Final+Assignment+by+P.A.D.

=//FINAL ASSIGNMENT PROPOSAL!!// =

We propose to implement the ability for cell phones to have voice activated technology to transcript verbal messages into a text message. Our idea came from the fact that text messaging while driving poses a dangerous problem to those on and off the roads. Further, it allows for those who are not technologically savy to be able to use the feature of text messaging easily. This idea advances the mobile phone to be more accessible by a wider range of users. Overall, it simplifies the task of text messaging. Our idea can easily relate to PACT. People are the users and are the ones who will solely benefit from this technological advancement. The activity of text messaging will be used more frequently and by a wider range of users due to its convenience. The context relates to the different environments that people rely to send messages in places where they cannot physically talk on the phone, for example in class. Additionally, it promotes a social environment. Technology has allowed people to be familiar with the use of cell phones and the ‘now’ generation are more dependent on text messaging due to the environments they are exposed to. This modification will aid in encouraging older generations to be more familiar with this idea of ‘text messaging.’ Society is always looking to improve technology, make it more user friendly and to bridge the gap between the current innovators and those who have surpassed us and may have missed out on the notion of current technology improvements. As society advances we are paralleling the idea that technology should follow.

**Resume**:
 * Andrea Cvijetic**, – andrea.cvijetic@utoronto.ca

Skills: - multitasking - creative - efficient - focused

Roles: - organizing our biweekly meeting - directing the direction of the write up - writing the introduction and conclusion of the write-up - the bibliography

- research skills - communication skills - editing skills - organization skills
 * Pinaz Farzadi**, pinaz.farzadi@utoronto.ca

Roles: - Gathering data - Editing the final project - Constantly collecting new information - Writing about the current technology


 * Darija Jovanovic**, darija.jovanovic@utoronto.ca

- team player - social skills - time management - productive

Roles: - background and history research - putting the whole project together ( ensure it flows and insure flow of the entire project) - putting in all the positive attributes to the technology - proof reading

Rules: - All three members must be present at the biweekly meetings - The whole project must be completed in 2 days in advance - All three group members must edit the final project - Three outside editors must be used as well - Every meeting we will attend the meeting with goals to be fulfilled

=PART B=

a) Statement of user study goals. What are the major questions you want answered regarding how users use the technology in question? About what they may want to see as an alternative? For our group assignment we have decided to find a safer and more convenient way to use cell phones, since they are such a huge part of everyday life. Our targeted audiences are people who own cell phones and drive on a regular basis. We would like to ask our respondents a series of questions that relate to cell phone usage, particularly while driving. This includes the different methods of communications and other distractions that may exist while driving. The major questions we want answered are:

1.What is the most frequent form of communication used on your cell phone (e-mail, text messaging, talking, etc) 2.What is the most distracting tool when driving?

3.What age groups are unfamiliar with the different forms of communication on a cell phone?

By finding out the answers to these questions we can then come to a conclusion and find a technological advancement to improve the current problem.

b) Provide notes on research methods considered to answer the questions noted above. Why these methods? Why not others? The methods that we are using are surveys that include //questionnaire’s//, //interviews// and //statistics//. The methods that are not beneficial to our research and we will __not__ be using are observations, case studies and experiments.
 * Questionnaire**
 * To get both qualitative and quantitative data: This benefits our research because researchers need to see if people in today’s society find the certain feature of cell phone problematic and therefore it is necessary to gain a variety of opinions, answering the specific questions needed.
 * It’s quick: The researcher does not have a great amount of time to do more complicated or specific research, therefore a questionnaire is beneficial.
 * It reaches a larger audience: The survey can help because the researcher gets a wide range of different opinions and results from the users.
 * Can be done in a group setting: we are able to do the research with an easily available audience.
 * Interviews**
 * Details and more in-depth information: We are capable of asking users more private questions, and based on the way they answer; ask further questions which can benefit our research.
 * "Does not allow the respondent to formulate an answer:" This benefits research due to the automatic response of the user, they are more likely to be honest because they do not have time to formulate a response which is more likely a societal norm (Plus & Minus of survey Methods).
 * Open ended questions are feasible: the researcher is able to elaborate on the question
 * Statistics**
 * Finding research on questions which benefit the researcher: This is important because researchers are capable of finding information which can support their research.
 * Proven research, based on large amounts of data: This is beneficial, because the research will be a collection of data that will stand behind our hypothesis, further it will better, explain and represent the data that will coincide with our research.

