help2read

by Barakansanya Swai & Walter Khumalo

Supervised by Sonia Berman

Introduction

What?

• e-Learning tool to improve reading skills for learners

between grade 2-4

• Improve reading and language skills by paired-reading

through storytelling

• Our users

Why? • Avoid the nagging factor

• Interactiveness of learning experience

• Flexible and fun games-like experience

Current Approach 1. Volunteer assigned 2 learners in a school

1. Volunteer visits school twice a week

1. Volunteer spends 1 hour a day at the school

1. Each learner spends 30 minutes with the volunteer

1. Learners can choose to read a book, play a game, or

construct a story with the volunteer

Related Work

• Com-phone

-Allows creation of narratives using digital multimedia

content

-Narratives can be created from scratch or using a pre-

loaded template

-Each narrative can include multiple frames

-Narratives can be played back or shared using the export

feature

Com-Phone

Homescreen

- Take picture

- Add sound layer

- Add text

Take a picture Play a narrative

Related Work

Domo Animate

http://domo.goanimate.com/studio

Research Question??

• Does paired-reading using computer-based

instructional materials improve reading

skills?

• Do volunteers prefer computer-based

material over traditional methods?

System & Work Allocation

Software development

• Iterative design process

ENSURE WORKING ARTEFACT AT ALL TIMES!!

Front End

• Stand alone application

• Java o cross-platform

o Competent

Feature included • Theme selection

• level of difficulties

• drag and drop to complete story

Evaluation

Qualitative • What they prefer?

• What features are usable?

• What are their suggestion?

• Does it fully assist the story making tasks?

• Are the anticipated questions coherent?

Quantitative

• Task duration

• The amount of learners that have improved reading

fluency.

Evaluation Methods

Step 1 • Co-design process

• low fidelity prototype

• determination of usability via volunteers

Step 2

• High fidelity prototype

• Observe volunteer with an early learner

Ethical & Key Success Factors

Ethical Issues

• Testing the system with young children will require

ethical clearance

Key Success Factors

• Construction of stories from user-preferred themes

• Question construction using selected sight words

• Does the tool allow the volunteer to assist the learner

in constructing a story?

Risks

Risk Impact Mitigation Strategy

Partner drops out High Implementation of a semi

functional system due to slight

independence.

Data Loss High Possession of multiple data

storages

Uncleared ethical

permissions

High Acquire clearance as soon as

possible

Misdirection of project

progress

Medium Conductions of frequent

meetings with supervisor.

Deliverables

• Web Page

• Poster

• Project Report

• Project Software

Timeline

Conclusion

• Completely integrated system o usable with at least the limited features

Essential tasks • Reading

• Comprehensions

• Use of vocabulary

Questions

References

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ac.robinson.mediaphone&hl=en

http://domo.goanimate.com/movie/014h16PicBmg/1