| Special issue on enactive interfaces | | BIB | Full-Text | 1-2 | |
| Chris Raymaekers | |||
| Toward natural interaction through visual recognition of body gestures in real-time | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 3-10 | |
| Javier Varona; Antoni Jaume-i-Capó; Jordi Gonzàlez; Francisco J. Perales | |||
| In most of the existing human-computer interfaces, enactive knowledge as new
natural interaction paradigm has not been fully exploited yet. Recent
technological advances have created the possibility to enhance naturally and
significantly the interface perception by means of visual inputs, the so-called
Vision-Based Interfaces (VBI). In the present paper, we explore the recovery of
the user's body posture by means of combining robust computer vision techniques
and a well known inverse kinematics algorithm in real-time. Specifically, we
focus on recognizing the user's motions with a particular mean, that is, a body
gesture. Defining an appropriate representation of the user's body posture
based on a temporal parameterization, we apply non-parametric techniques to
learn and recognize the user's body gestures. This scheme of recognition has
been applied to control a computer videogame in real-time to show the viability
of the presented approach. Keywords: Enactive interfaces; Human-computer interaction; Vision-based interfaces | |||
| On scaling strategies for the full-body postural control of virtual mannequins | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 11-25 | |
| Ronan Boulic; Damien Maupu; Daniel Thalmann | |||
| Due to its intrinsic complexity, full-body postural input has been mostly
limited to off-line motion capture and to on-line puppetry of a virtual
character with little interaction with its environment (e.g. floor). The motion
capture technology is now mature enough to envision the on-line full-body
postural control of virtual mannequins involved in precise reaching tasks. We
have investigated such tasks for mannequins of differing body heights in
comparison to that of the system user. Such broad-range avatar control is
relevant for virtual prototyping in various industrial sectors as a single
person is responsible for evaluating a virtual prototype for a full range of
potential end-users. In the present paper we report on two scaling strategies
that can be enforced in such a context of height-differing avatar control. Both
scaling strategies have been evaluated in a wide-range reach study both in
front of a stationary immersive display and with an HMD. A comparison is also
made with a baseline scenario, which exploits a simple rigid shape (i.e. a
proxy), to assess the specific influence of controlling a complex articulated
avatar. Keywords: Full-body movement; Full-body interaction; Posture; Reaching; Scaling;
Virtual mannequins | |||
| Integrating tactile and force feedback for highly dynamic tasks: Technological, experimental and epistemological aspects | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 26-37 | |
| Armen Khatchatourov; Julien Castet; Jean-Loup Florens; Annie Luciani; Charles Lenay | |||
| For hand-object interaction in real situations the interplay between the
local tactile interaction and force interaction seems to be very important. In
current haptic interfaces, however, two different trends are present: force
feedback devices which offer a permanent invariable grip and a resultant force,
and tactile devices, which offer variable local patterns, often used for
texture rendering. The purpose of the present work is to combine the two types
of devices in a coherent manner. In the new device presented here, the tactile
stimulation is obtained from strictly the same interaction loop, and obeys to
the same physical model, as the force feedback, providing the information on
the spatial distribution of forces circulating between the object and the
fingertip. An experiment on following sharp edges of virtual object comparing
the force feedback alone and different tactile augmentations is presented and
discussed, alone with some open epistemological issues. Keywords: Haptic; Force feedback; Kinesthetic feedback; Tactile; Braille; Virtual
environments; Enaction; Closed-loop interaction; Real-time synchronised
architecture | |||
| Tactile sensory substitution: Models for enaction in HCI | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 38-53 | |
| Yon Visell | |||
| To apply enactive principles within human-computer interaction poses
interesting challenges to the way that we design and evaluate interfaces,
particularly those that possess a strong sensorimotor character. This article
surveys the field of tactile sensory substitution, an area of science and
engineering that lies at the intersection of such research domains as
neuroscience, haptics, and sensory prosthetics. It is argued that this area of
research is of high relevance to the design and understanding of enactive
interfaces that make use of touch, and is also a fertile arena for revealing
fundamental issues at stake in the design and implementation of enactive
interfaces, ranging from engineering, to human sensory physiology, and the
function and plasticity of perception. A survey of these questions is provided,
alongside a range of current and historical examples. Keywords: Enaction; Tactile display; Sensory substitution; Enactive interfaces | |||
| A run-time programmable simulator to enable multi-modal interaction with rigid-body systems | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 54-63 | |
| Stephen Sinclair; Marcelo M. Wanderley | |||
| This paper describes DIMPLE, a software application for haptic
force-feedback controllers which allows easy creation of interactive rigid-body
simulations. DIMPLE makes extensive use of an established standard for
control-rate transmission of audio control commands, which can be used to drive
many simultaneous parameters of a given audio/visual synthesis engine.
