Enda Finn

Universal Design in Education

Workshop Paper: “Embedding Universal Design at the core of a Computing Degree programme: key challenges faced and lessons learned.”

Enda Finn works as a Lecturer in the Department of Computing & Mathematics at Dundalk Institute of Technology. Having worked for a number of years as a software developer in GUI design, he has over 20 years of experience in Third Level Education specialising in HCI, Usability, Human Factors and Universal Design and has developed and delivered modules at Honours Degree and Masters level endeavouring to link them to commercial R&D.

He is also involved in the development and delivery of student project modules in the third and fourth year of Degree programmes in Computing in particular Games Development. He has helped pioneer a Team Project model which combines state of the art development tools for advanced 3D games prototyping and agile software process management. Using a multi-disciplinary approach, incorporating User-Centered Design techniques and Universal Design in particular, two of these game prototypes have recently had success in both national and international student project design competitions [Finn et al. 2014].

His research interests are in the areas of Usability and Well-being Enhancing Technologies and together with research colleagues at Satakunta University of Applied Sciences in Pori, Finland, he has helped manage the development of innovative computer games within this “serious games” area [Merilampi at al. 2014, Kiili at al. 2014]

As part of maintaining up-to-date and relevant programmes in Computing, he has championed the development of a Universal Design project module that will be taken by all Computing Degree students in third year. Enda is a passionate advocate for the design of computing apps, games and services that are focused on the broadest range of users and that can deliver the full potential of advanced technologies and interaction capabilities to provide a satisfying and appropriate user experience.

References

Finn E., Sirkka A., Merilampi S., Leino M., Koivisto A., (2014) “Exploring interactive gameplay for well-being enhancement”  Journal of Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences, No 3 (2014), available online at http://www.uasjournal.fi/index.php/uasj/article/view/1599/1523

Merilampi S., Sirkka A., Leino M., Koivisto A., Finn E. (2014) “Cognitive mobile games for memory impaired older adults”  Journal of Assistive Technologies, Vol. 8, No. 4, pp. 207-223.

Kiili K., Ketamo H., Koivisto A., Finn E., (2014) “Studying the User Experience of a Tablet Based Math Game” International Journal of Game-Based Learning, Vol. 4, No. 1, pp. 60-77, January-March 2014.