This paper explains guidelines that arose from a collaborative research project that aimed to make map-based bushfire information more accessible to people in remote and regional Australian communities. The MyFireWatch web application was a practical outcome from this research and was the result of several iterations of user and service-provider engagement. This application delivers a web-based interface that works on desktop and mobile devices which displays bushfire locations around Australia in near real-time. As a way of generalising from the work undertaken that resulted in the MyFireWatch application, guidelines were created to inform others working in similar domains. These guidelines are presented here in the form of a pattern language and are intended to inform the design of similar systems. Pattern language has previously been used in architecture, software engineering and interaction design as a means of exchanging knowledge in a way that provides specific solutions to recurring problems, yet these solutions are generalised so that they can be applied in different scenarios. The pattern language described here is intended to encourage others who may be working with map-based hazard information to consider various aspects of the interface and its functionality. It is hoped that in doing so, communities in Australia and beyond will find such systems more accessible, intuitive and easy to use.

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In recent years, as a result of improvements in the awareness of people and development of medical science, the number of children diagnosed with developmental disabilities tends to increase. Special education has been reviewed in theDevelopmental Disabilities Assistance Act of 2004, which has been since being adopted by the education field. Special education must be devised for teaching materials and learning content to suit the student. For this reason, making a high-quality learning on an ongoing basis is difficult. Therefore, the use of a teaching device that is suitable for this specific kind of education is effective. In recent years, the introduction of tablet computers to the education field has been increasing. Tablets can be easily operated, and it is possible to include content with audio and video features, which is beneficial for special education. Many studies have been previously made, however these are still only case introductions or reports on usage of tablet devices in the classroom. In our investigation, no practical case that the included actual teaching materials was found. In this study, we produce learning materials for the iPad, which is easily available for students receiving special education, and can support them continuously in self-learning activities. We propose to find a new direction for special education materials in the future.

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Japanese music education is composed of “Appreciation”, “Common knowledge” and “Representation”. In this last one, the fields of singing, instruments, and creation are included. However, current education programs are built around singing and instrumental activities, and there has been a lack of improving the creative field. In this study, an interactive art installation was developed in order to offer an opportunity for children to enjoy playing with sounds. In addition, considerations about how to connect this kind of activities to the school curriculum are made. The ultimate goal of this study is to engage children in sound and music, and to make an approximation on how to enhance the creative field in the current education program.

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