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HONORS EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING PROJECT PROPOSAL FORM Basic Information Full Name: Kaitlin Burnam UC Email: burnamkm@mail.uc.edu College: Engineering and Applied Science Ma or: Computer Engineering !itle o" #ro ect: $and%&'n (irtual )earning !*ematic Area +c*oo%e onl, one-: .e%earc* E/pected #ro ect Start 0ate: Marc* 12 3415 E/pected #ro ect End 0ate: Augu%t 62 3415 Project Information 1. #ro7ide a detailed ab%tract o" ,our propo%ed *onor% e/periential learning pro ect. .e%earc* *a% %*o8n t*at c*ildren 8it* auti%m %pectrum di%order% o"ten become 7er, engaged 8it* 7ideo game%2 8*ile lacking t*e abilit, to become engaged 8*ile interacting 8it* ot*er people. A"ter t*e %ucce%% o" i#ad application% de%igned to *elp t*o%e 8it* auti%m communicate2 t*i% pro ect 8ill add to t*e re%earc* a7ailable regarding t*e u%e o" tec*nolog, b, auti%tic indi7idual%. Speci"icall,2 re%earc* 8ill be done to gain an under%tanding o" *o8 8ell auti%tic c*ildren interact 8it* 7ideo game% t*at *a7e li"elike perip*eral%2 and *o8 t*e u%e o" t*i% tec*nolog, could be applied a% a teac*ing apparatu% "or t*e de7elopment o" e%%ential li"e %kill%. 9 belie7e t*at auti%tic indi7idual% are a great %ource o" untapped potential "or %ociet,2 and *elping t*em to de7elop t*eir communication %kill% in particular 8ould allo8 t*em to contribute in important 8a,%. !*i% 8ould allo8 t*e%e people to li7e more "ul"illing li7e%2 and al%o 8ould make li"e ea%ier "or t*eir caregi7er%. !*e pro ect 8ill begin 8it* reading a% muc* a% po%%ible about auti%m2 and %trategie% "or teac*ing ne8 %kill% t*at *a7e alread, been te%ted. E/pert% in t*e "ield 8ill be contacted in order to a%k %peci"ic :ue%tion% and gain %e7eral ot*er per%pecti7e% on t*e i%%ue o" auti%tic learning. !*i% initial re%earc* i% e/pected to take t8ent, *our%. Appro/imatel, t*irt, *our% 8ill be de7oted to ob%er7ing auti%tic indi7idual% a% t*e, pla, 7ideo game%2 %uc* a% Rock Band and Wii Sports2 u%ing controller% de%igned to look like t*e item% u%ed in t*e game% +"or e/ample2 a guitar or a tenni% racket-. Follo8ing eac* da, o" re%earc*2 per%onal re"lection% on t*e e/periment 8ill be noted in a ournal2 and once all o" t*e re%earc* *a% been conducted2 an e%%a, 8ill be dra"ted "or %ubmi%%ion to a %c*olarl, ournal. !*e %ummari;ation proce%% i% e/pected to take t8ent, *our%. C ear ! an" t#oro$%# ! a""ress #o& eac# of t#e fo o&in% e ements &i 'e e(#i'ite" in !o$r &or)* 3. Connection to )earning 'utcome% 8it*in t*e $onor% !*ematic Area +identi"ied abo7e!*i% pro ect "all% under t*e $onor% !*ematic Area o" .e%earc*. !*ree learning outcome% 8ill be e/plored. 9 8ill gain t*e <abilit, to "rame and de7elop t*e re%earc* pro ect :ue%tion or problem= b, "amiliari;ing m,%el" 8it* re%earc* t*at alread, e/i%t% on t*e %ub ect2 identi",ing t*e greate%t need% o" t*e auti%tic population in term% o" %kill de7elopment2 and ob%er7ing t*e %ub ect% in t*e e/perimental %tage. !*e %econd learning outcome 9 8ill e/plore i% t*e <abilit, to t*ink be,ond t*e u%t completed re%earc* and articulate *o8 ,our 8orld 7ie8 *a% been impacted b, t*e e/perience.= 9 8ill mo7e to8ard% t*i% goal b, interacting 8it* t*e te%t %ub ect% in order to under%tand t*eir %truggle%2 "ear%2 and o,%. 9 8ill keep a ournal during t*e e/periment to record m, t*oug*t% on 8*at 9 *a7e learned eac* da,. Finall,2 9 8ill <di%%eminate t*e re%earc* re%ult% and kno8ledge gained= b, 8riting an e%%a, "or %ubmi%%ion to a %c*olarl, ournal. 1. Connection to >oal% and Academic !*eorie% +include re"erence li%t2 a% appropriateA. M, career goal i% to u%e t*e late%t tec*nolog, to de%ign tool% t*at 8ill *elp people 8it* %pecial need%2 e%peciall, auti%m2 de7elop t*eir communication %kill% in order to li7e more "ul"illing li7e%. !