Because it is used with a high-level, visual multimedia programming language, DIMPLE allows fast and uncomplicated development of responsive, haptically-enabled virtual environments useful for fast prototyping of applications in fields where lower level programming skills may not be widespread. Examples of specific scenes constructed using DIMPLE are given, with applications to perception, HCI research, music, and multimedia. A pilot evaluation study was performed comparing DIMPLE to another implementation of a specific scene, which showed comparable results between subjects' overall impressions of the simulation. Keywords: Virtual reality; Haptics; Sound synthesis; Virtual instruments; Gesture;
Interaction | |||
| Physicality and interaction | | BIB | Full-Text | 64-65 | |
| Devina Ramduny-Ellis; Alan Dix; Steve Gill; Joanna Hare | |||
| What the body knows: Exploring the benefits of embodied metaphors in hybrid physical digital environments | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 66-75 | |
| Alissa N. Antle; Greg Corness; Milena Droumeva | |||
| A recent trend in ubiquitous computing is the development of new forms of
interfaces, which rely on embodied interaction. We focus on the definition of
embodiment that refers to the ways in which abstract concepts rely on
metaphorical extensions of embodied schemata shaped by processes below the
level of conscious awareness as explored by Lakoff and Johnson [Lakoff, G.,
Johnson, M., 1980. Metaphors We Live By. Chicago Press, Chicago, IL, USA]. Our
inquiry focuses on understanding the role embodied metaphors may play in
supporting people to understand the possibilities for physical interaction in
augmented spaces. We explore this issue through the development and evaluation
of an interactive audio environment. We instantiate metaphor theory by using
embodied schemata as the basis for the interactional metaphor that relates
full-body input actions to audio output responses. We demonstrate and explore
the benefits of this approach through a comparative experiment in which adults
and children learn to use our audio environment. The results from our
experiment indicated that embodied metaphors improve usability however, other
factors including discoverability, perceivability of feedback and duplicity of
structural isomorphism may mediate these metaphor-based benefits. We have
generalized our main findings as a set of suggestions for the design of
embodied style interfaces that rely on physical interaction. Keywords: Physical interaction; Embodied interaction; Metaphor; Augmented
environments; Audio environments | |||
| Designing physical and social intergenerational family entertainment | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 76-87 | |
| Eng Tat Khoo; Tim Merritt; Adrian David Cheok | |||
| Present computer games and digital entertainment do not usually facilitate
intergenerational family interactions. According to recent survey results in
Japan, there is a high percentage of older people who own and play electronic
or computer games, but rarely do they play the games with their family members.
It is a positive sign that more older people are participating in the digital
games arena, but it would be even more beneficial if they could interact
actively with the young family members through gaming activities. This could
possibly strengthen family bonding and bridge the gap between older people and
youth culture.
This paper presents steps for designing an intergenerational family entertainment system which focuses on physical and social interactions using a mixed reality floor system. The main design goals include: facilitating interactions between users with varied levels of skill in utilizing technology, utilizing the familiar physical motions from other activities to make an intuitive physical interface, and encouraging social interactions among families and friends. Detailed implementation of these steps is presented in the design of our intergenerational entertainment system, Age Invaders. Four main prototype iterations for the system is presented. Our design process is based on User Centered Design and relies on constant involvement of users to understand the key issues and to help make effective design decisions. The results of the study help to focus the refinements of the existing platform from a usability standpoint and also aids in the development of new physical entertainment and interactive applications. This study provides insights into user issues including how users interact in a complex mixed reality experience, which is heavily based in physicality. The use of one portion of the user base which is most proficient with technology before involving the novice users was found to empower novice users to begin to use digital technology. Keywords: Mixed reality entertainment; Social computing; Family entertainment; Game
play; User-centered design | |||
| Translating experience | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 88-94 | |
| Cathy Treadaway | |||
| This paper describes research investigating the significance of physical
experience and materiality in creative digital visual art and design practice.
Findings are presented from a recent phenomenological study, which indicates
the ways in which memory of lived experience informs creative cognition and
feeds the imagination.
