Cooper, Alan, Robert Reimann, and Dave Cronin. About face 3: the essentials of interaction design. [3rd ed. Indianapolis, IN: Wiley Pub., 2007
(pp 88 -102). Print.

Costello, Will. “What Constitutes Systems Thinking – A Proposed Taxonomy. What-Constitutes-Systems-Thinking-A-Proposed-Taxonomy. Web. Last Accessed 18 Sept. 2012.
Web Access: < http://www.scribd.com/doc/33539648/What-Constitutes-Systems-Thinking-A-Proposed-Taxonomy>

Damassa, David. “Simulation Technologies in Higher Education.” EDUCAUSE : Center for Applied Research. N.p., Mar. 2010. Web. Dec. 2012. <http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/erb1003.pdf>.

Dirksen, Julie. Design for How People Learn. Berkeley, CA: New Riders, 2012. Print.
Web Access: < http://www.amazon.com/Designing-Mind-Understanding-Interface-ebook/dp/B003H3IOXM/ref=pd_sim_kstore_7 >

Gee, James Paul. What Video Games Have to Teach Us about Learning and Literacy. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2003. Print.

Goodwin, Kim. Designing for the digital age: how to create human-centered products and services. Indianapolis, IN: Wiley Pub., 2009.
(pp 425 – 443). Print.

Hogle, Jan G. “Considering Games as Cognitive Tools: In Search of Effective “Edutainment”

<” http://www.ourwordonit.com/. N.p., Aug. 1996. Web. Jan. 2013.>

Jonassen. David (2000) “Mind tools: Affording Multiple Knowledge Representations for Learning”. Web. Last Accessed Sep 19, 2012.

Jonassen. David ( Dec 1993) “Computers as Mind tools for Engaging Learners in Critical Thinking”. Web. Last Accessed Sep 19, 2012.
Web Access:< http://www.siue.edu/education/techready/5_Software_Tutorials/5_AncillaryPages/Mindtools.pdf >

Papert, Seymour. “The Children’s Machine: Rethinking School In The Age Of The Computer.” The Children’s Machine: Rethinking School In The Age Of The Computer: Seymour Papert: 9780465010639: Amazon.com: Books. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Sept. 2012.
Web Access: < http://www.amazon.com/The-Childrens-Machine-Rethinking-Computer/dp/0465010636 >

Sawyer, Dr. R. Keith. “Schools That Foster Creativity.” The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 08 Dec. 2012. Web. 09 Jan. 2013. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-r-keith-sawyer/teaching-creativity_b_2258239.html>.

Thomas, Douglas, and John Seely. Brown. A New Culture of Learning: Cultivating the Imagination for a World of Constant Change. Lexington, KY: CreateSpace?, 2011. Print.

Thomas, Ruth. White Paper. Interactivity & Simulations in E-Learning. N.p., 2001. Web. Dec. 2112.

I. Thesis Abstract

II. Introduction

a. Problem statement: Conventional simulators and online instructional methods fall  short in delivering higher order learning

b. Proposed solution: By utilizing direct manipulation with real-time feedback, a learner can better synthesize cause and effect relationships, thus bridging the gap between abstract concepts and the theory behind those concepts.

Thesis statement:

Conventional simulators and online instructional methods fall short in delivering higher order learning. By utilizing direct manipulation with real-time feedback, a learner can better understand how technical manipulation effect visual results, thus bridging the gap between abstract concepts and the theory behind those concepts.

