International interest in the use of assistive and ambient information and communication technologies to support people with a range of cognitive impairments is growing rapidly. Autism spectrum disorders ASDs, which affect social skills, communicative abilities and behavior, are of particular interest. The number of diagnosed cases has continued to grow in recent decades, and the impairments associated with ASDs mean individuals affected are at risk of social isolation and marginalization. Although helping people with autism to overcome their difficulties has always required the joint expertise of various fields, the widely shared
Assistive Technology (AT) is the term used to describe products or technology-based services which support those with disabilities or other limitations to their daily activities, enabling them to enjoy a better quality of life. This book presents the proceedings of the 13th European Conference on the Advancement of Assistive Technology (AAATE 2015), held in Budapest, Hungary in September 2015. This biennial conference has established itself as a leading forum in the transdisciplinary area of Assistive Technology, providing a unique platform for the gathering of experts from around the world to review progress and challenges in the interdisciplinary fields which contribute to AT, such as research, development, manufacturing, supply, provision and policy. The theme of the 2015 conference is 'Attracting new areas and building bridges', and this book contains 138 reviewed papers and 28 poster presentations delivered at the conference, covering AT themes as diverse as aging, blindness, mobility, assisted living and accessibility for people with dementia and cognitive impairment. Offering a current overview of many aspects of AT, this book will be of interest to all those – from researchers and manufacturers to healthcare professionals and end-users – whose work or daily life involves the relationship between technology and disability.
International interest in the use of assistive and ambient information and communication technologies to support people with a range of cognitive impairments is growing rapidly. Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), which affect social skills, communicative abilities and behavior, are of particular interest. The number of diagnosed cases has continued to grow in recent decades, and the impairments associated with ASDs mean individuals affected are at risk of social isolation and marginalization. Although helping people with autism to overcome their difficulties has always required the joint expertise of various fields, the widely shared view is that innovative ICT may hold the key to more efficient support and intervention in the near future. This book summarizes the results and conclusions of HANDS, an international research and development project supported by the 7th Framework Programme of the European Commission. The aim of the HANDS project was to develop and test a smartphone-based cognitive support system for intellectually able young people with ASDs, with a focus on use in secondary school environments. The results presented here include the HANDS system: a partly mobile, partly web-based cognitive support system based on principles of Persuasive Design; a unique multi-mode research methodology, applying both various quantitative and qualitative techniques to test the applicability and efficiency of the system; an exploration of relevant conceptual issues from the point of view of Persuasive Design and its philosophical foundations; a mapping of key ethical issues related to developing and applying mobile ICT for individuals with autism and other cognitive impairments. The experiences of teachers who implemented the system in school environments are also summarized. These results can be seen as snapshots of an evolutionary process, but the conclusions drawn here are significant for future developments with mobile assistive technology for people with ASD, as well as for other conditions. The book will be of interest to professionals working with young people with ASD, human-computer interaction professionals, as well as others working in the broader field of mobile assistive technology.
Advances in the engineering of sensing and acting capabilities, distributed in a wide range of specialized devices nowadays, provide an opportunity for the fundamental advances in computer science made in the past few decades to impact our daily lives. Sensors/actuators deployed in a physical space – a house, an office, a classroom, a car, a street – facilitate a link between an automated decision-making system and a technologically-enriched space. The Intelligent Environment, a digital environment that supports people in their daily lives, is a very active area of research which is attracting an increasing number of professionals (both in academia and industry) worldwide. The prestigious 10th International Conference on Intelligent Environments (IE’14) is focused on the development of advanced Intelligent Environments and stimulates the discussion on several specific topics that are crucial to the future of the area. This volume is the combined proceedings of the workshops co-located with IE’14: 9th Workshop on Artificial Intelligence Techniques for Ambient Intelligence (AITAmI’14); 2nd International Workshop on Applications of Affective Computing in Intelligent Environments (ACIE’14); 3rd edition of the Workshop on Future Intelligent Educational Environments (WOFIEE’14); 2nd Workshop on Cloud-of-Things 2014 (CoT’14); 3rd International Workshop on the Reliability of Intelligent Environments (WoRIE 2014); 4th Workshop on Creative Science 2014 (CS’14); and 1st Workshop on Hyperrealistic Intelligent Environments 2014 (HyperRealitIE’14). This book offers an overview of the latest developments in key areas of the development of Intelligent Environments.
Intelligent Environments (IE) play an increasingly important role in many areas of our lives, including education, healthcare and the domestic environment. The term refers to physical spaces incorporating pervasive computing technology used to achieve specific goals for the user, the environment or both. This book presents the proceedings of the workshops of the 9th International Conference on Intelligent Environments (IE ‘13), held in Athens, Greece, in July 2013. The workshops which were presented in the context of this conference range from regular lectures to practical sessions. They provide a forum for scientists, researchers and engineers from both industry and academia to engage in discussions on newly emerging or rapidly evolving topics in the field. Topics covered in the workshops include artificial intelligence techniques for ambient intelligence; applications of affective computing in intelligent environments; smart offices and other workplaces; intelligent environment technology in education for creative learning; museums as intelligent environments; the application of intelligent environment technologies in the urban context for creating more sociable, intelligent cities and for constructing urban intelligence. IE can enrich user experience, better manage the environment’s resources, and increase user awareness of that environment. This book will be of interest to all those whose work involves the application of intelligent environments.
