pages by breaking up sentences for easier readability, adding a tab for homework, and specifying names with room numbers. These suggestions were implemented in the hope that the website would become more valuable in the future for communicating to parents and helping them easily find information pertaining to their child. This presentation will show how the website changed and will discuss design principles that informed choices in the redesign.

Module URL: http://aikahi5.weebly.com/

Today’s college students have access to a wide variety of technologies that can be used to support and enhance their educational careers. One such technology, the “e-textbook,” is leading many to abandon traditional textbooks in favor of these digital textbook alternatives. Research has shown that students enjoy the portability of digital textbooks, called “e-textbooks,” and especially appreciate their convenience and ease of use. The textbook currently being used by first year Hawaiian language students at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo is offered in print-only format, and the purpose of this usability study was to develop and evaluate the first two chapters of the textbook as an interactive Hawaiian language e-textbook. Eight first-year Hawaiian language students participated in the study, which included a usability protocol and pre- and post- attitudinal surveys. Results of the study indicated that students found the book easy to navigate, and enjoyed the interactive features of the book—including audio recordings, hyperlinks, and digital worksheets. Data collected from this study will be used to identify best practices in the design and usability of e-textbooks, and could potentially lead to the development of a complete e-textbook for students in the field of Hawaiian language.