The importance of physical engagement with the world, through the senses, enables emotional expression to be made in artworks that can be perceived by both artist and audience. Digital creativity support tools have been found, in this research, to lack interfaces that facilitate the translation of these visual aesthetic qualities in the virtual representation. Hand use and the sense of touch stimulate novel ideas and enable practitioners to break from fixated thinking when working with digital design tools. Examples of artworks are presented that illustrate ways in which artists, working with digital technology, make use of physical experience to inform visual ideas and innovate design solutions. Case study research is described that illuminates the ways in which memory of physical bodily experience and the time related factors involved in making by hand are crucial within the creative process. Findings from this research are presented that reveal the importance of physical interaction with the world when working creatively with digital design tools. Keywords: Physicality; Hand use; Creativity; Art; Craft; Design | |||
| Of pages and paddles: Children's expectations and mistaken interactions with physical-digital tools | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 95-107 | |
| Eva Hornecker; Andreas Dünser | |||
| An assumption behind new interface approaches that employ physical means of
interaction is that these can leverage users' prior knowledge from the real
world, making them intuitive or 'natural' to use. This paper presents a user
study of Tangible Augmented Reality, which shows that physical input tools can
invite a wide variety of interaction behaviours and raise unmatched
expectations about how to interact. Children played with interactive sequences
in an augmented book using physical paddles to control the main characters. Our
analysis focuses on how knowledge and skills that children have from the
physical world succeed or fail to apply in the interaction with this
application. We found that children expected the digital augmentations to
behave and react analogous to physical 3D objects, encouraged by the ability to
act in 3D space and the (digital) visual feedback. The affordances of the
paddles as physical interaction devices invited actions that the system could
not detect or interpret. In effect, children often struggled to understand what
it was in their actions that made the system react. Keywords: Physicality; Tangible; Affordance; Augmented book; Intuitive interaction;
Hybrid tools | |||
| The role of physical artefacts in agile software development: Two complementary perspectives | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 108-116 | |
| Helen Sharp; Hugh Robinson; Marian Petre | |||
| Agile software development promotes feedback, discipline and close
collaboration between all members of the development team, and de-emphasises
documentation, 'big design up front' and hierarchical processes. Agile teams
tend to be co-located and multi-disciplinary, and rely heavily on face-to-face
communication and seemingly simple physical artefacts to support interaction.
In this paper we focus on the functionality of two key physical artefacts --
the story card and the Wall -- which, individually and in combination, underpin
the team's activity. These artefacts have two main roles -- one which enables a
shared understanding of requirements and one which facilitates the development
process itself. We consider these roles from two perspectives: a notational
perspective and a social perspective. This discussion shows how the two
perspectives -- the notational and the social -- intertwine and are mutually
supportive. Any attempt to replace these physical artefacts with alternative
support for an agile team needs to take account of both perspectives, and the
complex relationships between them. Keywords: Cognitive dimensions; Ethnography; Software teams; Agile development;
Empirical studies | |||
| Setting the stage -- Embodied and spatial dimensions in emerging programming practices | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 117-124 | |
| Martin Jonsson; Jakob Tholander; Ylva Fernaeus | |||
| In the design of interactive systems, developers sometimes need to engage in
various ways of physical performance in order to communicate ideas and to test
out properties of the system to be realised. External resources such as
sketches, as well as bodily action, often play important parts in such
processes, and several methods and tools that explicitly address such aspects
of interaction design have recently been developed. This combined with the
growing range of pervasive, ubiquitous, and tangible technologies add up to a
complex web of physicality within the practice of designing interactive
systems. We illustrate this dimension of systems development through three
cases which in different ways address the design of systems where embodied
performance is important. The first case shows how building a physical sport
simulator emphasises a shift in activity between programming and debugging. The
second case shows a build-once run-once scenario, where the fine-tuning and
control of the run-time activity gets turned into an act of in situ performance
by the programmers. The third example illustrates the explorative and
experiential nature of programming and debugging systems for specialised and
autonomous interaction devices. This multitude in approaches in existing
programming settings reveals an expanded perspective of what practices of
interaction design consist of, emphasising the interlinking between design,
programming, and performance with the system that is being developed. Keywords: Interaction design; Embodied interaction; Physical user interfaces; Embodied
performance; Programming practice | |||
| Between 2: Tango as interactive design | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 125-132 | |
| Kristin R. Helle; Brad Hokanson | |||
| Drawing from interactive design theories and the authors' personal tango
experiences in the Twin Cities and Buenos Aires, this paper critically examines
tango dancing as a complex social world capable of revealing rich metadata
about its physicality, spatiality, constituents, and underlying interactive
processes that can be used to inform and invigorate designers' approach to
digital interactivity. By exploring tango's physical and conceptual elements,
parallels and connections with interactive design are identified, demonstrating
how such explorations can inspire new perspectives on enhancing digital
interactivity, while simultaneously refocusing our understanding of the
dynamic, reciprocal relationship between digital worlds and the physical world
we inhabit. Keywords: Interactivity; Tango; Dance; Culture; Engagement | |||
| Fundamentals of physiological computing | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 133-145 | |
| Stephen H. Fairclough | |||
| This review paper is concerned with the development of physiological
computing systems that employ real-time measures of psychophysiology to
communicate the psychological state of the user to an adaptive system. It is
argued that physiological computing has enormous potential to innovate
human-computer interaction by extending the communication bandwidth to enable
the development of 'smart' technology. This paper focuses on six fundamental
issues for physiological computing systems through a review and synthesis of
existing literature, these are (1) the complexity of the psychophysiological
inference, (2) validating the psychophysiological inference, (3) representing
the psychological state of the user, (4) designing explicit and implicit system
interventions, (5) defining the biocybernetic loop that controls system
adaptation, and (6) ethical implications. The paper concludes that
physiological computing provides opportunities to innovate HCI but complex
methodological/conceptual issues must be fully tackled during the research and
development phase if this nascent technology is to achieve its potential. Keywords: Physiological computing; Affective computing; Human factors;
Psychophysiology; System adaptation; Intelligent systems | |||
| The impact of self-efficacy, ease of use and usefulness on e-purchasing: An analysis of experienced e-shoppers | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 146-156 | |
| Blanca Hernandez; Julio Jimenez; M. Jose Martin | |||
| The objective of the present research is to study the Internet purchasing
behaviour of consumers who are experienced with the channel, employing a dual
perspective for the analysis: (1) present e-purchasing behaviour and (2) future
repurchasing behaviour measured through repurchasing intentions. On the basis
of this approach, we attempt to understand the effect of perceived
self-efficacy, ease of use and usefulness on both types of behaviour and the
links between them. Furthermore, the research includes other variables related
to Internet experience, extracted from models widely tested in the literature.