//Observations// Methods such as observations are less beneficial to this particular research, because it is difficult to observe what features people use on their cell phones, what they find problematic about the cell phone, and how often they use certain features.

//Case studies// Case studies forces on a smaller number of subjects over a longer period of time that provide a more in-depth qualitative data, then what is necessary for our research. Further, this would not be efficient but rather timely and costly. We need to gain more quantitative rather then qualitative information.

//Experiments// Experiments are unnecessary in our case, because experimental research seeks to create an environment that formulates research that observes users in a particular environment and watches for relationship among variables. We already have a set natural environment that we are working with that is ideal and unnecessary to adjust for the purpose of our research.

c) Are there any ethical issues that you may encounter? How will you address these?

Interviews can probe a major ethical issue as the interviewer can ask questions in a certain way to skew the respondents answer to support the interviewer’s research. Interviewer’s can also ask additional questions to respondents to gain more information about the issue rather than getting a general response. One way to address this problem is to have a certain number of standard questions that every respondent is asked. If the interviewer is not satisfied with the information provided they should have the option of asking is there are any other last minute thoughts the respondent wants the interviewer to note before the interview ends. Just as interviewers want their respondents to support their research, statistics can be manipulated to the interviewer’s benefit, which is unethical as well. For example, a researcher proposes that majority of High School violence is caused because of shootings. After gathering all the data, statistics might show that on a yearly basis 50 violent incidents take place at every High School. Statistics might also show that only 5 out of the 50 are shootings, thus not supporting the researcher’s hypothesis. Therefore, the researcher might manipulate the data and mention that there are 50 shootings that take place in High Schools every year. This conclusion provides the public with incorrect information and thus is unethical. To avoid this, our group has come up with a general topic of what we would like to formulate a solution for. We will not create a solution for a problem that may or may not exist. Thus only after we collect the data, the problem will be detected and a solution will be found. Additionally, asking certain types of hypothetical questions is unethical. For example if the interviewer asks the respondent what they would do about global warming if they were the President is not unethical. On the other hand, if the interviewer asks the respondent to note what they would do in a certain situation if they were a 20 year old female from Ethiopia, the interviewer would be asking an unethical question here. The only way our group is going to deal with this issue is by asking only the simplest forms of hypothetical questions, where users can relate to the situation from their past experiences.

d) Provide a copy of actual questions asked and procedures applied. Procedure: We are going to the University of Toronto Mississauga campus and giving out surveys to a random group of students. We will also be handing out similar questions to adults ages 40+, mainly parents of students. Then we will collect the surveys and evaluate the results. Here are some of the questions we would use to see what the issue students believe is most troubling with a cell phone.


 * How old are you?
 * Do you use a cell phone?
 * Do you valid driver’s license?
 * Are you an active driver?
 * How many times a week do you drive?
 * What’s the most distracting when you drive?
 * Do you have access to a Bluetooth?
 * How often?
 * Do you use the texting feature?
 * IF yes, How many times a day do you text message?
 * If no, then what other features do you use?
 * Is texting easier then talking on the phone?
 * If yes, in what environment?
 * What do you find most inconvenient about text messaging?
 * In the following environments what do you find yourself using most often, when communicating using a cell phone?
 * In the car(texting, e-mail, talking on the phone)
 * In the classroom (texting, e-mail, talking on the phone)
 * At work (texting, e-mail, talking on the phone)

Procedure #2: We are also going to be using research and statistics found online to help answer the following questions. The research on the following questions will help us determine if text messaging is really a societal concern. The age of users getting into accident due to cell phone usage?
 * How often do people get in accidents from cell phone usage?
 * What other distractions cause accidents?

**Bibliography** "Business Survey Methods." __The Balanced Scorecard__. 2009. 02 March 2009  "Plus & Minus of survey Methods." Research Methods Knowledge Base. 20 November 2006. 02 March 2009. 

