TOP QX

EVERYONE CAN LEARN ANYTIME, ANYWHERE

CORREIA, Secundino
Innovation Department Cnotinfor, Imagina Coimbra, Portugal secundino@imagina.pt

CORREIA, Patrcia
Innovation and Training Department Cnotinfor, Imagina Coimbra, Portugal patricia@imagina.pt

QUINTELA, Maria Armanda

Innovation and Training Department Cnotinfor, Imagina Coimbra, Portugal armanda.quintela@imagina.pt

MACHADO, Nuno
Development Department Cnotinfor, Imagina Coimbra, Portugal nuno@imagina.p

Abstract Traditionally educational software was developed for Windows, MAC or Linux and, typically, was installed in the computer from a CD. This paradigm is to be depleted by the wide spread of mobile devices and by the way users access and interact with software and contents. TOP QX project looks for solutions to these problems, developing a set of libraries to speed up the development of a new generation of educational software (serious funny games) that will work transparently to the user in any platform (PC, smart phone, tablet), anytime, anywhere and in any language, keeping the consistency and the memory of the past interactions (migration/synchronization) through the mediation of a virtual companion/tutor, taking advantage of all the potential of Web 2.0, but continuing to work, when it fails. Keywords mobile devices, apps, HTML 5, serious games, educational software

The use of Cloud Services has several advantages, as the maintenance and cost are low when compared to the use of a dedicated server or even a virtual private server. Also the performance is much better, as the allocated computing resources can increase or decrease with the use. Data synchronization between devices has always been a true challenge and currently we didnt find any library that allows easy synchronization between devices, using Cloud Services and easy users management. There are synchronization solutions in the Cloud, but the end user must create an account in those services (and some of them are paid). Some examples are iCloud, DropBox, Rackspace Cloud Drive, Jungle Drive, Sky Drive, Google Drive. Libraries are being developed to work in any platform and to use Cloud Services as a connection link between devices for data synchronization, sharing and storage. There are already some libraries with similar features using open source software, Funambol Forge, for example, but they do not use Cloud Services and are focused and designed for ERP and CRM markets (Fornari, 2009) [1]. The libraries being developed are in a public repository (GitHub), under a LGPL license, which allows their use in open source projects, as well as in commercial ones. Libraries are based in other libraries and OpenSource frameworks, such as Qt, Ogre3D and Cocos 2D. Other component of the project is the development of virtual companions, following the European project LIREC. From LIREC project, there were several studies and libraries available in OpenSource repositories that can be accessed in the project's website http://lirec.eu. This project was finished in the middle of 2012, with the presentation of its results at Cebit exhibition, in Hanover. Cnotinfor has been involved in the research and development process of tools for creating and migrating

I.

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TOP QX project is based in Open Source software and in libraries and frameworks that will be used to create a new set of educational software based on the model of Serious Funny Games. There are already libraries and tools with similar features, but they have some problems: Closed commercial solutions, so the project is attached to a technology that can or not evolutes, Opened commercial solutions, but with extremely high licensing prices, Solutions that require a big effort for the installation and maintenance of dedicated servers, instead of using Cloud Services, to minimize cost and maintenance, Specific solutions for some platforms.

virtual companions. However these tools were developed to work in controlled environments. We want to reuse them in large scale and in any context. This project is structuring and innovative, as it will allow developing educational software aligned with future development trends and ready for global market (namely Portuguese speaking countries). From commercial point of view, the main goal of the project is to increase the share of exports to more than 50% in 2014, and with increasing growth in Portuguese speaking countries, namely Brazil, but also in the market for English and Spanish languages. We also intend that games and online learning platforms for adults and seniors represent an increasing share in total turnover. II.

Benchmarking and has as main purpose to improve the business performance and achieve superiority over the remaining supply in the market. After Benchmarking study and evaluation of the relevance of developing a particular resource/tool, we implemented a structured questionnaire survey to understand the real needs of the end user and meet their expectations. Finally we used the case study, approached by several authors, such as Yin (2005) [2] and Stake (2005) [3]. For these a case can be something very defined and concrete, as a person or a group of professionals, but can also be something less defined or defined in a more abstract way, such as a program or set of programs, implementation processes or other category that refers for a unit of analysis. It is always necessary to predict three sequential procedures in the study: define the case to study; the choice of a single case or multiple cases; and the further development of a theoretical problem justifying the protocol of collecting empirical data and how to analyse the collected data. IV.

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Traditionally educational and training software was developed for a specific operating system to be installed in a hard disc computer or to run from a CD. Lately more web based educational games were offered, working theoretically in any machine within a browser and Internet connection. The project intends to create educational tools to: 1. Work in several platforms, Windows, MAC, iOS, Android and Linux, without specific commitments in the interface level; 2. Share and migrate data using web 2.0; 3. Automatically adjust to different devices in what concerns screen resolution and technical features; 4. Use quick development available in Open Source LGPL; 5. libraries created and

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A. Vox4all, one of the first outcomes Vox4all (available in iTunes Store, Google Play and Imagina on-line store) is an app for individuals with Complex Communication Needs (CCN), which main goal is to overcome and minimize communication problems, promoting the development of communication, language and literacy of these individuals.

Integrate emotional virtual companions;

6. Keep working offline this is important when the permanent Internet connection is not guaranteed; 7. Keep data integrity and memory of previous interactions in a clear and transparent way for the user, when changing from device and/or platform; 8. 9. Allow intuitive and transparent share between users; Take care of ethical and security issues.

Several of these features already exist, but are isolated. The innovative challenge is to integrate them in the same product in an intuitive and transparent way for the user. III.

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To think, plan and develop digital educational resources (educational software and serious funny games) implies knowledge of the needs, expectations and characteristics of the audience you are targeting and also an outreached work with end users in all stages of the process. In TOP QX project we started with a market analysis and a subsequent comparative study. This process is normally called Figure 1 Vox4all home screen (Portuguese version) and grid example (English version)

This app is based on the principle of communication grids, consisting of cells divided into rows and columns. Initially we implemented some basic features, such as the possibility of building cells with symbols or images captured with the devices camera, as well as the possibility of recording sounds and put them in the cells. Whenever you tap a certain cell, you can hear the sound and you may open a new grid. However, when observing and testing the app with CCN users, therapists and family, we understood that new important features should be tested and implemented. We should have the basic communication system and increase its features taking into account research, experience and observation of real and particular cases. In some situations, these new features will make it easier to use the equipment by CCN users, such as the possibility of setting the activation time of a cells content when the user has trouble in controlling his movements. In other situations, the main objective is make it easier the process of the creation of new communication grids by the professional or the parents. Mainly the goal is that the customization and adaptation of communication grids can be almost effortless and very, very easy, so the person building new grids and contents does not get discouraged. This is very important, as the system cannot be restricted and must answer the real needs of its user. So we felt that including only photos captured directly from the camera was too limitative, as there was no access to the available files and photos stored in the device. Therefore we thought it was important to implement the feature of using files already on the device. Through observation, we saw that another important feature was text to speech. In some cases, recorded voice by the closer people to the CCN user can be stimulating, but in other situations it is completely irrelevant or can be a distraction. So text to speech must be an available option, as it gives the chance for the user to have a more versatile voice, ready to communicate for him. These were some of the features tested until now. Currently research points to several directions, but there is one remaining major issue in CCN world: human-machine interaction. Touch screen and corresponding actions (swipe, scroll, drag, and pinch) are the starting point for some users, but for others they are a factor of exclusion (Light and McNaughton, 2012) [4]. The access to current mobile devices for people with sensory and motor disabilities still does not have a satisfactory solution in mobile world (AAC-RERC, 2011) [5]. The big challenge is to provide access solutions that attend universal design principles, but not forgetting the mobility of these devices, as this is their major advantage. Besides there is another important problem being studied: it is a fact that for most CCN individuals tablets and smart phones are very appealing and fascinating; however observation during different sessions revealed that some individuals with more severe and profound disturbances ignore or even fear these devices. For these individuals, the devices must offer something that satisfies them so they can start to interact, before learning new things.

