Hi,<br><br>I have already introduced myself in the past emails (<a href="http://lists.alioth.debian.org/pipermail/tux4kids-tuxtype-dev/2010-March/000684.html">first</a> and <a href="http://lists.alioth.debian.org/pipermail/tux4kids-tuxtype-dev/2010-March/000710.html">second</a>).<br>
<br>I may be too late to discuss my idea but even if my proposal is not accepted in GSoC, I would like a feedback about what do you guys think about my idea.<br><br>Even if Brendan has said that my idea might not have high priority to GSoC, I'm happy to have had an idea that relates the educational purposes of Tuxtype and with what I'm learning with my internship.<br>
<br>For those who prefer reading in google docs, here's the link: <a href="https://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0AcBdoxJaYXmLZGR0NDIzNThfNDFnM2p0cmhrYw&hl=pt_BR">gsoc-project</a><br><br>-=-=-=-=-=-<br clear="all"><br>
<div style="text-align: center;"><b>The general idea</b><br></div><b><br></b><u>1. Images and sounds included with the list of words in a library.<br><br></u>My
basic idea was to extend the word list editor to include background
images that are related to the library. For example, when choosing the
type of game and then the library will be used, the background images
associated with this library should be shown during the game.<br>It may be useful to include music to the libraries like the images, to be played during the game.<br><br><u>2. Improving the interface for editing libraries.</u><br>
<br>After
using the editor for awhile, I realized that improving the interface
problems that the editor has, can be vital for the real use of this
feature.<br>I think the idea of using an interactive help (one of my ideas to the new interface), could be used in other game menus.<br><br><u>3. Import / Export libraries.</u><br><br>Finally, the last feature that I think is useful is to import and export libraries.<br>
A
teacher who creates one or several libraries, with images and sounds,
should be able to export them to other environments easily.<br><br><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Interface<br></b></div><br><u>1. Motivation for the problem.</u><br><br>I have been working 9 months with the development of a tool for distance learning (<a href="http://www.teleduc.org.br/" id="x_oe" title="pt-BR">TelEduc</a>) guided by a teacher PhD in Human-Computer interface (<a href="http://www.ic.unicamp.br/docentes/professor.2006-04-12.4554208824/view?set_language=en" id="tji4" title="Heloisa Vieira da Rocha">Heloisa</a>).<br>
During
all this time, I learned a lot about interface problems and also how
easily an user can have problems with obvious applications for
developers.<br><br>Based on what I learned (my experience), many
instructors may have questions and difficulties to build their
libraries with the current interface implemented.<br><br> <u>2. Interactive help.</u><br><br>In
addition to the suggestions mentioned below, an intuitive way to help
the user is using a help that is associated with the action of leaving
the mouse over a button or have selected a button when using the
keyboard to navigate.<br><br>After a short period of time, a quick explanation of what is possible to do when clicking the button is printed on the screen.<br><br>I created a simple illustration in Figure 1.<br><br><br><div style="text-align: left;">
<div id="d9-3" style="text-align: left;"><img src="https://docs.google.com/File?id=ddt42358_40m9kjbqdb_b" style="height: 225.391px; width: 648px;"><i>Figure 1</i><br></div><br></div>Another possible way would be to have the Tux, somewhere on the screen, guiding the user with explanations.<br>
<br><u>3. Other suggestions for interface.</u><br><br><ul><li>Both buttons as libraries should be clickable and navigable by the keyboard. Currently, only the buttons are clickable and only the libraries accessible by keyboard.<br>
<br></li><li>Creating an 'edit' button as another way for the user to edit the libraries.<br><br></li><li>Libraries
must appear in the form of buttons (different from the main menu) or in
a more clean list to get an intuitive action of clicking.<br></li></ul><br>These
ideas apply in other functions of the word list editor, as in 'new',
the dependence of the keyboard should be decreased with the addition of
buttons<br><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Background images and Audio in the library</b><br></div><br><u>1. Motivation for the problem.</u><br><br>Tuxtype
already possess background images that change over time. What I would
like to do is improve the customization of the game so that the
instructor can also teach children with images.<br><br>For example,
lets say that the instructor has created a library of mammals. He could
add some pictures of mammals which he added in this library word list
and the images would appear during the game!<br><br><u>2. Observation</u><br><br>I
don't know if the idea of adding sounds is good or appropriate. I
became interested and spent more time on interface problems and the
possibility of using more images in the game.<br>I think is important
be able to customize the libraries but I don't like the idea of losing
the spirit of the game. I mean, the audio used inTuxType is great, makes me feel in a real arcade. <br><br>Anyway,
for this ideas I'll need to make some changes on the organization of
libraries [1] and be careful with the problems that can be generated to
migrate the functions of selecting the background image and audio that
will run during the game [2].<br><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Import and Export</b><br></div><br>I
believe that to close the customization package of libraries, we must
add the function to import and export these libraries [3].<br><br>With this feature, after you create your library, it is extremely easy to pass it to other computer.<br><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Implementation</b><br>
</div><br>[1]
- I believe the best way of organizing these libraries to facilitate
the implementation and the problem of importing them would be:<br><br>a)
Create a folder 'library' in the user environment (.tuxtype/library at
his home in Linux) and libraries would be created in it, organized into
single folders each one with their background images, words list and
maybe sounds.<br><br>b) Create a default folder, with the defaults backgrounds and sounds to centralize the location where these files are read<br><br>[2]
- It will need to change some function calls to the new location and
added a default check, if there are images in the library, should use
them. The same for the sounds.<br><br>[3] - If everything suggested so
far is accepted, the implementation of import and export can be done
without problems using some form of compression to the specific folder
of selected library<br>A good interface can make the user to import and to export libraries without problems.<br><br>-=-=-=-=-=-<br><br>Thank you for reading,<br><br>-- <br>-------------------------------------<br>Victor Tozo de Carvalho<br>