| Model-Driven Engineering of User Interfaces: Promises, Successes, Failures, and Challenges | | BIBAK | 1-10 | |
| Jean Vanderdonckt | |||
| Model-driven engineering (MDE) of user interfaces consists in describing a
user interface and aspects involved in it (e.g., task, domain, context of use)
in models from which a final interface is produced. With one big win in mind:
when the user's requirements or the context of use change, the models change
accordingly and so does the supporting user interface. Models and a method for
developing user interfaces based on MDE are presented in this tutorial
supporting forward engineering (a new interface is produced), reverse
engineering (an existing interface is improved), and lateral engineering (an
existing interface is adapted to a new context of use). Software supporting
this method will be used based on UsiXML (User Interface eXtensible Markup
Language), a XML-compliant user interface description language. Keywords: domain model, model driven architecture, user interface model, user
interface description language | |||
| Equality of Chances by Promoting the Accessibility in the Development of Interactive Systems | | BIBAK | 11-14 | |
| Constantin-Gelu Apostol | |||
| The equality of rights and chances for all citizens is one of the most
discussed and supported issues in the international public opinion. This issue
has a special value also in projects started by the European Union.
Particularly for interactive systems the challenge of ensuring the access
represents a way to progress towards a real equality of chances for all people
who live in unprivileged circumstances, especially for the ones with
disabilities. Thus this article aims to investigate the social consequences of
this movement depending on the type of disability, the impact of disability on
the interaction of the persons in question and the European initiatives to
promote the "electronic accessibility" (e-Accessibility). Keywords: interactive systems, accessibility | |||
| Accessibility Evaluation of a Web Application for Visually Impaired People | | BIBAK | 15-18 | |
| Cristina Simona Alecu | |||
| Currently the Internet is the most important source of information for more
and more people. An important requirement is to ensure equal access to
information for all citizens, including persons with special needs. The goal of
ProInclusiv application is to inform the people with special needs (elderly and
people with disabilities) on matters that may be of interest, and also the
organizations, associations, health units etc. which provides services for such
persons. The application promotes initiatives related to social, cultural and
professional integration of people with special needs. To come to their aid,
particularly to visually impaired people, at the design and implementation of
the application has been taken into account the accessibility guidelines
offered by WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines). The aim of the paper is
to present how can be realize an accessible web application, using a tool for
evaluation of the accessibility and usability during the development of this
application. Keywords: accessibility, visually impaired people, evaluation | |||
| Evaluation of the Usability and Pedagogical Effectiveness of an Augmented Reality Learning Scenario | | BIBAK | 19-24 | |
| Costin Pribeanu; Dragos Daniel Iordache; Vincentas Lamanauskas; Rytis Vilkonis | |||
| Although several evaluation methods for e-learning interactive systems
exist, few of them have been adapted for the evaluation of the pedagogical
effectiveness and usability of augmented reality (AR) systems. In this paper we
present and analyze the results obtained in the evaluation of a learning
scenario for Biology that has been developed in the framework of the ARiSE
(Augmented Reality for School Environments) research project. The scenario has
been tested with users during a summer school that has been held in Bucharest,
2007. Keywords: augmented reality, usability, e-learning | |||
| MovieRatings: Web 2.0 Usability | | BIBAK | 25-28 | |
| Adrian Buzgar; Simona Lazarovici | |||
| The following paper presents the results of the MovieRatings (MOVR) project,
a Rich Internet Application developed using the current generation of Web
technologies, with an emphasis on Web 2.0 principles and usability aspects. The
application was meant to provide cinephiles with an interactive environment for
exchanging movie related information and rating the top movies in the database.