These variables, namely, acceptance, frequency of use and satisfaction with the
Internet, act as antecedents of e-purchasing behaviour and permit a deeper
analysis of the consumer. The results obtained show that self-efficacy and
usefulness are important perceptions in explaining the behaviour of experienced
consumers, while ease of use does not have a significant influence. Keywords: e-Commerce; Experienced e-shopper; Future repurchasing behaviour; Present
e-purchasing behaviour; Perceived self-efficacy | |||
| Older adults' perceptions and experiences of online social support | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 159-172 | |
| Ulrike Pfeil; Panayiotis Zaphiris; Stephanie Wilson | |||
| This paper reports an investigation of older adults' needs and preferences
concerning online social support. We focused our analysis on seven different
aspects of online support: Self disclosure, Deep support, Light support,
Community building, Information/Facts, Off topic, and Technical issues. For
each aspect we were interested in how older adults perceive this aspect of
support, what they think are the similarities and differences of this aspect of
support in online settings vs offline settings, and what they perceive are the
advantages and disadvantages of communicating this aspect of support online. We
did this by conducting detailed interviews with three groups of older adults
(31 people in total) with different levels of expertise in using the internet
and online communication (older adults who do not use the internet, older
adults who use only email, and older adults who participate in online support
communities). Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed. Our findings
describe older adults' perception of different aspects of support and identify
their motivation for turning to online support and the reasons for any
reluctance to do so. Thus, our findings give insight into how online support
communities could best be utilized to improve older people's experience with
online support. Keywords: Older people; Online communities; CMC | |||
| Augmenting paper-based learning with mobile phones | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 173-185 | |
| Po-Yao Chao; Gwo-Dong Chen | |||
| Paper and traditional books have been serving as useful tools in supporting
knowledge-intensive tasks and school learning. Although learning strategies
such as selective verbatim note-taking or question-asking may foster
intentional recall or resolve comprehension difficulties in paper-based
learning practice, improvement in learning may depend on the opportunity and
quality of which students apply note-taking, review notes, or enhance
comprehension through questioning. This study aims to complement a paper
textbook with a mobile phone and to treat the combination as a whole to
facilitate verbatim note-taking, resolving comprehension questions, and
receiving reading recommendations. The textbook paragraphs were augmented with
line numbers to facilitate coordination between the mobile phone and the paper
textbook. An eight-week comparative study was conducted to explore the use of
two reading vehicles. The results and findings show that using a mobile phone
to augment paper-based learning is technically feasible and seems to promote
the application of verbatim note-taking and posting comprehension questions for
discussion. However, the results of two course tests indicate that consequent
learning improvement seemed inconsistent among the students. A six-week case
study was also conducted to explore the implications of the augmented support
to students' learning practice. The findings show that mobile phones as
learning supportive tools to augment paper-based learning could support
students' planning and management of learning strategies or activities. The
portability of mobile phones and paper textbooks and the ubiquitous connection
of paper-based learning with an online learning community may provide the
flexibility in planning ahead for suitable learning strategies or activities
and may enhance students' assessment for management of students' learning
goals. Keywords: Paper-based learning; Mobile learning; Line numbers | |||
| The motivational and control structure underlying the acceptance of adaptive museum guides -- An empirical study | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 186-200 | |
| Fabio Pianesi; Ilenia Graziola; Massimo Zancanaro; Dina Goren-Bar | |||
| Acceptance of adaptive museum guides raises important issues stemming from
both the nature of the scenario (museum visit) and the very kind of
technological approach adopted (adaptivity). As to the former, museum guides
play a utilitarian role in a hedonic scenario; at present, however, it is not
clear how this reflects on the balance between intrinsic and extrinsic
motivations for guide acceptance. The adaptive nature of the guide, in turn,
raises questions about the impact of the opaqueness of the system behavior, of
the alleged loss of perceived control over the interaction, and the role of
presentation personalization. All these issues are explored in this paper by
means of a model derived from TAM and comprising both extrinsic and intrinsic
motivational constructs. The results of a analysis of data from 115 subjects
show that the motivational structure of the guide usage is mainly utilitarian,
with intrinsic motivations playing a role insofar as they acquire an
instrumental value. The impact of the control issues on acceptability is low
and indirect, while the importance of the feedback provided by the system is
confirmed. Finally, personalization positively impacts on user engagement, this
way strengthening the empirical and theoretical groundings for work in adaptive
systems. Keywords: Technology acceptance; Adaptive guides; Intrinsic and extrinsic motivations;