III. Visualization Tools

a. History Of Visualization Tools

b. Advantages of Visualization Tools

i. Facilitated understanding of complex topics
ii. Increased familiarity with Interface

c. Dis-advantages Visualization Tools

i.   Can be misleading to the visitors not familiar with the metaphors used.
ii.  Cognitive Tools are incomplete.
iii. Can become outdated quickly.
iv. Experts & Research

d. Visualization Tools Examples

i. Yahoo body map
ii. TheSim Cam
iii. Camera Simulator

III. Direct Manipulation 

a. History Of Direct manipulation
b. Advantages of Direct Manipulation
c. Dis-advantages of Using Direct Manipulation
d. Experts & Research

IV. Visualization Tools & Direct Manipulation In Education

a. History Of Visualization Tools In Education
b. Advantages of Visualization Tools In Education
c. Dis-advantages Visualization Tools In Education

V. Methodology

a. Identify the problem
i. Conventional simulators and online instructional methods fall short in delivering higher order learning.

b. Provide a solution
i. An application that promotes higher learning through direct manipulation and interaction providing immediate visual feedback.
ii. Research
iii. Low Fidelity Prototype
iv.  User Testing
v. Revisions
vi. High Fidelity Prototype
vii. User Testing
viii. Revisions
IX. Additional Testing

VII. Thesis Final Prototype

1. Final prototype for the virtual camera
2. Film speed manipulation, providing immediate visual feedback
3. Shutter speed manipulation, providing immediate visual feedback
4. Aperture manipulation, providing immediate visual feedback
5. Shutter and Aperture manipulation, providing immediate visual feedback
6. Shutter, aperture and film speed manipulation simultaneously, providing immediate visual feedback

1. Evaluate and assess the effectiveness of the application in promoting higher learning through:

1. User testing
2. Class projects
3. Student project outcome

VIII. Additional improvements

IX.  Conclusion

1. Appendices A.
   a. Target Audience Testing I
   b. Target Audience Testing II
   c. Target Audience Testing III

XI. Appendix B. Prototypes

1- Since I recorded the low fidelity prototype video walkthrough, I have slightly modified the rough wireframe outline. 

* Please note that the functionalities of the wireframe have not changed, and are exactly the same settings described in the video presentation. The minor wireframe revisions, are merely cosmetic design modifications for better usability purposes.

2- The video walk for my low fidelity prototype, is a very rough wireframe presentation. I will refine & revise this low fidelity prototype based on the reviewing committee’s feedbacks and and user testing results.

3- The video walk through presentation is based on the first lesson plan, in which all the camera settings are locked in except for the aperture setting.
* I will refine & revise the prototype’s functionalities based on the reviewing committee’s feedbacks and and the user testing results.

4- In my proposed application, as the lesson plans advance, the complexity of this application also advances to allow the learner, to interactively change and manipulate all the camera settings simultaneously, and see an immediate result on the image.

Please Visit:

http://elliezenhari.com/765_website/camera_breakdown.pdf

Revised Wireframe Version 02

Wireframe Version 01

Alan Cooper

“ If we want users to like our software we should design it to behave like a likable person: respectful,
generous and helpful. ” Alan Cooper

Summary: This book is an In depth study of interaction design, emphasizing the importance of goal
directed design in product development. This is a very well written and easy to understand
book that greatly helped me better understand the importance of goal oriented design through personas,
models and testing as a very essential part to the product success.

Click to View Sample Chapter

What video games have to teach us about learning and literacy | 2003

James Paul Gee
“ An academic discipline, or any other semiotic domain, for that matter, is not primarily content, in the sense of facts and principles. It is rather primarily a lived and historically changing set of distinctive social practices. It is in these practices that ‘content’ is generated, debated, and transformed via certain distinctive ways of thinking, talking, valuing, acting, and, often, writing and reading. ”

Summary: The books discusses how video games can actually help people regardless of the age, to obtain knowledge through different methods of learning. He argues that the educational systems can learn a lot from the techniques used by video games to keep students interested in playing the same game over and over again, and
facilitate the process of analytical thinking, and problem solving through ” self directed learning.” This book has particularly been helpful in my research process in developing my prototype that promotes higher level thinking and learning through direct manipulation and interaction with an application.

Click to View Sample Chapter

Design for How People Learn : June 2012

Julie. Dirksen

“ Having a skill is different than having knowledge. To determine if something is a skill gap rather than a knowledge gap, you need to ask just one question: Is it reasonable to think that someone can be proficient without practice? If the answer is Yes, then it’s not a skill.”