We have used external web services from Flickr and YouTube, as well as the
International Movie Database (IMDB) as data sources. Keywords: web 2.0, user interface | |||
| Ontology-based Collaborative Applications | | BIBAK | 29-36 | |
| Vlad Posea; Ovidiu Mara | |||
| This paper proposes a method to extend a collaborative application with
semantic web technologies in order to provide advanced functionalities for
searching and classification of messages based on the semantics of the terms
identified in the messages exchanged by the user. The paper also describes a
specific extension to a forum that offers an improved interface for defining
semantic ontology based querying. Keywords: ontology, forum, semantic web | |||
| Management of the Temporal Maps within a Collaborative Environment | | BIBAK | 37-40 | |
| Cosmin Varlan | |||
| GPS are usually built by only one company that provides the software and the
maps as a single solution. Because the maps are made especially for that kind
of software and because the format is not made public, to update such a map
additional files (from the producer) are needed. Even though, the producer is
not always updating all the roads as fast as they appear or as fast as their
properties are changing. This paper is proposing a new method of creating maps
which provide the dynamism needed by every GPS: the maps are created by every
driver, collected on the same website, parsed and modified and redistributed to
the other users that are interested in vectorized maps. This way the maps are
refreshed every day and that could be done even in real time. Keywords: collaborative environment, GPS | |||
| An Improvement of KNN Performances in Web Recommender Systems | | BIBAK | 41-48 | |
| Costin-Gabriel Chiru; Stefan Trausan-Matu; Traian Rebedea | |||
| his paper presents an approach that can lead to an improvement of the
results of the collaborative filtering-based recommender systems. The
recommendations given by this kind of systems are generated based on the users'
preferences that have similar behavior to the one of the current user. In order
to identify these users, a usual method is the automatic classification based
on "the most similar K neighbors". The purpose of the paper is to discuss a
method of presenting and correcting some of the problems of this algorithm, by
applying an interpolation to the classes returned by the standard KNN
algorithm, hence the method accuracy to be improved and, implicitly, the
results returned by the recommender systems that uses it. Keywords: Recommender systems, KNN, classification | |||
| Comparative Evaluation of Two Augmented Reality Learning Scenarios | | BIBAK | 49-52 | |
| Alexandru Balog; Dragos Daniel Iordache; Costin Pribeanu | |||
| Augmented reality is featuring a new type of human-computer interaction that
is based on the integration of the real and virtual within a single interaction
space. More recently, these systems have been used to implement learning
scenarios intended to support new teaching methods in secondary schools. This
paper presents a comparative usability evaluation of two augmented reality
learning scenarios. The evaluation is carried on the basis of the quantitative
and qualitative measures provided by a usability questionnaire that is based on
a technology acceptance model. Keywords: augmented reality, e-learning, usability, technology acceptance | |||
| New Approaches in Automatic Usability Evaluation | | BIBAK | 53-56 | |
| Adriana-Mihaela Guran; Daniela-Maria Onaca; Horia D. Pitariu | |||
| In this paper two new approaches in automatic usability evaluation are
described. These approaches use modern programming techniques as Aspect
Oriented Programming and Agent Based Programming in order to identify usability
problems. Keywords: usability, aspect-oriented programming, user centred design | |||
| Interactive Augmented Reality-based Access Point | | BIBAK | 57-60 | |
| Mihai Polceanu; Dorin-Mircea Popovici | |||
| We introduce BIIBAR system, an interactive augmented reality (AR) based
access point. After a brief presentation of the Augmented Reality Toolkit API,
and its theoretical background, the possible solutions are discussed. The
selected solution is then presented from both the perspectives of its
facilities and future developments. Keywords: augmented reality, interactive systems | |||
| Java Solutions for Real Time Vocal Signal Transmission using the UDP Protocol | | BIBAK | 61-64 | |
| Titus Felix Furtuna; Marian Dardala | |||
| Java technologies cover at this moment all aspects concerning software
developing. This paper proposes a software solution for real time vocal signal
transmission using Java technologies. The proposed solution can be an
alternative way for directly, simply and useful communication for people with
visual disabilities. It is able to supply, in particular circumstances, more
sophisticated and expensive technologies; for instance vocal synthesis. The
paper contains a theoretical part that presents used Java technologies (Java
Sound Application Programming Interface) and network programming aspects using
the UDP protocol -- and an applicative part that presents the elements of
