Comp 190 Final Report

1
Comp 190 Final Report

• Jeremy Parker and Tony Penta

2
Our Project

• Create a typing tutor
• Make it accessible to users who are sighted or
  blind
• Teach users about basic concepts of typing(home
  keys, etc)
• Make it educational and fun

3
How will it be Accessible?

• Text-to-speech
• Stereo audio
• Interaction with the program done with
  keyboard(using tab and arrow keys to go through
  buttons)
• Visual component
• Interesting games
• Slow progression through lesson in order to
  assure concepts are learned and retained

Features
4
Why do this?

• Currently, the available options are limited and
  expensive
• School kids are tested on typing skills
• People with blindness use computers too
• Beneficial to everyone
• Chance to have fun and be creative

5
Review What Has Been Done?

• LINK talking keyboard
• http//www.assistivetech.com/p-link.htm
• Con
• EXPENSIVE-1,395
• Standard typing tutors
• Many versions
• Range from free to 50
• Con
• Not useful for all users
• Braille key stickers
• Con
• Not practical(hard to feel keys without pressing
  them)

6
Review Talking Typing Tutors

• http//www.enablelink.com/PCTalking20Typing.htm
• 90 for one-year personal license
• Only works with Windows
• http//www.talktypetutor.com/
• 190 90/year after that
• Only works with Windows
• http//www.braillebookstore.com/talking-typing-tea
  cher.htm
• 104
• Only works with Windows

7
New findings What has been done

• Flash Typing Tutor
• www.flashtyping.net
• Tactile/audio clues?

8
Our Solution

• Jeremy and Tonys Talking Typing Tutor
• Free!
• Cross-platform!
• More Accessible!
• Fun!

9
Answering our Tough Demands

• Macromedia Director
• Web-deliverable
• Cross-platform
• Support for text-to-speech engines
• Built-in accessibility features
• Easier audio and video

10
Where are we now?

• Accessible Main Menu
• Use arrow keys to select desired activity
• Home Key Tutorial
• What are the home keys?
• Which finger goes where?
• Fire Game
• Save the house from fire
• Type the word/letter before time runs out
• Nice graphics, as well and sounds to keep things
  fun and interesting

11
Problems Thus Far

• Text-to-speech
• Sometimes tough to understand
• No guaranteed support
• Coordination of Media Elements
• Integration of our work

12
Where are we going?

• Extend the Tutorial
• Teach the position of all keys
• Switch from TTS to recorded audio
• More to the game
• Option to use more letters/words and choose
  levels
• Game 2
• This game focuses on individual keys, rather than
  entire words
• Elaborate instructions for everything