Wow, Fab and Cool!!! (Clicker 4)

Member Name: LEIGHWHARTON

Product:	Clicker 4
Date:	28/11/01 (276 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: See op

Disadvantages: See op

Essentially Clicker 4 is an on-screen keyboard. It has both synthesized and digitised speech. The program has two parts. It has a voiced word processor with a voiced spell checker that can display pictures, graphics and symbols. - TAKEN FROM THE CLICKER 4 WEBSITE


Design Guidelines

Screen layout and Ease of use

The screen layout is uncluttered and is clear. It has a easy layout that is simple to use. . Data throughout the program is constant so this would be good for a person who has had some sort of head trauma or memory loss. . Locations of the menu buttons are predictable, constant and all of the buttons are in sequence. For a person without a sensory or motor disability it is very easy to use.

Use of Color

The use of colour is brilliant. The software allows you to change the background, to suit the user's visual needs. There are onscreen coloured grids are easily accessed, using mouse, keyboard, touch window or switch (es).

User designed preferences

Clicker 4 allows you to set a time delay to allow you to set a time for the target audience and it allows you to set the speed of the scanning feature. This package allows you to give error messages on the screen. The control of the image size allows the optimum enlargement to be selected. You can save all of the users workbook, which saves all of the text size, font and screen size. The system cursors can also be changed to suit the user.


Navigation and Manipulation

Clicker 4 is a not difficult to navigate because all of the icons are large and not confusing, you get use to them they are no problem. The user is able to scan and select with the use of switches. The same can also be said for when the data are displayed on screen. Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia you are able to return to the main menu without encountering any problems. This software package makes it obvious where to go- after each article is read.
The navigation skills that users learned when using this program were evident later on when using other software, according to: -http://www.cricksoft.com/reviews/teem_reviews.htm
This piece of software enables the users to navigate to all of its features naturally and easily. The icons in the menu make it obvious where to go, without any fuss.


Easy of Reading

This package avoids complex screen layouts so it does not look and feel complicated. Clicker 4 does not have any flashing screen that is unpleasant for you, the user to look at. The icons can be adjusted to suit the person so this means that it would be comfortable for the user. The screen is customizable in size. The icons on the toolbar / menu contain individual objects and they are also named when the cursor goes over them.


Auditory information cues

Please see layout and combination of sound, text and pictures below.


Compatibility with technologies

Clicker 4 is compatible with many different types of technologies. These technologies include the following access tools that users can access Clicker 4 in the following ways:

Mouse or Trackball
Keyboard
Touch screen
Single Switch
Multiple Switches

Documentation and Help Facilities

There is a 400 page booklet / manual that comes with this package, which includes matrix tables which can be imputed and saved in this package. This booklet / manual is aimed at teacher's, parents, and IT specialized rather than the target audience it is aimed at. There is a help facility included in this has a section that is aimed at teacher's, parents etc, rather than the target audience.


Multimedia Features

Layout and combination of sound, text and pictures.

Suitability for target audience

Age Range

I would recommend that this package would have no age range. This is because any person with a physical o
r learning disability would benefit for it. This is because this package allows a person to complete written work and it would allow them to express themselves.

Ability Range / Able or Disabled

I would recommend that the ability range who be for a person with a learning disability, for example a person with a condition like cerebral palsy and Down syndrome. This is because In Clicker 4, practically anything you can do with a mouse, can be done with a switch.

I would give this packahe 10 out of ten

Summary: