Cynthia Putnam

Software and technologies designed for people with autism: what do users want?

Software developers, designers and researchers have been looking to technology for solutions to help and educate people with autism for over two decades. There are many examples of seemingly successful technology-based products and prototypes, yet very little is known about how well these solutions are currently integrated into lives of children and adults with autism and their families. This paper reports on results from an anonymous on-line survey intended as a first step to elucidate information about software and technology use. Additionally, data was analyzed to aid creation of future technology-based products for people with autism that are not just effective, but that also meet important user goals and align to their interests and strengths. Major findings included: (1) very few respondents (25\%) had any experience with software or technology designed for people with cognitive disabilities; (2) when asked an open-ended question about what they desire in technology design, respondents reported three major goals (social skills, academic skills, and organization skills), and many suggestions for improvements to software and hardware design; and (3) technology was reported as both a major strength and interest for people with autism.

Computer games in the developing world: The value of non-instrumental engagement with ICTs, or taking play seriously

This paper argues that it is important to study non-instrumental uses of ICT, including computer games. Specifically, the article presents the results of qualitative and quantitative work spanning eight years of investigation in Central Asia focused on computer gaming in public Internet cafes as well as private spaces. The results presented demonstrate that people do indeed play games in resource constrained environments. The paper demonstrates that games constitute a significant portion of the ICT ecology in developing regions and provide a pathway to peoples “first touch” of a computer, that gamers have more frequent interaction with technology than basic Internet users, that games bring more diverse users to computers by providing a pathway to ICT use for people with lower levels of education, and that games can motivate innovation in the technology space. Additionally, our findings indicate that both genders engage in game playing. The article makes the case that games can be a source of informal learning about ICT, and as such, games and gaming culture in the developing world merit further study.

Experiences with a transportation information system that uses only GPS and SMS

We present our experiences with an SMS-based system for providing transit information based solely on existing cellular and GPS networks. The aim is to permit the development of information services that do not rely on a central authority or complex web hosting. We developed and applied our system to the network of privately-run marshrutka buses in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. However, our goal is to more broadly address issues of ad-hoc shared transportation systems in the developing world. A custom designed GPS-GSM unit is placed on a vehicle, and users can query our server over SMS with their own non-GPS-enabled cell phones. We report on the accuracy of our location naming approach and estimates of bus arrival times. In addition, we summarize interviews with bus drivers and bus riders relating their views of the system and outline directions for future work. Our system is a grassroots solution to the persistent lack of transport information in developing countries.

Mobile phone users in Kyrgyzstan: A case study of identifying user requirements for diverse users

Mobile phones are widely recognized as a potentially transformative technology platform for developing nations. However, for designers and programmers in the developed world to create viable applications for mobile phones involves first identifying and communicating user requirements for diverse users. We define diverse users as those from a substantively different cultural context than that in which the technology design occurs, including developing regions. This paper presents a case study outlining our process of using data from prior research to (1) identify a tenable mobile phone product concept for mobile phone users in Kyrgyzstan; (2) detect and communicate user requirements for that product concept to a design team; and (3) develop a working prototype of the concept for usability testing. Our resulting concept meets important user needs and goals for mobile phone users in Kyrgyzstan. We believe the process by which we developed and discuss these user requirements and the subsequent prototype can serve as an example to others concerned with creating user-centered products and services for diverse users including those in developing countries.

Best Practices for Teaching Accessibility in University Classrooms: Cultivating Awareness, Understanding, and Appreciation for Diverse Users

As Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) become more diffuse, developers and designers need to consider a growing diversity of users including people with disabilities and aging populations. As a result, computing education needs to respond by providing students opportunities to learn about accessibility and designing for inclusion. This article presents results of a qualitative research study of practices in teaching accessibility in university-level programs in the US. The study included interviews with 18 professors from some of the top universities in the US and a content analysis of syllabi and other teaching materials. Using the pedagogical theory of authentic learning and elements from the 21st Century Skills framework, we found that instructors emphasized the need for students to develop awareness and understanding for a diversity of ICT users through multiple different experiences; experiences that included research projects that directly involve users with disabilities, guest speakers, field trips, simulating disabilities, and the use of videos/movies. Additionally, instructors used multiple resources (e.g., research papers, online resources), in part, to offset the challenge that there is a perceived lack of a comprehensive textbook. Instructors also emphasized the importance of their individual initiative; that is, the inclusion of accessible topics or courses was often linked to a faculty members research and/or personal commitment. This article contributes to a gap in the literature by disseminating and sharing different approaches to teaching accessibility across multiple instructors, courses, and campuses.