proposal software solution -- the application architecture and significant
sequences of source code. Keywords: multimedia, UDP protocol | |||
| DAISY -- Digital Audio Books Accessible for Persons with Visual Impairment and with Reading Difficulties | | BIBAK | 65-68 | |
| Marian Padure | |||
| Synchronizing the text and audio files according to the DAISY standards,
allows visually impaired persons to read a scientific book in similar
conditions as a person with no disability. In this paper, we present the DAISY
standard and the advantages of using it for visually impaired persons. Keywords: accessibility, digital audio books, visual impairment | |||
| Distributed Multimedia System for Human Computer Interaction | | BIBAK | 69-72 | |
| Adriana Reveiu | |||
| The aim of the paper is to provide some software components developed for
acquisition, controlling and management of multimedia streams, of multimedia
devices and for human computer interaction. Implemented software components are
integrated in a multimedia system that allows the unitary management of
multimedia data, solution which cover the whole channel of multimedia services
distribution: from the multimedia content acquisition to the transmission,
processing, data warehouse and until the usage in various forms by the final
users. The technology used for software components development is the component
based .NET technology. This is an appropriate technology for distributed
systems development and for components reusing in Web and Windows applications. Keywords: multimedia, multimedia streams | |||
| Ignoring Irrelevant Information on Displays | | BIBAK | 73-76 | |
| Ion Juvina | |||
| This paper presents empirical and modeling work aiming to contribute toward
a coherent theory of how humans select relevant information and discharge
irrelevant information presented on displays. Two empirical studies are
presented. The first study investigated how previously attended information is
prevented from interfering with currently processed information. A theoretical
account together with two different implementations of this account are put
forward in order to explain the empirical data. A second study was designed in
order to disentangle between these two implementations. The second study
generated new questions and hypotheses regarding the balance between automatic
and controlled discharge of irrelevant information. Keywords: attention, cognitive control, cognitive inhibition | |||
| Visual Communication through Infographics | | BIBAK | 77-80 | |
| Ecaterina Valica | |||
| Interaction techniques and visual representations allow users to view,
explore and understand large amounts of information. The research made in
Information Visualization area has focused on finding ways to render the
abstract information in an more intuitive way. Infographics allows you to
filter the information, establish relations between its components, find
patterns and represent them in a manner that allows the consumer to assimilate
knowledge in a faster and easier way. As infographics enter the on-line
environment, the line between infography and software begins to blur. The ease
of interpretation of information within an infographic is based on the fact
that it uses a universal visual language. Lately we can use various tools for
automatic representation and visualization of data. These tools facilitate the
creation and distribution of infographics and make the transition from
presentational to interactive graphics. Keywords: information visualization, infographics | |||
| A User Centered Approach in Designing a Career Decision Making Assistant | | BIBAK | 81-84 | |
| Daniela-Maria Onaca; Adriana-Mihaela Guran | |||
| The present paper analyses the results of a user need research during the
development of an intelligent assistant to support decisions in choosing the
specialty in higher education. Our research was composed of multiple research
projects focused on different categories of possible users. The methodology was
mostly qualitative. The results allowed us to reach a model of the decisional
process as well as to identify the main difficulties and opportunities during
this process. The identified opportunities were then associated with proposals
regarding the form and functionalities that should be imbedded in an
intelligent decision support system. Keywords: software assistant, task analysis, user centred design | |||
| News Web Portal based on Natural Language Processing | | BIBAK | 85-92 | |
| Traian Rebedea; Costin-Gabriel Chiru; Stefan Trausan-Matu | |||
| The paper presents an autonomous text classification module for a news web
portal for the Romanian language. Statistical natural language processing
techniques are combined in order to achieve a completely autonomous
functionality of the portal. The news items are automatically collected from a
large number of news sources using web syndication. Afterward, machine-learning
techniques are used for achieving an automatic classification of the news
stream. Firstly, the items are clustered using an agglomerative algorithm and
the resulting groups correspond to the main news topics. Thus, more