With emerging trends such as the Internet of Things, sensors and actuators are now deployed and connected everywhere to gather information and solve problems, and such systems are expected to be trustworthy, dependable and reliable under all circumstances. But developing intelligent environments which have a degree of common sense is proving to be exceedingly complicated, and we are probably still more than a decade away from sophisticated networked systems which exhibit human-like thought and intelligent behavior. This book presents the proceedings of four workshops and symposia: the 4th International Workshop on Smart Offices and Other Workplaces (SOOW’15); the 4th International Workshop on the Reliability of Intelligent Environments (WoRIE’15); the Symposium on Future Intelligent Educational Environments and Learning 2015 (SOFIEEe’15); and the 1st immersive Learning Research Network Conference (iLRN’15). These formed part of the 11th International Conference on Intelligent Environments, held in Prague, Czech Republic, in July 2015, which focused on the development of advanced, reliable intelligent environments, as well as newly emerging and rapidly evolving topics. This overview of and insight into the latest developments of active researchers in the field will be of interest to all those who follow developments in the world of intelligent environments.
What is working in education in the UK - and what isn't? This book offers a highly readable guide to what the latest research says about improving young people's outcomes in pre-school, primary and secondary education. Never has this issue been more topical as the UK attempts to compete in the global economy against countries with increasingly educated and skilled work-forces. The book discusses whether education policy has really been guided by the evidence, and explores why the failings of Britain's educational system have been so resistant to change, as well as the success stories that have emerged. Making a Difference in Education looks at schooling from early years to age 16 and entry into Further Education, with a special focus on literacy, numeracy and IT. Reviewing a large body of research, and paying particular attention to findings which are strong enough to guide policy, the authors examine teacher performance, school quality and accountability, and the problematically large social gap that still exists in state school education today. Each chapter concludes with a summary of key findings and key policy requirements. As a comprehensive research review, Making a Difference in Education should be essential reading for faculty and students in education and social policy, and of great interest to teachers and indeed to anyone who wants to know about the effectiveness of UK education policy and practice, and where they should be going.
The increasingly pervasive use of digital technology has catapulted society into an interconnected world where the natural boundaries between humankind and machine, virtual and real, individual and community have become less perceptible. As individuals interact with different digital technologies, they must build a digital intelligence, which must be further cultivated as it is a key competency for the future of school and work. Digital intelligence includes understanding the mutual strengths between people and technology, as well as developing an awareness in the use of digital tools in order to avoid common threats such as cyberbullying, addiction to video games, techno-stress, and more. As adolescents continue to engage with virtual reality and 3D virtual worlds where the online and offline overlap and coincide, it is important to build this intelligence as well as utilize these technologies to promote successful learning. The Handbook of Research on Teaching With Virtual Environments and AI explores the new personalized educational opportunities that are available with digital technology and virtual environments that can be used within education. This book focuses on the use of these tools and how to navigate the use of new technologies such as AI and virtual environments for educational practices. While highlighting topics such as virtual worlds, game-based learning, intelligent tutoring, augmented reality, and more, this book is ideal for teachers, administrators, technologists, educational software developers, IT specialists, practitioners, researchers, academicians, and students interested in how virtual environments and AI are being implemented in teaching practices.
This volume analyzes recent technological breakthroughs in aiding children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Chapters offer practical guidance in such areas as assessment, treatment planning, and collaborative intervention. The book also presents findings on hardware and software innovations and emphasizes their effectiveness in clinical practices that are targeted to specific cognitive, social, academic and motor skill areas. In addition, it describes promising new deficit-reducing and skill-enhancing technologies on the horizon. Featured topics include: Developing and supporting the writing skills of individuals with ASD through assistive technologies. The ways in which visual organizers may support executive function, abstract language comprehension and social learning. Do-as-I’m-doing situations involving video modeling and autism. The use of technology to facilitate personal, social and vocational skills in youth with ASD. Evidence-based instruction for students with ASD. The use of mobile technology to support community engagement and independence. Technology and Treatment of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder is an essential resource for clinicians and related professionals as well as researchers and graduate students across such disciplines as child and school psychology, rehabilitation medicine, educational technology, occupational therapy, speech pathology and social work.
The ageing population of Europe is a well-documented phenomenon and there is general agreement that it has serious implications for all European citizens as well as for policymakers and politicians. The current paradigm of caring for elderly citizens in residential homes is becoming untenable and it is also unpopular with many elderly people themselves. New ways of caring which engage and empower older adults more actively, and are also more cost-effective, must be found.The four-year DREAMING elDeRly-friEndly Alarm handling and MonitorING project carried out randomized controlled trials across six pilot sites to assess the impact
