Reading Response for 10/7/2024
de Medeiros Braz, Leonara, et al. “Participatory design of technology for inclusive education: A case study.” International Conference on Universal Access in Human-Computer Interaction. Springer, Cham, 2017 (Drive or NYU Library)
This paper gives a brief overview of participatory design and how it can be used to make technology more accessible to both teachers and students. TUI’s are amazing devices to teach complex problems because they utilize multiple senses for user engagement. However, if you do not involve all stakeholders in the design process results can be biased. The paper presents examples that showcase how combining participatory design with low tech (emerging technology) TUI’s can produce learning solutions that can be used by students with different backgrounds. Once this is implemented correctly and tested with all stakeholders it can be adapted to facilitate effective learning.
Costanza-Chock, Sasha. Design Justice, Chapter 2: “Nothing about us without us” (NYU Library or Drive )
The goal of this book is to propose discourse based on pay inequality and the shortcomings that design as a business has historically held. Chapter 2 investigates the lack of representation, inclusivity, and discrimination against minorities and people with disabilities. It then offers solutions to how design can be reimagined to support long-term change.
One takeaway.
The Makey Makey’s (physical computing boards) mentioned in the reading are incredibly effective TUI’s. Makey Makey’s should be introduced to students' parents early to facilitate student learning in a participatory design way.
In this chapter's PD section, the author outlines methods and systems for designing for the most vulnerable end users. This approach, when executed correctly, yields some of the most efficient products, presenting design from a leadership perspective. However, it also underscores the necessity of including the people you are designing for on the design team, as it is impossible to adequately create efficient solutions without their input. This highlights the potential power of PD in creating efficient solutions.
Connection to a real-world example.
I have a bit of experience using Makey Makey’s and Circuit Playground’s with students and have seen how transformative these tools can be. In my experience, allowing students free time to tinker and try things out on their own is where the most beneficial learning happens.
Near the end of chapter 2, the author discusses the importance of not reinventing the wheel and how plenty of designers and technologists try to create new projects without researching what companies and programs already exist. I have been guilty of this exact example. In thinking that I had come up with an innovative approach to solving a community problem, I later realized that similar solutions already existed.
Burning question(s)
What community design projects have you engaged in, and what were some of the pitfalls? In what ways could you have addressed these projects using a co-design approach?