Utilitarian and hedonic systems | |||
| A survey of sketch-based 3-D modeling techniques | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 201-211 | |
| Matthew T. Cook; Arvin Agah | |||
| As 3-D modeling applications transition from engineering environments into
the hands of artists, designers, and the consumer market, there is an
increasing demand for more intuitive interfaces. In response, 3-D modeling and
interface design communities have begun to develop systems based on traditional
artistic techniques, particularly sketching. Collectively this growing field of
research has come to be known as sketch-based modeling, however the name belies
a diversity of promising techniques and unique approaches. This paper presents
a survey of current research in sketch-based modeling, including a basic
introduction to the topic, the challenges of sketch-based input, and an
examination of a number of popular approaches, including representative
examples and a general analysis of the benefits and challenges inherent to
each. Keywords: Human computer interaction; User interface; 3-D modeling; Interaction
styles; Sketch-based modeling | |||
| Cultural cognition in usability evaluation | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 212-220 | |
| Torkil Clemmensen; Morten Hertzum; Kasper Hornbæk; Qingxin Shi; Pradeep Yammiyavar | |||
| We discuss the impact of cultural differences on usability evaluations that
are based on the thinking-aloud method (TA). The term 'cultural differences'
helps distinguish differences in the perception and thinking of Westerners
(people from Western Europe and US citizens with European origins) and
Easterners (people from China and the countries heavily influenced by its
culture). We illustrate the impact of cultural cognition on four central
elements of TA: (1) instructions and tasks, (2) the user's verbalizations, (3)
the evaluator's reading of the user, and (4) the overall relationship between
user and evaluator. In conclusion, we point to the importance of matching the
task presentation to users' cultural background, the different effects of
thinking aloud on task performance between Easterners and Westerners, the
differences in nonverbal behaviour that affect usability problem detection,
and, finally, the complexity of the overall relationship between a user and an
evaluator with different cultural backgrounds. Keywords: Cultural differences; Thinking aloud; Usability; International systems
development | |||
| Incorporating user motivations to design for video tagging | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 221-232 | |
| Lex van Velsen; Mark Melenhorst | |||
| User video tagging can enhance the indexing of large collections of videos,
or can provide the basis for personalizing output. However, before the benefits
of tagging can be reaped, users must be motivated to provide videos with tags.
This article describes a two-stage study that aimed at collecting the most
important motivations for users to tag video material. First, focus groups with
internet users were held to elicit all possible motivations to tag videos on
the internet. Next, 125 persons ranked these motivations for two cases via an
online survey and responded to statements that assessed their acceptance of
personalized output, based on their tags. Motivations related to indexing
appear to be far more important for people than motivations related to
socializing or communication. Furthermore, people were moderately positive
about personalized output, based on their tags. Finally, important user
barriers to tagging are discussed. Keywords: Tagging; Motivation; Video platforms; User-centered design | |||
| Look-ahead and look-behind shortcuts in large item category hierarchies: The impact on search performance | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 235-242 | |
| John Harold Pardue; Jeffery Paul Landry; Eric Kyper; Rodrigo Lievano | |||
| Websites use shortcuts to facilitate navigation of large hierarchies of item
categories. Two common types of shortcuts used for this purpose are location
breadcrumbs and down-to-child/up-to-parent links; frequently both are employed
simultaneously. The combined used of these shortcuts provide proximal cues
which enable the user to look-ahead and look-behind in the navigational
structure. In this study, the impact of shortcut usage on search performance on
a known-item search task is estimated. A controlled experiment was conducted
using a realistic hypertext hierarchy of item categories. The results indicate
that greater use of shortcuts decreases both time on task and lostness for the
user, and that the decrease is associated with increased depth in the
hierarchy. These findings provide insight into possible performance trade-offs
involved in website designs that include look-ahead shortcuts for navigating
large item category hierarchies. Keywords: Look-ahead; Shortcuts; Lostness; Time on task | |||
| Technology for supporting web information search and learning in Sign Language | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 243-256 | |
| Inmaculada Fajardo; Markel Vigo; Ladislao Salmerón | |||
| Sign Languages (SL) are underrepresented in the digital world, which
contributes to the digital divide for the Deaf Community. In this paper, our
goal is twofold: (1) to review the implications of current SL generation
technologies for two key user web tasks, information search and learning and
(2) to propose a taxonomy of the technical and functional dimensions for
categorizing those technologies. The review reveals that although contents can
currently be portrayed in SL by means of videos of human signers or avatars,
the debate about how bilingual (text and SL) versus SL-only websites affect
signers' comprehension of hypertext content emerges as an unresolved issue in