Summary: An engaging and visual book on the fundamentals of interactive design principles and how we can learn more efficiently by matching our past knowledge to create new knowledge and thus have a more effective learning outcome. Julie Dirksen also uses a lot of metaphors in learning that have been helpful in my research on the visualization tools and promoting higher order learning.

Click to View Sample Chapter

Video Games and The Future of Learning  | 2003 

David Shaffer, Kurt Squire, Richard Halverson & James Gee | PDF

Summary: This article proposes using games an a learning tool in education by connecting the social and experimental aspect of playing games with it’s learning properties.

This article proposes using games an a learning tool in education by connecting the social and experimental aspect of playing games with it’s learning properties.The paper discusses how video games are changing the way that we learn by arguing that we lean best when the
activities that we engage in, are those that we personally feel meaningful. He argues that by connecting the educational game values to the theory behind those games, the players can become more actively involved in the process of analytical thinking, problem solving and learning. This article was particularly helpful in my research as my camera application promotes higher level thinking and learning through ‘ self directed

1- This is the latest video walk through on my low fidelity visual component for my thesis project. I look forward to your feedbacks.

2- You can also download the step by step documentation that covers all the different settings in my prototype.

http://elliezenhari.com/765_website/camera_breakdown.pdf

I. Introduction

A. Thesis statement:
Conventional simulators and online instructional methods fall short in delivering higher order learning. By utilizing direct manipulation with real-time feedback, a learner can better understand how technical manipulation effect visual results, thus bridging the gap between abstract concepts and the theory behind those concepts.

Problem statement: Conventional simulators and online instructional methods fall short in delivering higher order learning

Proposed solution: By utilizing direct manipulation with real-time feedback, a learner can better synthesize cause and effect relationships, thus bridging the gap between abstract concepts and the theory behind those concepts.

II. Introduction to Cognitive Tools 

A. History of Cognitive Tools
B. Advantages of Using of Cognitive Tools
1. Facilitated understanding of complex topics
2. Increased familiarity with Interface
3. Encourages website exploration to users familiar with the metaphors used in the website.

C. Dis-advantages of Using of Cognitive Tools
1. Can be misleading to the visitors not familiar with the metaphors used.
2. Cognitive Tools are incomplete.
3. Can become outdated quickly.

D. Experts & Research
1. Alan Cooper
2. Donald Norman
3. Kenneth Craik
4. David H. Jonassen

III. Introduction to Direct Manipulation 

A. History Of Direct manipulation
B. Advantages of Direct Manipulation
C. Dis-advantages of Using Direct Manipulation
D. Experts & Research

1. Alan Cooper
2. Donald Norman
3. Colin Ware
4. James P. Gee

IV. Visualization Tools

A. History Of Visualization Tools
B. Advantages of Visualization Tools

1. Facilitated understanding of complex topics
2. Increased familiarity with Interface
3. Encourages website exploration to users familiar with the metaphors used in the website.

C. Dis-advantages Visualization Tools

1. Can be misleading to the visitors not familiar with the metaphors used.
2. Cognitive Tools are incomplete.
3. Can become outdated quickly.

D. Visualization Tools Examples

1. Yahoo body map
2. MacSpartan Visualization tool
3. Adobe Kuler
4. TheSim Cam
5. Camera Simulator
6. Cam Sim

D. Experts & Research

1. Alan Cooper
2. Donald Norman
3. Colin Ware
4. James P. Gee

V. Visualization Tools In Education

A. History Of Visualization Tools In Education
B. Advantages of Visualization Tools In Education

1. Facilitated understanding of complex topics
2. Increased familiarity with Interface
3. Encourages website exploration to users familiar with the metaphors used in the website.

C. Dis-advantages Visualization Tools In Education

1. Can be misleading to the visitors not familiar with the metaphors used.
2. Cognitive Tools are incomplete.
3. Can become outdated quickly.