in-formation about each of the main topics is acquired from various news
sources. Secondly, text classification algorithms are applied to automatically
label each cluster of news items in a predetermined number of classes. More
than a thou-sand news items were employed for both the training and the
evaluation of the classifiers. The paper presents a complete comparison of the
results obtained for each method. Keywords: news portal, intelligent agents, natural language processing | |||
| A Microformats-based Tool for Personal Data Management | | BIBAK | 93-96 | |
| Marius Butuc; Sabin-Corneliu Buraga | |||
| We found ourselves in a time when we experience a real blooming of the
social side of the Web, by having more and more (apparently) separated entities
communicate together. In order to be able to communicate easily and to be able
to understand each other, we need standards that describe what we say, what we
listen, what we store in our data. That is why the development of semantic
markup doesn't only enrich the meaning for the humans, but also the meaning of
the human-defined semantic for the machines. The purpose of this paper is to
introduce a Web application -- Microwler -- that is capable of helping people
enrich their social experience on the Web. Microwler enables the user to search
and retrieve the personal data that anyone made available, regardless of the
rest of the content. It also enables the user to visualize the connections that
person has in his/hers XHTML Friends Network (XFN). Keywords: microformats, information retrieval | |||
| The Analysis of Imaginary in Texts | | BIBAK | 97-104 | |
| Lidia Trausan-Matu; Valentin-Andrei Canciu; Stefan Trausan-Matu | |||
| The paper presents an approach and an implemented system for analyzing the
imaginary in texts. This problem is very important because its resolution
allows the identification of connotations in texts, with major implications on
textual interaction. The approach starts from the theory of imaginary
introduced by the historian Lucian Boia. Natural language processing techniques
are used. The results of analysis on several known books are presented and
commented. Keywords: natural language processing, wordnet | |||
| ASAP -- Advanced system for assessing participants in a chat environment | | BIBAK | 105-112 | |
| Mihai Dascalu; Erol Valeriu Chioasca; Stefan Trausan-Matu | |||
| The paper proposes a method for assessment and identification of the most
competent participant in a chat collaborative environment. The article also
describes implemented software systems that facilitate the visualization of
test results. Natural Language Processing and Social network Analysis methods
are used. The programs help both teachers and students in improving their
learning and assessment methods by providing personalized feedback based on the
chat taken into consideration. Keywords: Chat, polyphony, assessment, annotation, social networks, semantic web | |||
| Social and Affective Presence in Online Communication | | BIBAK | 113-116 | |
| Ana Maria Marhan | |||
| New communication technologies demand users to creatively adjust emotion
expression strategies to the constrains of a new environment. The paper
provides a brief analysis of the most frequent emotion representation
modalities users employ in various text-based communication environments (like
chat, email, SMS, discussion forums, etc.), as well as the main cues they rely
on in order to interpret the emotional state of persons they are engaging in a
computer mediated interaction. Keywords: communication, social presence, emotion | |||
| Online Communities: Approaches, Principles, Dilemmas | | BIBAK | 117-120 | |
| Irina Cristescu | |||
| Online communities mediated by computer facilitate the gathering and the
group interaction throughout social support, information and the feeling of
belonging. The social interaction areas created by technologies that allow
users to interact with other groups assure the consolidation of social
networks. The design and the development of interactive systems should be
concerned with two important aspects: usability and sociability. When the group
interest is in contradiction with the personal interest a new tension is
created, a tension whose negative effects can not be neglected due to their
implications on the group level. In the present article we analyze the design
principles of online communities on grounds concerning the usability and
sociability requests. Keywords: online communities, sociability, usability | |||
| Using Web Services from Mobile Devices. Software Application for Academic Environment | | BIBAK | 121-124 | |
| Emil Stanescu; Ileana Stanescu; Razvan Zota; Laura Stanescu | |||
| In our paper we depict two modes of accessing Web services from mobile
devices. These modalities correspond to different types of mobile devices, and,
as a consequence, we use adapted client modules for each type. The software
application depicted in our paper represents an easy way for informing of the
members of an academic environment. It offers the possibility of an easy
