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The MultiReader Project took off in January 2001 and will last until January 2004. Its methodology is an excellent example of a "Design for All" approach: a set of multimodal interfaces will be designed that will meet the needs of all users, not only print disabled users. The project follows an iterative user-centred design lifecycle, with users highly involved in the developments of the project at all stages of the work. It represents what can be achieved with user-pull rather than technology-push; with disabled users first, rather than disabled users as an afterthought.
The actual work is divided into 11 workpackages, each with its own specific tasks and objectives:
Start date/end date: month 1/month 36.
Expected results: the effective and efficient progression of the MultiReader
Project.
The MultiReader consortium consists of a multi-national, multi-disciplinary
team, so an effective
and proactive project management structure is vital. The project is lead by
an overall Project Co-ordinator, who is responsible for the smooth day-to-day
running of the entire project. There are two levels of management: the Management
Board, which takes the major decisions in the project, and the Workpackage
Board which organises the technical work within each workpackage.
Start date/end date: month 1/month 6.
Expected results: the development of a common understanding of reading and
navigational requirements of the different target user groups.
This workpackage undertakes an analysis of current knowledge of reading requirements
for different user groups. There is already a considerable body of knowledge
in this area. The work contains literature review, consultation with print
disability experts and specifying user requirements.
Deliverable(s)
D2.1 Report on user requirements
Start date/end date: month 1/month 36.
Expected results: to obtain timely feed forward and feedback information such
that the project will be able to maintain a highly user-centred approach to
all its developments.
In this workpackage the research results from workpackage 2 are assessed by the User Panels and a Special Interest Group (of multimedia content providers, software and hardware developers and other interested parties). Both User Panels and Special Interest Group are considered part of the design process. Not only are they involved in several workpackages throughout the project; all stages of the development of the MultiReader system are discussed with them. Thus a rapid iteration of the design of the system, as well as a fuller iteration, takes place within the lifetime of the project.
Start date/end date: month 1/month 18.
Expected results: a thorough understanding of the navigational problems in
using information and a set of proposals for navigational support mechanisms
for print disabled readers.
This workpackage contains the analysis of navigational problems in print and other media. It also contains the analysis of current navigational support offered to print readers. The information is used for the development and evaluation of new navigational support systems, for both mainstream and print disabled readers and multimedia reading systems. As a result it provides the functional specifications of the MultiReader navigational support systems.
Start date/end date: month 3/month 12.
Expected results: conceptual models that permit the required level of interaction
by each group of users with the various information types.
Using information from earlier workpackages, this workpackage generates a
matrix that relates content, users, tasks and situations (language and culture).
At a conceptual level a representational model is developed. This model identifies
what information needs to be captured and how it has to be represented to
permit the required degree of interaction. The development of a user interaction
model with a number of interfaces runs in parallel.
Start date/end date: month 3/month 18.
Expected results: generic models (both for documents and navigation) and the
specific document models for the document types that are in the project.
This workpackage investigates how structured documents can be used to address
the problems that have been identified in workpackages 2 and 4. The first
task addresses the document (text) model.
In this model the needs of the different users need to be incorporated, as
well as the way in which documents will be used. The second task addresses
the navigation problems. For the design of both generic models, the Extensible
Mark-up Language (XML) and some of the related standards (SMIL, Xlink and
Xpointer) are used.
Start date/end date: month 13/month 30.
Expected results: the documents for the evaluation phase.
To verify the concepts from an earlier part of the project, it is necessary
to produce a quantity of documents that are of interest to the participants
to be involved in evaluations. This workpackage establishes the methodology
for the creation of the documents and their production through the remainder
of the project. First an initial production of documents, conform with the
generic models developed in workpackages 5 and 6, takes place. Throughout
the evaluation phase of the project, the production of documents gets continuous.
This is necessary to maintain the interest of the users.
Start date/end date: month 6/month 24.
Expected results: the rapid prototypes, their evaluation and the functional
specification of the actual systems to be developed in workpackage 9.
The work is divided in two tasks. The first task specifies and develops the
rapid prototypes in order to test some of the ideas and early results of the
workpackages 4, 5, and 6. The second task specifies the functionalities of
the full implementations of the MultiReader system. It takes into account
the results obtained from the other workpackages and the evaluation of the
rapid
prototype, earlier in this workpackage.
Start date/end date: month 19/month 33.
Expected results: the implementation of the MultiReader system.
The generic document model, as developed in workpackage 6, is implemented
using an XML parser. It generates a document structure which can be navigated
as specified in workpackage 8. Depending on the required navigation mechanism,
appropriate browsing techniques are implemented, using keyboard, voice and/or
pointing devices as input. The effect of learning the
user interface has to be taken into account by introduction of reading facilities:
the MultiReader Document Reading System. The stereotypes 'beginner', 'advanced'
and 'expert' are considered at first.
Start date/end date: month 27/month 36.
Expected results: an understanding of the effectiveness, usability and accessibility
of the MultiReader systems and recommendations for further developments which
might be needed.
This workpackage plans, undertakes and analyses the results of the assessment
and evaluation of the MultiReader system with end users. Therefore, a range
of different methodologies are envisaged: observational studies of people
reading with the system, small experimental studies in which readers are asked
to undertake the key tasks and a diary study of the longitudinal use of the
system. Appropriate training materials and procedures to introduce readers
to the MultiReader will be developed and piloted on small numbers of typical
readers. For evaluation purposes, representative samples of readers from the
different target groups will be recruited in the different countries participating.
During the evaluation period, they will be asked to undertake a variety of
evaluation tasks.
Start date/end date: month 6/month 24.
Expected results: to develop a Dissemination/Use Plan and Technology Implementation
Plan
for the exploitation of the results of the MultiReader project.
There are several tasks in this workpackage. One is to monitor developments
in multimedia, the World Wide Web and Ebook technologies. An other one is
one to influence the development of standard for multimedia books by joining
the OpenEBook Forum and participating in the DAISY Consortium. Also important
is the dissemination of relevant information about the project to industry,
academia and to the target user groups (particularly the disabled user groups).
Last but not least, a consultancy service is formed, to advise multimedia
developers and content providers on enhancing the usability and accessibility
of their products. A series of Technology Implementation Plans are used to
constantly assess and concretise the best options for the exploitations of
the results of the project.
Deliverables
D11.1 Dissemination and use plan[ Home | Objectives | Work in progress | Partners | Links ]
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