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List:       kde-edu
Subject:    Re: [kde-edu]: KDE-Edu StyleGuide - Structure
From:       arnold.kraschinski () t-online ! de (arnold)
Date:       2002-08-17 10:30:58
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Hello Michael,

I think your list is good. Where do you want to collect and present the 
results?


> 1) Introduction
> 	- Why a Styleguide for Edu-Apps?
	
I think there shouldn't be too much guidelines because educational 
applications aren't an operating system. If a system has a style this makes 
sense. It is different with educational applications. If they all look the 
same it might be boring. I think different looks would be more interesting.

> 	- Terminology
>
> 2) Basics
> 	- What is Edutainment?

I don't like this word because there is entertainmet in it. It seems to me 
that this word pretends that you can learn without doing something. That the 
learner could be passive. Whereas learning theorie shows that it is an active 
process. It is often hard work. But it is work that can be fun too.

> 	- Target Groups (children, schools, adults)
> 	- Special Requirements on Edu-Apps
> 		- Didactics

Should be discussed for each application. I tried this for KBruch on 8.8.02. 
When I wrote this I didn't only want to make a list of possible exercises, a 
feature request. It should be the way of learning. Maybe this wasn't clear 
enough.
If fractions are invented in school you work with concrete objects like parts 
of fruits or chewing gums or with other real things. Computers cannot help in 
this step. (I hope that teachers don't make experiences like: Hey teacher, I 
have a fraction here. Do you want to see the half of my keyboard?)
The next step would be the graphical representation of the real objects. For 
this step exercises are possible. Like pictures of fruits, cakes, circles, 
rectangles where the pupil has to say what part of the object can be seen.
At the end are the abstract operations with fractions as a number without a 
corresponding representation as part of a real object. Most of the exercises 
will belong to this step like +, - ... and expressions with fractions.

Didactical concepts would help to find what kind of exercises should be 
included in the programs.

> 		- Visuals
> 		- Sound

If it is an application that is intended for schools it should be possible to 
use the application without sound. And the application should still be 
interesting if the sound is switched off. It sounds like an amusement arcade 
if fifteen computers have different sounds and you do not have enough 
earphones. 

> 		- Gameplay



> 3) User Interface
> 	- General (different modes, mode-switching,...)
> 	- Children-Apps
> 		- System (kicker, taskbar, special-accounts, fullscreen,....)
> 		- Windows (sizes, resolutions, menubars, toolbars, dialogs, splash,....)
> 		- Colours (default-kdedu-scheme?, general recommendations)
> 		- Fonts (sizes, styles,...)
> 		- Images and Animations
> 		- Menus (simplified, special menu-structure-standard,....)
> 		- Buttons (special widgets,...)
> 		- Input (keyboard/mouse usage, simplifications?, special
> mouse-pointers...) - Feedback (visual, acoustic,....)
> 	- Adult-Apps
> 		- similar, but probably fewer points, than in Children-Apps
>
> 4) The kdeedu-Library
> 		- Introduction
> 		- UI-Elements (widgets,...)
> 		- Reward-System (kfeeder,...)

KFeeder is something that is more interesting for younger children. For older 
ones maybe puzzles wouls be interesting. With a correct solution on more 
piece is displayed. It should be easy to use new pictures for such a thing so 
that the teacher or the pupils can easily scan photos of an actual pop group 
or stars of soap operas and use them in the program.


> 		- Scoring-System
> 		- ..... (?)
>
>
> Of course we have to talk / find an agreement about all the
> details/answers..... But what do you think about the structure in general?
>
> servus,
> Michael
> _______________________________________________
> kde-edu mailing list
> kde-edu@mail.kde.org
> http://mail.kde.org/mailman/listinfo/kde-edu

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