SOFTWARE FOR ASSESSING COMPUTER USAGE SKILLS

DESCRIPTION: Accurate functional assessment of a user's abilities is a key component of successful computer access interventions. Continued development of an easy-to-use software tool is proposed for measuring users' skills in various kinds of computer interaction, including motor actions, perceptual activities, and cognitive activities. This tool will help practitioners diagnose difficulties with an existing interface, evaluate and compare the expected performance with candidate access systems, plan training interventions, track changes in a user's abilities over time, and measure the overall effectiveness of an intervention. In Phase I, we successfully designed, developed, and evaluated a working prototype for the computerized assessment of keyboard and pointing input skills. Phase II will expand the system to incorporate other skill families, such as switch use, and additional features based on feedback from Phase I evaluators. By the end of Phase II, we will have market-ready systems for both the Macintosh and Windows computer platforms. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION: Not Available