need of further empirical research. The taxonomy highlights that videos of
human signers are ecological but require a high-cost group of experts to
perform text to SL translations, video editing and web uploading. Avatar
technology, generally associated with automatic text-SL translators, reduces
bandwidth requirements and human resources but it lacks reliability. The
insights gained through this review may enable designers, educators or users to
select the technology that best suits their goals. Keywords: Web accessibility; Deafness; Sign Language; Information search; e-Learning;
Video Technology | |||
| Error prevention in online forms: Use color instead of asterisks to mark required-fields | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 257-262 | |
| Stefan L. Pauwels; Christian Hübscher; Stefan Leuthold; Javier A. Bargas-Avila; Klaus Opwis | |||
| In this study, a simple but important user interface design choice is
examined: when marking required-fields in online forms, should GUI designers
stick with the often used asterisk that many form design guidelines cite as the
de-facto web standard, or should they choose a colored background as a new
design solution to visually signal which input fields are required? An
experiment with 24 participants was conducted to test the hypotheses that
efficiency, effectiveness and satisfaction ratings of colored required-fields
exceed those of asterisk-marked required-fields. Results indicate that colored
required field marking leads to fewer errors, faster form fill-in and higher
user satisfaction. Keywords: Online forms; Required-fields; Error prevention; User feedback; Interaction
design | |||
| A framework for evaluating the usability of mobile phones based on multi-level, hierarchical model of usability factors | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 263-275 | |
| Jeongyun Heo; Dong-Han Ham; Sanghyun Park; Chiwon Song; Wan Chul Yoon | |||
| As a mobile phone has various advanced functionalities or features,
usability issues are increasingly challenging. Due to the particular
characteristics of a mobile phone, typical usability evaluation methods and
heuristics, most of which are relevant to a software system, might not
effectively be applied to a mobile phone. Another point to consider is that
usability evaluation activities should help designers find usability problems
easily and produce better design solutions. To support usability practitioners
of the mobile phone industry, we propose a framework for evaluating the
usability of a mobile phone, based on a multi-level, hierarchical model of
usability factors, in an analytic way. The model was developed on the basis of
a set of collected usability problems and our previous study on a conceptual
framework for identifying usability impact factors. It has multi-abstraction
levels, each of which considers the usability of a mobile phone from a
particular perspective. As there are goal-means relationships between adjacent
levels, a range of usability issues can be interpreted in a holistic as well as
diagnostic way. Another advantage is that it supports two different types of
evaluation approaches: task-based and interface-based. To support both
evaluation approaches, we developed four sets of checklists, each of which is
concerned, respectively, with task-based evaluation and three different
interface types: Logical User Interface (LUI), Physical User Interface (PUI)
and Graphical User Interface (GUI). The proposed framework specifies an
approach to quantifying usability so that several usability aspects are
collectively measured to give a single score with the use of the checklists. A
small case study was conducted in order to examine the applicability of the
framework and to identify the aspects of the framework to be improved. It
showed that it could be a useful tool for evaluating the usability of a mobile
phone. Based on the case study, we improved the framework in order that
usability practitioners can use it more easily and consistently. Keywords: Mobile usability; User interfaces; Usability evaluation; Evaluation
framework | |||
| Reducing working memory load in spoken dialogue systems | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 276-287 | |
| Maria Wolters; Kallirroi Georgila; Johanna D. Moore; Robert H. Logie; Sarah E. MacPherson; Matthew Watson | |||
| We evaluated two strategies for alleviating working memory load for users of
voice interfaces: presenting fewer options per turn and providing
confirmations. Forty-eight users booked appointments using nine different
dialogue systems, which varied in the number of options presented and the
confirmation strategy used. Participants also performed four cognitive tests
and rated the usability of each dialogue system on a standardised
questionnaire. When systems presented more options per turn and avoided
explicit confirmation subdialogues, both older and younger users booked
appointments more quickly without compromising task success. Users with lower
information processing speed were less likely to remember all relevant aspects
of the appointment. Working memory span did not affect appointment recall.
Older users were slightly less satisfied with the dialogue systems than younger
users. We conclude that the number of options is less important than an
accurate assessment of the actual cognitive demands of the task at hand. Keywords: Spoken dialogue systems; Cognitive ageing; Working memory; Processing speed;
Usability; Universal design | |||
| UbiCicero: A location-aware, multi-device museum guide | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 288-303 | |
| Giuseppe Ghiani; Fabio Paternò; Carmen Santoro; Lucio Davide Spano | |||
| In this paper, we propose UbiCicero, a multi-device, location-aware museum
guide able to opportunistically exploit large screens when users are nearby.
