Hi,

I'm Philip Duldig, Student of Education at Flinders University. I am doing a Bachelor of Education (Graduate Entry - Secondary) and am doing my second year of study. I currently focus on teaching CompSci, Information Technology and Mathematics. I have a BSc (Mathematics and Computer Science) from Flinders University.

I am very interested in portable and hand-held computing ( iPod, Iphone, netbook and laptop ) and how this technology can be used to aid in teaching. I am interested in the OLPC (One Laptop Per Child) project and how low-cost computing hardware can be distributed to those that could otherwise not afford it. The NT Education Department has been trailing these little green computers in with students from indigenous communities.

But all the hardware in the world is useless without software ? Specifically I am looking at the User Interface ? The software that takes input from the user, and displays output from the PC. Modern User Interfaces are interactive, colourful and intricately designed piece of software.

There is some debate if the modern desktop User Interface model: ?Taskbar?, ?Windows?, ?Start Button? is suitable for hand-held (phones, music players, ebooks) or embedded systems (Cash Registers, Elevators). New ideas in gesture and facial recognition, speech and voice interfaces, This unit hopes to promote discussion on what constitutes a usable, useful and aesthetically pleasing interface and where it will go in the future.

Unit of Work: How does the User Interface affect User Experience?

• GoogleDoc PDF

• Microsoft Word 2007 Format (DocX)

• Native PDF
  

Title of Unit: How does the User Interface affect User Experience?

Learning Areas: ICT, Design and Technology, Arts

Year Levels: 10; Extend for 11 and 12

I have designed this enquiry unit around exploring what makes up a Computer User Interface; The components and a little theory on how they work. The main assessment piece involves the student building, modelling or simulating their idea of an ideal User Interface.

Depending on the computer environment; this may be a set of Windows Graphical Customisations, A software program or a whole virtual operating system environment. The student is required to explain their design choices and demonstrate this to their peers.

Ideally this unit could be integrated with Art/Design or Mathematics. Students would create graphical interface components ? Wallpapers, Icons, Labels, Effects with an art focus. These might be drawn, painted, sketched or designed in the art class and then used as resources in the ICT class.

Some of the non-graphical (ie: symbolic or digitally generated) user interfaces components could be discussed in the mathematics class ? Cubic and Polynomial Splines; Bezier Curves, SVG and Vector Based Art, Line Art.