Accessible Test

Flip-Over Concept Books

(Continued)




Purpose

To provide young children with an interactive tactile book series that encourages the development and understanding of basic concepts and tactile skills related to shape, texture, spatial concepts, etc.

Project Staff

Karen J. Poppe, Tactile Graphics Project Leader

Monica Vaught, Research Assistant

Tom Poppe, Pattern/Model Maker

David McGee, Manufacturing Specialist

Bisig Impact Group, Logo Design/Information Sheet Layout

Background

In April 2006, the project leader submitted a formal proposal to develop a series of interactive tactile/print books to encourage young children's development and understanding of basic concepts related to shape, texture, spatial concepts, counting, etc. Inspired by recommendations from the Early Books Focus Group, which met at APH in June 2004, these books will address the group's specific requests for both "concept books" as well as "inexpensive, simple books for children 3- to 5-years of age." A decade has passed since the introduction of Tactile Treasures, an APH product that provides static worksheets for the review of basic concepts and general exposure to tactile graphics. Unlike Tactile Treasures, the Flip-Over Concept Books incorporate an interactive feature whereby the child independently flips pages or adjacent print/tactile panels that can be matched or sequenced. The panels turn so that, for instance, the child can find all the panels that have a rough texture, continue a line path, complete a sequence, build an image, etc. Additional skills targeted include page turning, fine motor skills, independent choice-making, and problem-solving. The product idea was officially approved for development by the Product Advisory Review Committee (PARC).

In January 2007, the project leader conducted a "Brainstorming" Product Development Committee (PDC) meeting to familiarize a wider APH audience with the product and explore design options. The project leader stressed the goals of making the books full-color, tactile, and durable. Although the primary goal of the project was to develop a new series of tactile/print books, a secondary goal emerged: To explore a new process for printing and registering print and tactile parts minus the in-house, labor-intensive, and costly process of screen printing. In lieu of screen printing, wide-format printing in combination with thermoforming became the project staff's new challenge. If successful, the implications of this process could be far-reaching and open new possibilities for the design and production of future dual-format products.
Throughout the first and second quarters of FY 2007, the project leader was engaged in the design of two selected Flip-Over Concept Books—PARTS OF A WHOLE and LINE PATHS. Specific tasks related to the prototype development of each included:

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  Selecting and creating original drawings to include in each book
  
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  Working with the Model/Pattern Maker to determine tactile counterparts for all print images
  
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  Utilizing a CorelDraw template, created by the Manufacturing Specialist, to plot the print images and assign high contrast colors
  
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  Selecting ideal materials for the panels and back and front covers
  
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  Experimenting with wide-format printing capabilities both in-house and outside vendors
  
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  Planning the eventual construction/assembly of the books for mass production (e.g., die designs, twin-loop binding procedure, needed production fixtures)
  
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  Purchase of non-skid material to affix to back covers of the books
  