adaptation of user interface, so as to access the information faster, in
concordance with user profile and his context. The architecture of this
information system includes a common support at data level and at application
level, on the server, but, at the client level, we developed distinct software
components: for PocketPC mobile devices, which use Microsoft .NET Compact
Edition, and, on the other part, for mobile phones incorporating Java 2
Platform Micro Edition. Keywords: mobile devices, web services | |||
| Approaches on the Quality Evaluation of the On-line Public Services (e-ServEval) | | BIBAK | 125-128 | |
| Alexandru Balog | |||
| This paper describes two categories of approach (general and specific)
regarding the quality evaluation of the on-line public services. The specific
approach presents the e-ServEval model, designed and experimented in a national
research project. The model takes into consideration characteristics regarding
the quality of the interface, the quality of the interaction and of the result
(outcome). The model is validated in relation to external factors (the user's
satisfaction and the intention of using the service). Keywords: online public services, quality evaluation | |||
| Hedonic and pragmatic attributes in determining the mobile phone user experience | | BIBAK | 129-132 | |
| Daniela-Maria Onaca; Andreia Daniela Muresan; Horia D. Pitariu | |||
| The present research represents an integrative approach of the user
experience notion having the Hassenzahl model (2003) as a starting point. The
integrative dimensions of our model are represented by: product
characteristics, pragmatic attributes (ease of use, usability), hedonic
attributes (stimulation, identification, evocation), consequences
(satisfaction, pleasure and visual attraction) and the context of use (action
vs. goal mode). This model is empirically tested in the field of mobile
technology, more specifically in the field of mobile phone use. Our results
indicate that all the aspects of the experience contribute significantly to the
overall satisfaction of the mobile phone user, the pragmatic and hedonic
attributes not being perceived as two different elements. Perceived user
satisfaction is seen as a mediator between usability and visual attraction.
Both pragmatic and hedonic attributes influences significantly satisfaction and
visual attraction and the differences regarding the user experience are
significantly influenced by context. Keywords: user experience, hedonic attributes, usability, mobile phones | |||
| Collaboration in E-learning Environments -- Psychological Aspects and Current Technologies | | BIBAK | 133-138 | |
| Alexandru D. Iordan | |||
| This review synthesizes the main theoretical and applicative approaches
regarding collaboration in current e-learning environments. The paper sets off
from the psychological and educational foundations of collaborative learning,
on the one hand, and from the current level of Web technology, on the other
hand. The concepts, premises and typology of the approaches that support
computer mediated collaborative learning are treated next. Finally, the main
technologies and applications that implement collaborative e-learning are
presented. Keywords: e-learning, collaborative learning | |||
| Increasing Efficiency of the Didactic Computer Games through Processing Information on Action, Iconic and Verbal Level | | BIBAK | 139-142 | |
| Verginia Cretu | |||
| The author prove that the advantages of computer games are increased if they
are part of didactic system based on processing information at action, iconic
and verbal level. Didactic game could reproduce trustily the reality elements
at which students do not have direct access, but also an inherent directed
activity, loved by those, with small steps and many feedbacks; could become
complementary to all three plans, gives an action model for discover complex
relationships from nature; starts cognition activity and mental image creation
which extends outside activity. The most important arguments are given by
research made in primary school (pupils 7-11 years old with mental impairment)
which proved that, training the same thinking micro operations, at direct
action level in nature, with things and creatures, than through images (which
permit to detach stable patterns for selective reflection of essential) and
then at verbal level, contributes to increase formative efficiency of the
teaching-learning process. Keywords: educational computer games | |||
| Graphics Annotation Techniques in E-learning | | BIBAK | 143-146 | |
| Teodor Stefanut; Dorian Gorgan | |||
| This paper presents the experiments on the user interaction techniques based
on the 2D and 3D graphics annotation, developed in eTrace eLearning
Environment. The 2D annotation technique does not depend on the type of the 2D
documents and 3D objects. The user has the ability to make 3D annotations by
drawing directly on the surface of the 3D objects. eTrace has been developed
and experimented the annotation techniques in the context of lessons from
different domains such as mechanics, physics, and aeronautics. Keywords: graphical annotation, e-learning | |||