Keyboard Design for Pre-School Children

(1)

Keyboard Design for Pre-School Children

by

Alyssa Izzati Binti Amir Hamzah

Dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the

Bachelor ofTechnology (Hons) (Information & Communication Technology)

MAY2011

Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS Bandar Seri Iskandar

31750 Tronoh Perak Darul Ridzuan

(2)

Approved by,

CERTIFICATION OF APPROVAL

Keyboard Design for Pre-School Children

by

Alyssa Izzati Binti Amir Hamzah

A project dissertation submitted to the Computer Information Science Programme

Universtiti Teknologi PETRONAS in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the

Bachelor ofTechnology (Hons) (Information & Communication Technology)

UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI PETRONAS TRONOH, PERAK

MAY2011

I

(3)

CERTIFICATION OF ORIGINALITY

This is to certify that I am responsible for the work submitted in this project, that the original work is my own except as specified in the references and acknowledgements, and that the original work contained herein have been undertaken or done by unspecified sources or persons.

ALYSSA IZZATI BINTI AMIR HAMZAH

11

(4)

ABSTRACT

Computers are being used by children as a learning instrument at an incredibly young age. Many children embark on the adventure of using the keyboard while still pre literate and unfamiliar with the keyboard. Due to this reason they are unable to interpret the conventional keyboard configuration or the symbolic representations used on the keyboard. This would result the child to use up a significant amount of time locating the keys and correcting unintended strokes which may lead to frustration. Thus, the conventional computer keyboard design for adults is not suitably or exclusively designed for the young user. The research is concentrated to design a computer keyboard which is 'more suitable for young children. To carry out the study, the research methodology used for the project would be the Iterated Waterfall Model. The effects of color in the visual preferences of pre-school children is examined in a series of experiments conducted with kindergarten and elementary school students in Malaysia. The results from the experiments are that children prefer intense colors such as red, blue and yellow. The study also adds if larger font of the characters would aid the pre-literate children in recognizing, identifying and distinguishing characters on the computer keyboard. Apart from that, as children does not fully utilize all the keys on the keyboard, it may be more reasonable to remove certain keys on the keyboard to help children identifying and distinguishing the characters on the keyboard better. The results of the study concluded that children's learning curve is expedited when color, font size and utilization of keys are put into prospect in the design of the computer keyboard.

111

(5)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This dissertation would not have been possible without the guidance and the help of several individuals who in one way or another contributed and extended their valuable assistance in the preparation and completion of this study.

First and foremost, my utmost gratitude to Assoc Prof Dr Wan Fatimah Wan Ahmad, whose sincerity and encouragement I will never forget. Dr Wan Fatimah has been my inspiration as I hurdle all the obstacles in the completion this research work.

The students and children from various kindergartens around the Petaling Jaya area that participated in the survey and the study.

The Administrators of the Faculty of Computer and Science Department of Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, for their untiring effort in encouraging the students to pursue professional growth. Likewise the staff of the Dean's Office for their relaying every communication sent in my behalf.

Last but not the least, my family and the one above us all, the omnipresent Allah, for answering my prayers for giving me the strength to plod on despite my constitution wanting to give up and throw in the towel, thank you so much Allah.

IV

(6)

2.6

Touch Keyboarding 2.7 Usability Test

CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY

3 .I Research Methodology and Tools Required 3.1.1 Development Life Cycle

3.2 Project Activities 3.2.1 Work Plan

3.3 Key Milestones and Key Performance Indicator (KPI) 3.4 Gantt chart

CHAPTER 4 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 4.1 Color

4.2 Font Size 4.3 Discussion 4.4 Usability Test

4.4.1 Introduction 4.4.2 Session 4.4.3 Results

CHAPTER 5 CONCLUSION 5.1 Conclusion

5.2 Recommendation REFERENCE

vi

13 15 17 19 20 23

26

42 42 43 43 45 45 46 48 51 51 51 52 59 59 60

62

(8)

List of Figures

Figure 1.1: Error-Free Zone Depicted by Kuhlenschmidt (1997) Figure 2.1: Lists the Contributing Factors (Sassoon R, 1993)

Figure 2.2: Typewriter Patent Drawing, Featuring the QWERTY Keyboard Figure 2.3: Reasons for the Supremacy of the QWERTY Keyboard (Noyes,

1998)

Figure 2.4: Dvorak Simplified Keyboard (DSK) Figure 2.5: Colemak Keyboard Layout

Figure 2.6: Ornamental Children Keyboard Design by Paloyan et al (1995) Figure 2.7: Computer Keyboard Design by Giles (2007)

Figure 2.8: FunKeyBoard Design by TinyEinsteins

Figure 2.9: Benefits ofTouch Typing (Tactus Keyboard Corporation, 2002) Figure 3.1: Iterated Waterfall Model

Figure 3.2: Recommended Colors

Figure 3.3: The Seven Different Font Sizes to be Tested Figure 3.4: Conventional Font Size on Keyboard (26 pt) Figure 3.5: Proposed Font Size on Keyboard (82pt) Figure 3.6: Project Gantt Chart

Figure 3.7: Project Gantt Chart for FYP2 Figure 4.1: Children's Color Preference Chart

Figure 4.2: The number of children each font size was chosen Figure 4.3: Color-Coded Keys for Touch Typing

Figure 4.4: Finger Positioning on the Home Row

Figure 4.5: Prototype design of the keyboard for pre-school children vii

3 8 10 12 12 14 16 16 17 22 26 29 30 31 31 43 44 45 47 48 49 50

(9)

(10)

(11)

(12)

(13)

(14)

(15)

(16)

(17)

(18)

(19)

(20)

(21)

(22)

(23)

(24)

(25)

(26)

(27)

(28)

(29)

(30)

(31)

(32)

(33)

(34)

(35)

(36)

(37)

(38)

(39)

(40)

(41)

(42)

(43)

(44)

(45)

(46)

(47)

(48)

(49)

(50)

(51)

(52)

(53)

(54)

(55)

(56)

(57)

(58)

(59)

(60)

(61)

(62)

(63)

(64)

(65)

(66)

(67)

(68)

(69)

(70)

(71)

(72)

(73)

(74)

(75)

(76)

(77)

Keyboard Design for Pre-School Children

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Contents

2.6

26

26

26

62