D. Visualization Tools Examples

1. MacSpartan Visualization tool
2. Camera Simulator

D. Experts & Research

1. David H. Jonassen
2. Will Constello
3. James P. Gee

VI. Proposed Solution

A. An application that promotes higher learning through:

1. Direct manipulation
2. Direct interaction
3. Immediate visual feedback

direct interaction and manipulation which provides immediate visual results.
B. Advantages of Visualization Tools In Education

1. Facilitated understanding of complex topics
2. Increased familiarity with Interface
3. Encourages website exploration to users familiar with the metaphors used in the website.

VII. METHODOLOGY OF SOLUTION

A. Design the low fidelity in Photoshop and Illustrator
B. Program the simulator in Flash and HTML5
C. Test the rough prototype in beginning photography classes
D. Collect Data
E. Make revisions
F. Additional Testing

A. Evaluate and assess the effectiveness of the application in promoting higher learning through:

1. Class projects
2. User Testing
3. Student Outcome

Conventional simulators and online instructional methods fall short in delivering higher order learning. By utilizing direct manipulation with real-time feedback, a learner can better synthesize cause and effect relationships, thus bridging the gap between abstract concepts and the theory behind those concepts..

Abstract

Studies have shown that human beings acquire more information through vision than all the other senses combined. Visualization and mind tools provide the ability to translate our mental images into rough, tangible, and digital representations of those images, so that we can better understand our thoughts and more actively engage in the development and exploration process of what we are learning and why we are learning it.
However, visualization tools alone can’t promote higher order thinking, problem solving and analytical skills based on the learner’s unique mental vision and experiences. according to studies and research on cognitive tool’s impact in education, when computer technologies are used as the primary source of acquiring information, the learner can actually develop deficiencies in critical thinking and learning skills, making them passive learners.

To engage students in critical thinking and improve higher order learning, this paper proposes building a customized application as a visual, mental model through direct manipulation and interaction with a virtual digital camera for online beginning photography classes. By allowing the learner to manipulate the virtual settings and dials and instantly see changes and results on an image, the student can visually and directly learn about abstract technical photography concepts, such as film, shutter and aperture settings, helping them to immediately establish a relationship between how the interaction of these settings can affect the overall image.
What makes this application a more powerful learning tool than standalone applications or traditional online textual lessons is that through direct manipulation providing immediate visual feedback, the learner can instantly bridge the gap between abstract technical photography concepts and the theory behind those concepts.

Furthermore, through “ self directed learning,” students can actively engage in interpreting, analyzing and acquiring new knowledge, which helps to promote understanding and allows them to communicate more clearly their unique mental vision through photographs.

This is the latest video walk through on my low fidelity visual component for my thesis project. I look forward to your feedbacks.

I look forward to your feedbacks!

http://elliezenhari.com/765_website/prototype.html

2. “I end up not buying a lot of things, because I find them ridiculous.” (The Independent, 2005)

3. ”I think death is the most wonderful invention of life. It purges the system of these old models that are obsolete.” (Playboy, 1985)

4. ”People think focus means saying yes to the thing you’ve got to focus on. But that’s not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully. I’m actually as proud of the things we haven’t done as the things I have done. Innovation is saying no to 1,000 things.” (Apple Worldwide Developers’ Conference, 1997)

10 things Steve Jobs taught us

5. ”Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me. … Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful — that’s what matters to me.” (CNNMoney/Fortune, 1993)

6. “My job is not to be easy on people. My job is to make them better.” (CNNMoney/Fortune, 2008)

7. “If you want to live your life in a creative way, as an artist, you have to not look back too much. You have to be willing to take whatever you’ve done and whoever you were and throw them away.” (Playboy, 1985)

8. “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.” (“The Innovation Secrets of Steve Jobs,” 2001)

9. ”My model for business is the Beatles. They were four guys who kept each other’s kind of negative tendencies in check. They balanced each other, and the total was greater than the sum of the parts. That’s how I see business: Great things in business are never done by one person. They’re done by a team of people.” (“60 Minutes,” 2003)

10. ”I would trade all my technology for an afternoon with Socrates.” (Newsweek, 2001)