Various types of games are included in addition to the museum and artwork
descriptions. The mobile guide is equipped with an RFID reader, which detects
nearby tagged artworks. By taking into account context-dependent information,
including the current user position and behaviour history, as well as the type
of device available, more personalised and relevant information is provided to
the user, enabling a richer overall experience. We also present example
applications of this solution and then discuss the results of first empirical
tests performed to evaluate the usefulness and usability of the enhanced
multi-device guide. Keywords: Mobile guides; Multi-device adaptation; Location-awareness; Interactive
games in museums; User interface software and technology | |||
| An integrative approach to requirements analysis: How task models support requirements reuse in a user-centric design framework | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 304-315 | |
| Cyril Montabert; D. Scott McCrickard; Woodrow W. Winchester; Manuel A. Pérez-Quiñones | |||
| Many software systems fail to address their intended purpose because of a
lack of user involvement and requirements deficiencies. This paper discusses
the elaboration of a requirements-analysis process that integrates a
critical-parameter-based approach to task modeling within a user-centric design
framework. On one hand, adapting task models to capture requirements bridges
the gap between scenarios and critical parameters which benefits design from
the standpoint of user involvement and accurate requirements. On the other
hand, using task models as a reusable component leverages requirements reuse
which benefits design by increasing quality while simultaneously reducing
development costs and time-to-market. First, we present the establishment of
both a user-centric and reuse-centric requirements process along with its
implementation within an integrated design tool suite. Secondly, we report the
design, procedures, and findings of two user studies aimed at assessing the
feasibility for novice designers to conduct the process as well as evaluating
the resulting benefits upon requirements-analysis deliverables, requirements
quality, and requirements reuse. Keywords: Requirements engineering; Task modeling; Reuse; Critical parameters | |||
| Private whispers/public eyes: Is receiving highly personal information in a public place stressful? | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 316-322 | |
| Linda Little; Pam Briggs | |||
| The use of technology to access personal information in public places is
increasingly common, but can these interactions induce stress? Sixty-eight
participants were led to believe that extremely sensitive personal information
would be displayed via either a public or personal handheld device in isolated
or crowded (in the presence of strangers) conditions. Stress responses were
taken in terms of heart rate, galvanic skin response and subjective ratings. As
anticipated, participants showed stronger stress reactions in the crowded
rather than the isolated conditions and also experienced greater stress when
the information was presented on a public screen in comparison to a personal
handheld device. Implications for the design of public/private information
systems are discussed. Keywords: Privacy; Technology; Public places; Stress | |||
| Special memorial issue to Brian Shackel: A dedication | | BIB | Full-Text | 323 | |
| In Memoriam Brian Shackel 1927-2007 | | BIB | Full-Text | 324 | |
| Donald Day; Gitte Lindgaard; Jan Noyes | |||
| Designing for people in the age of information | | BIBA | Full-Text | 325-330 | |
| Brian Shackel | |||
| Some characteristics of the Information Age and the importance of human factors issues are outlined. Immediate questions for the next 7 years or so are discussed, including nine substantive areas needing research (from a recent survey) and the development and better implementation of design procedures. Longer term questions discussed are -- the passing of paper, the reduction of writing, the victory of voice, the wired society and the expert in the system. Finally, some of the important broader issues are mentioned and the need for synergy by human and information engineers is emphasised. | |||
| Back to the future: A retrospective on early predictions | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 331-334 | |
| Russell Beale | |||
| Professor Brian Shackel's paper "Designing for People in the Age of
Information" was published in 1984. In his paper, Shackel looked ahead to the
research areas that he considered important and makes some predictions for the
future. This paper provides a current perspective on his views, assessing which
areas he successfully predicted and which he did not, and contextualising his
work in the field that he significantly shaped. Keywords: Retrospective; Brian Shackel; Information age; Research questions; Design;
Usability; HCI; Social perspectives | |||
| Telescreens, keypens, and the expert: A 60 year snapshot | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 335-338 | |
| Jan Noyes | |||
| Brian Shackel was responsible for initiating the first international
conference on human-computer interaction, INTERACT '84. This was in the same
year to which George Orwell referred in the now-classic book, Nineteen
Eighty-Four. Both texts share the common theme of being concerned with
information and its effects on the individual. In Professor Shackel's paper
(the focus here), both aspects are considered over a 60-year lifespan -- with a
particular emphasis on his interest on "Designing for People in the Age of
Information". This keynote address at the INTERACT conference is reviewed and
the accuracy of his many predictions for the future considered. It is concluded
that despite Professor Shackel's preoccupation with designing for humans some
quarter of a century ago, there still is much work to do. Keywords: HCI (human-computer interaction); Ergonomics; Information; Technology | |||
| Usability -- Context, framework, definition, design and evaluation | | BIB | Full-Text | 339-346 | |
| Brian Shackel | |||
| A test-first view of usability | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 347-349 | |
| Judy Kay | |||
| The foundations of usability evaluation were being established in the early
1990s. In this context, "Usability -- Context, Definition, Design and
Evaluation" built upon Brian Shackel's earlier influential work -- work that
helped define the notion of usability. In this paper, he established key
dimensions of usability as well as approaches to integrating the testing of
these dimensions, within the whole process of setting requirements. Essentially
he argued for usability design as part of the system design process.