How do professionals who create computing technologies consider accessibility

In this paper, we present survey findings about how user experience (UX) and human-computer interaction (HCI) professionals, who create information and communication technologies (ICTs), reported considering accessibility in their work. Participants (N = 199) represented a wide range of job titles and nationalities. We found that most respondents (87%, N = 173) reported that accessibility was important or very important in their work; however, when considerations for accessibility were discussed in an open-ended question (N =185) the scope was limited. Additionally, we found that aspects of empathy and professional experience were associated with how accessibility considerations were reported. We also found that many respondents indicated that decisions about accessibility were not in their control. We argue that a better understanding about how accessibility is considered by professionals has implications for academic programs in HCI and UX as to how well programs are preparing students to consider and advocate for inclusive design.

Therapeutic Gaming in Context: Observing Game Use for Brain Injury Rehabilitation

Video games are often used in brain injury (BI) therapy sessions to help motivate patients to engage in rehabilitation activities. However, very little is known about contexts of game use in real-world rehabilitation settings. In this paper, we explore contexts of commercial game use in BI therapy through observation of inpatient therapy sessions. Based on a systematic analysis of the observation recordings, we found that (1) only 30% of session time was used for gameplay; (2) therapists needed to provide various kinds of cognitive and physical patient support during the play sessions; and (3) therapists adopted multiple strategies to reinforce the therapeutic values of the games. This study is helping us create decision and information sharing tools to support the use and creation of games for BI rehabilitation.

Therapist-centered requirements: A multi-method approach of requirement gathering to support rehabilitation gaming

Brain injuries (BI) are recognized as a major public health issue. Many therapists include commercial motion-based videogames in their therapy sessions to help make rehabilitation exercises fun and engaging. Our initial exploratory work exposed a need for tools to help therapists make evidence-based decisions when choosing commercial motion-games for their patients who have had a BI. Targeting this need, we are gathering requirements for a case-based recommender (CBR) system that will act as a decision tool for therapists. In this paper, we describe our ongoing work as a case study that illustrates our multi-method approach of requirement elicitation for the CBR system. Our approach is comprised of four overlapping steps: (1) interviews with therapists, (2) onsite observations of therapy game sessions, (3) diary studies in which therapists record detailed information about game sessions, and (4) a user study of a CBR prototype interface. Leveraging direct interaction with end users (i.e., therapists), this case study demonstrates requirements gathering techniques to address needs of a special population (i.e., therapists who work with patients who had BIs) in a specialized context (i.e., inpatient rehabilitation using motion-based video games).

Supporting therapists in motion-based gaming for brain injury rehabilitation

In this paper, we describe a work-in-progress that involves therapists who use commercial motion-based video games (e.g. Wii) in therapies involving patients who have had a brain injury (BI). We are collecting data to inform a case-based recommender (CBR) system that will help therapists stay current and choose appropriate motion-games for their patients. Data from the CBR system will (1) establish commercial motion-game efficacy among a larger and more diverse BI patient population than in previous work and (2) inform custom games that better meet needs for BI therapies.

Human-Centered Design in Practice: Roles, Definitions, and Communication

Human-centered design philosophy proposes that end users be at the center of technical system designs. Building on a seminal study by Gould and Lewis, we present findings from two surveys that explored the practice of building interactive systems from the perspective of information and communication technology (ICT) professionals. We generated ICT job descriptions based on a lexicon derived from practitioners’ own words. We found that while “human-centeredness” has risen among ICT professionals, our respondents varied significantly in how they considered the original three Gould and Lewis principles with respect to their job titles and roles. We thus argue that tools that support clear communication among roles are critical; in this project, we analyzed personas as a common ICT communication tool. While personas were generally perceived positively, persona creators need to consider factors that contribute to buy-in from design teams, including quality research and effective presentation.