B. Master of Resuscitation prototype Master of Resuscitation is a serious game aiming to train current and future medical professionals to deal properly with situations of cardiac arrest. Cnotinfor is developing this project in partnership with Stand Clear. The player is the team leader of nurses and doctors and has the responsibility of saving a patients life. The game takes place in the resuscitation room of the Central Hospital. The game is being developed for the main mobile platforms (Android and Apple) and for the Web, allowing its access using any device with Internet access. The game will synchronize all the devices the player uses to install and play the game. As soon as the device is connected to the server, the player can continue the game in the device he is using at the moment. Another important goal is to have one member of the medical team acting as a virtual companion.

Figure 2 Master of Resuscitation Prototype Resuscitation room The technology being used for this development has been quite a challenge, because of the limitations presented by recent HTML5 and different devices. These limitations make us develop two projects aside, one for the Web using HTML5 and another for devices (mobile and desktop) using Cocos2d-x framework. We are using JavaScript language for the game engine, to integrate it in both projects, enabling the streamline of the development process. In the future, we intend to overcome these limitations, so we can have only one project for the Web and different devices, decreasing the development curve of new projects.

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which increases the difficulty and complexity of maintaining versions for several Operating Systems. On the other hand the migration from desktop model to apps in mobile devices is a complex and longstanding process that involves a new design for technologies and an intense research work. So it is crucial to work with multidisciplinary teams and integrate different kinds of end users in the several stages of the process of developing, testing and evaluating, in an iterative process of co-design.

A. Cocos2d-x Cocos2d-x is a game engine coming from Cocos2d-iPhone and it consists in expanding the supported platforms, with multiple choice of programming languages that share the same API allowing deploying on all major Operating Systems like Android, iOS, Windows, MacOS and other. B. HTML 5 HTML5 is a W3C specification that defines the fifth major revision of HyperText Markup Language (HTML). One of the biggest changes in HTML5 is the way HTML approaches Web applications. Other new resources for HTML5 include specific functions for including graphics, audio, video and interactive documents. C. Javascript Just like Java, this is a programming language that can be integrated in default HTML pages. It is mainly used to create interactive and dynamic Web pages.

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TOP QX project is financed by Imagina and by Programa Operacional Regional do Centro: CENTRO-070202- FEDER-022839

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[1] Fornari, Stefano Funambol Mobile Open Source. 2009 Accessed in 5/1/2013, in http://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1823180&coll=DL&dl=GUIDE&CFI D=42535614&CFTOKEN=11642375 Yin R K (ed). Introducing the world of education. A case study reader. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications. 2005 Stake R E. Investigacin con estudio de casos. Madrid: Morata, traduo do original de 1995, The art of case study research, Sage Publications. 2005 Light J & McNaughton D. Supporting the Communication, Language, and Literacy Development of Children with Complex Communication Needs: State of the Science and Future Research Priorities, Assistive Technology: The Official Journal of RESNA, 24:1, 34-44 2012. Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Communication Enhancement (AAC-RERC). Mobile Devices and Communication Apps: An AAC-RERC White Paper.2011 Retrieved March 14, 2011 from http://aacrerc.psu.edu/index.php/pages/show/id/46

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The challenge of developing mobile and multi-platform digital educational resources is complex, from the technological point of view, starting by the dilemma of using special libraries able to compile the code for several operating systems or using HTML5. We found that there are always hardware peculiarities that make this task much more complex in practice than in theory. There is often the need to create different code for certain features more hardware dependent,

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