This commentary describes the context of Professor Shackel's paper and reviews the influential ideas that appear in much subsequent work. Keywords: Ergonomics; Pervasive; Test-first; Usability evaluation | |||
| Early traces of usability as a science and as a profession | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 350-352 | |
| Gitte Lindgaard | |||
| Shackel's paper [Shackel, B., 1991. Usability -- context, framework,
definition, design and evaluation. In: Shackel, B., Richardson, S. (Eds.),
Human Factors for Informatics Usability. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge,
UK] is reviewed in an attempt to assess his contribution to the development of
usability as a science and as a profession. Usability related research is first
situated in the period around 1990. The contributions to usability as a science
then are addressed via Professor Shackel's definition and evaluation of
usability. Finally, his contribution toward usability as a profession is
acknowledged via his view of usability in the light of wider business goals. Keywords: Usability; Design; Evaluation; User satisfaction | |||
| Human-computer interaction -- Whence and whither? | | BIBA | Full-Text | 353-366 | |
| Brian Shackel | |||
| In this article, an overview is presented of the growth of work in human-computer interaction (HCI) over the last 40 years. Inevitably much must be omitted, but the referenced papers may fill some of the gaps. Various formative influences and contributing disciplines are noted. Aspects of research and human factors knowledge are prominent, but attention is also given to technology, applied problems, and design for usability. Finally, after summarizing the growth in three age-group partitions, some of the major threads of development are noted under the heading of continuities from the past and perspectives into the future. | |||
| Inventing HCI: The grandfather of the field | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 367-369 | |
| Andrew Dillon | |||
| Brian Shackel is considered by many to be the grandfather of the field of
human-computer interaction. The present paper provides a commentary to
Shackel's seminal (1997) paper on the field, "HCI: Whence and Whither" with
accompanying observations of his life's work and intellectual contributions. Keywords: History; Brian Shackel; Foundations; Review | |||
| Brian Shackel's contribution to the written history of Human-Computer Interaction | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 370-374 | |
| Jonathan Grudin | |||
| In 1997, Brian Shackel published the article "Human-Computer Interaction --
Whence and Whither?" In this early foray into historical reflection on the
field, past work is covered with a focus on identifying European contributions,
issues of particular contemporary interest are explored, and a set of 10-year
predictions are offered. In this essay, from a vantage-point of an additional
decade of history, insights of lasting value that Professor Shackel was
uniquely positioned to glean are identified. His work is placed in the broader
context now available, and an always-useful reminder of the difficulty of
anticipating future events is provided. Keywords: History; Human-Computer Interaction; Human factors and ergonomics | |||
| Brian Shackel (1927-2007) | | BIB | Full-Text | 375-376 | |
| Ken Eason | |||
| CV: B Shackel, MA (Cantab), HonDTech, FBPsS, HonFErgSoc, FHF and ES, C Psychol | | BIB | Full-Text | 377-384 | |
| Understanding factors affecting trust in and satisfaction with mobile banking in Korea: A modified DeLone and McLean's model perspective | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 385-392 | |
| Kun Chang Lee; Namho Chung | |||
| As mobile technology has developed, mobile banking has become accepted as
part of daily life. Although many studies have been conducted to assess users'
satisfaction with mobile applications, none has focused on the ways in which
the three quality factors associated with mobile banking -- system quality,
information quality and interface design quality -- affect consumers' trust and
satisfaction. Our proposed research model, based on DeLone and McLean's model,
assesses how these three external quality factors can impact satisfaction and
trust. We collected 276 valid questionnaires from mobile banking customers,
then analyzed them using structural equation modeling. Our results show that
system quality and information quality significantly influence customers' trust
and satisfaction, and that interface design quality does not. We present herein
implications and suggestions for further research. Keywords: DeLone and McLean's IS success model; Mobile banking; Customer satisfaction;
Trust; Quality | |||
| Using the Internet: Skill related problems in users' online behavior | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 393-402 | |
| Alexander J. A. M. van Deursen; Jan A. G. M. van Dijk | |||
| This study extends the conventional and superficial notion of measuring
digital skills by proposing definitions for operational, formal, information
and strategic skills. The main purpose was to identify individual skill related
problems that users experience when navigating the Internet. In particular,
lower levels of education and aging seem to contribute to the amount of
experienced operational and formal skill related problems. With respect to
information skills, higher levels of education seem to perform best. Age did
not seem to contribute to information skill related problems. Results did
reveal that age had a negative effect on selecting irrelevant search results.
Individual strategic Internet skill related problems occurred often, with the
exception of subjects with higher levels of education. Younger subjects
experienced far less operational and formal skill related problems, but there
was no difference regarding information and strategic skill related problems. Keywords: Digital skills; Computer literacy; Information literacy; Digital inequality;
Digital divide | |||