Engaging assessments: interface design of a referral support tool for adults and children

Designing engaging interfaces for young children poses a significant research challenge. In two studies we evaluated two different tablet computer prototypes of a tool designed to assist non-experts in administering a speech assessment and to support them in their referral decisions. The development of this application builds on our research and consultation with experts who identified problems in the process of early triaging of young children with potential speech problems. This paper presents our work towards the development of such a solution, focusing on the design and testing of interface concepts for adult test administrators and to engage children to actively participate in automated assessments. We discuss our findings and provide insights on how to design such novel assessment tools.