*i% not onl, bene"it% t*e indi7idual%2 but %ociet, a% a 8*ole. 9 *a7e %pent ,ear% t*inking o" 8a,% to accompli%* t*i% goal2 and t*i% i% one %tep on t*at pat*. 9 *ope to u%e t*i% re%earc* to one da, create a di%tributable %et o" product% t*at act a% teac*ing implement% t*at e7er, "amil, 8it* an auti%tic member i% able to u%e2 a""ord2 and e7en en o,. !*i% relate% to m, %tud, o" computer engineering2 becau%e 8it* an education in t*at "ield 9 8ill be a8are o" t*e ma/imum capabilit, o" t*e current tec*nolog,2 and *o8 it can be applied. 9" %omet*ing need% to be done in order to build t*e *ard8are

"or t*e%e teac*ing de7ice% t*at no one *a% done be"ore2 a% a computer engineer 9 8ill *a7e t*e be%t c*ance at "iguring out *o8 to accompli%* t*e goal. B. !*e reading done in t*e "ir%t %tage o" t*e pro ect 8ill "ocu% on t*e 7ariou% di""icultie% a%%ociated 8it* li7ing 8it* auti%m or caring "or %omeone 8it* auti%m. 9 8ill al%o learn 8*at t*eorie% or %trategie% are in7ol7ed in t*e auti%tic learning proce%%. Finall,2 9 8ill need to under%tand *o8 t*e 7ideo game% being %tudied gi7e t*e pla,er a "ull&immer%ion e/perience becau%e o" t*eir reali%tic perip*eral%. 5. 9nitiati7e2 9ndependence2 and?or Creati7it, !*i% pro ect 8ill re:uire me to take initiati7e in a big 8a,2 becau%e 9 8ill be t*e leader. 9 8ill *a7e to gat*er t*e e:uipment2 te%t %ub ect%2 and reading material% on m, o8n. !*i% pro ect i% al%o uni:ue@ 9 *a7e not %een an, re%earc*2 e%peciall, p%,c*ological2 done on game% t*at u%e controller% t*at look like t*e ob ect% t*e pla,er u%e% in t*e game. 9 t*oug*t o" t*e idea m,%el" a"ter ,ear% o" a%king m,%el" 8*at 9 could do to %ol7e t*e problem2 and gi7e people on t*e auti%m %pectrum a better :ualit, o" li"e. 9 *a7e a pa%%ion "or learning about t*e 8a,% in 8*ic* t*e mind% 8ork%2 a% 8ell a% *o8 tec*nolog, t*at u%e% computer% 8ork% and t*e man, 8a,% in 8*ic* it can bene"it %ociet,. $o8 9 can enable t*e%e 7aluable member% o" %ociet, to %*are more 8it* e7er,one el%e i% a :ue%tion 9 trul, 8ant to an%8er2 and m, pa%%ion 8ill be t*e dri7ing "orce t*at lead% me to %ucce%%. A. .e"lection .e"lection on t*i% e/periment 8ill take t8o "orm%. !*e "ir%t 8ill be a lab notebook2 %impl, a% a collection o" an, data and ob%er7ation% made during t*e e/periment. Secondl,2 9 8ill keep a ournal o" m, per%onal re"lection% on 8*at 9 learned eac* da, "rom t*e re%ult%. !*e o7erall :ue%tion 9 8ill be tr,ing to an%8er i%2 <S*ould an attempt be made to de%ign perip*eral% in t*e %*ape% o" e7er,da, ob ect% in order to create game% t*at 8ill teac* auti%tic indi7idual% *o8 to per"orm practical ta%k%B= 9 am particularl, curiou% to "ind out 8*et*er t*e li"elike perip*eral% or ordinar, controller% 8it* o,%tick% and button% are more appealing to and e""ecti7e "or t*e participant%. 9t 8ill al%o be important to tr, and conclude 8*et*er or not t*e %kill% learned in t*e game can be tran%lated to real li"e. Finall,2 9 8ill a%k 8*et*er or not t*e re%ult% are %imilar "or all participant%2 or greatl, di""erent ba%ed on t*e indi7idual. C. 0i%%emination !*e re%ult% o" t*e re%earc* 8ill be %*ared in t*e "orm o" a %c*olarl, article2 8*ic* 9 8ill %ubmit "or publication to a p%,c*ological ournal or a computer %cience and engineering ournal2 or bot*. !*e in"ormation gained "rom t*e re%earc* 8ill be u%e"ul "or educator% and ot*er re%earc*e% 8*o are t*e audience o" p%,c*ological ournal%. !*e reader% o" computer %cience and engineering ournal% can al%o bene"it "rom t*i% re%earc* becau%e it 8ill *elp t*em "ind 8a,% to appl, t*e tec*nolog, t*at t*e, con%tantl, 8ork on impro7ing. D. #ro ect Ad7i%or +li%t t*e per%onE% name2 title2 and contact in"ormationName: #aul !alaga !itle: A%%t. #ro"e%%or Educator Contact 9n"ormation: !elep*one: +A11- AAC&5D55 E&mail: talagapl@ucmail.uc.edu