By the end of July, prototype development was approaching an end—all visual artwork was readied, thermoform masters were complete, and accompanying documentation was authored. The remaining task was to fully test the wide-format printing and thermoforming of the panels which, by that time, was determined to be a flat-bed, wide-format printer to prevent slippage of the heavy-weight vinyl as it was being printed, allowing exact alignment between the printed and tactile elements.
Because of the additional time needed to investigate and refine this new printing process, the actual field test stage was delayed until the fourth quarter of the fiscal year. The project leader readied an evaluation packet (reviewed by Research staff for objectivity and thoroughness) and began to identify possible field test sites.
The field test of the Flip-Over Concept Books was completed in January 2008. Field evaluations were completed by 13 teachers representing the states of Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, Texas (2). The student sample of 41 students ranged in age from 3- to 16-years old with 24% between 3 and 5, 46% between 6 and 8, 24% between 9 and 11, and 5% between 12 and 16. The sample was nearly equally divided between females and males (56% and 44%, respectively). The student population reflected cultural diversity: 34% were White; 32% were Hispanic; 20% were African American; 7% were Asian; and 7% were reported as “two or more races.” A full 73% were in grades Pre-K through third grade; 20% were in grades 4-6; one student was in 12^th grade; and remaining percentage (5%) were reported as non-graded. The largest percentage of the students (41%) were braille readers; 37% read print or large print; 7% were reported a prereaders; and remaining percentage were classified as dual readers, auditory readers, or nonreaders. Over half (51%) of the students had other disabilities.
Both Flip-Over Concept Books (LINE PATHS and PARTS OF A WHOLE) were reported as helpful by the teachers in supporting the development and reinforcement of various skills and concepts, with student improvements reported in various areas: more careful tactile exploration, matching, line tracking, page turning, spatial understanding/concept development, overcoming tactile defensiveness, on-task behavior, self-esteem, peer interaction, and interest in tactile games/activities. The LINE PATHS book was reported as being the most ideal for tactile readers in grades K-3; however, a full 85% of the teachers reported that the book was also useful for tactile readers and low vision readers in preschool. Similarly, 92% of the teachers reported that the PARTS OF A WHOLE book was appropriate for tactile readers in both preschool and K-3; 85% said the book was useful with low vision readers in preschool. Additional Flip-Over Concept Books were requested including books addressing basic shapes, textures, counting, sequencing, and recreational themes. The most significant change to the books, based upon field test results, will be the conversion from a twin-loop binding to one that allows removal, minimization, and randomization of the separate panels.
Quota approval for the two Flip-Over Concept Books (as well as for other future books developed in the series) was received from the Educational Product Advisory Committee (EPAC) in May 2008.
The Flip-Over Concept Books continued to serve as the testing ground for wide-format printing in combination with the thermoforming process. This investigation occupied the project staff’s time throughout the third quarter of the fiscal year. Concurrently, a new binding system to allow convenient opening and closing of the rings to minimize or randomize the panels was explored and located.
In August 2008, the PDC regrouped to establish the remainder of the timeline—from “Final Documentation” to “Availability.” Extensive efforts to prepare actual production tooling (other than that prepared during the prototype stage) extended through the end of September.
Work during FY 2009

The project staff continued necessary documentation and tooling tasks to ready both LINE PATHS and PARTS OF A WHOLE for final availability. For each Flip-Over Concept Book, the following efforts were undertaken:

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  Finalizing print artwork for book panels and covers as conceptualized and drawn by the project leader and Pattern/Model Maker.
  
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  Finalizing tactile patterns for book panels and covers as built and designed by the Pattern/Model Maker.
  
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  Readying silk screens for LINE PATHS worksheets based on artwork created by the project leader and Pattern/Model Maker.
  
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  Authoring accompanying documentation for the Reader’s Guide as written by the project leader.
  
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  Preparing photos to insert into Reader’s Guide.
  
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  Identifying and selecting a final binding style conducive to the removal, randomization, and minimization of panels.
  
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  Determining in-house collation style as determined by the Pattern/Model Maker.
  
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  Building needed fixtures as executed by the Pattern/Model Maker.
  
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  Designing needed cutting dies as determined by the Pattern/Model Maker.
  
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  Preparing braille translation of print documentation.
  
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  Verifying tactile/print registration and color quality for panels and covers based on initial sample provided by outside vendor.
  
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  Identifying a housing box style.
  
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  Documenting product specifications for production purposes.
  

By June-July 2009, the final product specifications and tooling were turned over to Production staff. Timelines were updated at the specifications meeting where availability of LINE PATHS and PARTS OF A WHOLE was slated for September 2009 and February 2010, respectively. In August 2009, initial production efforts, namely the screen printing of the LINE PATHS worksheets, had begun.
The effort invested by the project leader, Tom Poppe, and David McGee in identifying a wide-format printing option for this project has had positive and direct impact on the design of other recent and future APH projects (e.g., Life Science Tactile Graphics and Tactile Food Pyramid), allowing for more colorful graphics paired with tactile elements.
Work planned for FY 2010

The project leader will oversee the quality of the initial pilot and production runs of both Flip-Over Concept Books. Future development of similar books, as encouraged by field test evaluators, as well as EPAC recommendations, will be pursued.