Prerequisites:

CSPs 1-8; CIS 3260 or CIS 3270 or CIS 3210 or CIS 3215.

Text Books:  1) Cook and Hussey, Assistive Technologies, Principles and Practice,

Second Edition, Mosby.

2) Edwards, Extra-Ordinary Human-Computer Interaction, Interfaces

For Users with Disabilities, Cambridge Press.

Both books are available on Amazon.com.  Students will be required to read most of the Cook and Hussey book and selected articles from Edwards.

Course Description

This course will focus on technical aspects of human-computer interfaces for people with disabilities.  The group will read seminal book chapters and papers to gain a background in the latest assistive technology.  We will focus on usability design, techniques, psychological and cognitive issues, and evaluation.  Students will demonstrate their understanding of the concepts by designing and implementing a prototype user interface for special-needs users.

Examinations:

There will be a mid-term and a final examination.  Both examinations will be closed book, closed notes examinations.  Students will be expected to apply class concepts to hypothetical and real life situations.  The examinations will take the form of short answer and essay questions.

Assignments:

Students will follow a prescribed reading list assigned by the instructor.  Each week students will read the book chapters and/or papers and will discuss the readings with the group the following week.  Each student will take responsibility for presenting material in a chosen technology area.  When the class has acquired sufficient background, we will then begin designing and implementing prototypes of assistive technology applications, focusing on usability aspects for the chosen subject population. 

Format of the course:

The class will meet on a weekly basis.  Each week, the instructor will provide copies of reading materials or citations to papers for the students to find.  The students will be responsible for reading the book chapters or papers and for locating and reading related papers or books.  The instructor may assign short exercises from books to enforce the concepts.  The students will report each week on the progress from the previous week and may present work on the exercises.  The group will also travel to local hospitals, nursing homes, and assistive technology centers to learn firsthand about the latest technology available.  We will also have a series of guest speakers who are experts in disability accommodation.

Tentative Schedule

Week 1            Overview of Assistive Technology

Reading:  Cook and Hussey Ch 1, Edwards Ch 1 and 2

                        Assignment:  Choose specialization area to present

Week 2            Basics Concepts of Usability

                        Reading: TBD

                        Assignment: TBD

Week 3            Brain-Computer Interfaces

Reading:  Wolpaw, J.R., N. Birbaumer, D. McFarland, G. Pfurtscheller,

and T. Vaughan.  2002.  Brain-computer interfaces for communication and control.  Clinical  Neurophysiology 113: 767-791.

Assignment:  TBD

Week 4            Brain-Computer Interfaces

Reading:  Wolpaw, J.R., N. Birbaumer, D. McFarland, G. Pfurtscheller,

and T. Vaughan.  2002.  Brain-computer interfaces for communication and control.  Clinical  Neurophysiology 113: 767-791.

Assignment:  TBD

Week 5            Disabled Users and Modeling

Reading: Cook and Hussey Ch 2 & 3

Assignment: TBD

Week 6            Physical Disability - Control Interfaces, Switches, and Navigation

                        Reading:  Cook and Hussey Ch 7

                        Assignment: TBD

Week 7            Cognitive Disability

                        Reading:  Fickas paper

                        Assignment:  TBD

Week 8            Mid-term Exam

Week 9            TBD

            Reading: Cook and Hussey Ch 8

                        Assignment: Find the latest commercial products and research in your area

Week 10          Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Systems

                        Reading:  Cook and Hussey Ch 9;  Newell et al (Edwards Ch 5)

                        Assignment:  TBD

Week 11          Environmental Control

Demonstration of Aware Chair context-aware wheelchair – Lisa Hunt and team

                        Reading: Cook and Hussey, Ch 11

                        Assignment:  TBD

Week 12          AT for people with visual and auditory impairments

                        Guest speaker: Dan Ratanasit, GSU BrainLab AudioMORPH project

                        Reading:  Cook and Hussey, Ch 12;  Mynatt & Edwards (Edwards Ch 10)

Assignment: TBD

Week 13          AT in the workplace

                        Possible speaker from NIDRR workplace accommodations team

                        Reading: Cook and Hussey, Ch 14

                        Assignment: TBD

Week 14          Present design projects

                        Reading:  Edwards Ch 18

                        Assignment:  TBD

Week 15          Present design projects

                        Reading:  Edwards Ch 18

                        Assignment:  TBD

Week 16          Final Exam

Grading

Grading will be based on the following:

·         Participation and preparedness                    10%

·         Assignments                                                  20%

·         Mid-Term Exam                                             20%

·         Final Exam                                                    20%

·         Quality of application user interface             30%

A total grade of 90 or higher will result in "A"

A grade of 80-89 will result in "B"

A grade of 70-79 will result in "C"

A grade of 60-69 will result in "D"

A grade lower than 60 will result in "F"