| A comprehensive taxonomy of algorithm animation languages | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 1-22 | |
| Ville Karavirta; Ari Korhonen; Lauri Malmi; Thomas Naps | |||
| In this paper, we present a taxonomy of algorithm animation languages that
augments Price's well-known taxonomy of software visualization. Whereas Price's
taxonomy is directed to classifying features and characteristics of
visualization systems, the new taxonomy focuses on evaluating current animation
languages. The taxonomy can be used by algorithm visualization system designers
as a tool to compare visualization system languages with each other as well as
for designing and implementing new systems and language features. In addition,
the taxonomy provides guidelines to the features that are needed for
transferring animations between systems. This is an ongoing project that
elaborates upon the work reported on in a briefer version of the taxonomy. Keywords: Algorithm animation; Algorithm animation language; Software visualization; Scripting language; Taxonomy | |||
| Visual extraction of information from web pages | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 23-32 | |
| Giuseppe Della Penna; Daniele Magazzeni; Sergio Orefice | |||
| In this paper we present a graphical software system that provides an
automatic support to the extraction of information from web pages. The
underlying extraction technique exploits the visual appearance of the
information in the document, and is driven by the spatial relations occurring
among the elements in the page. However, the usual information extraction
modalities based on the web page structure can be used in our framework, too.
The technique has been integrated within the Spatial Relation Query (SRQ) tool.
The tool is provided with a graphical front-end which allows one to define and
manage a library of spatial relations, and to use a SQL-like language for
composing queries driven by these relations and by further semantic and
graphical attributes. Keywords: Information extraction; Web visual information search; Spatial relations; Query languages; User interfaces for search interaction | |||
| Dependability issues in visual-haptic interfaces | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 33-40 | |
| Stefano Ricciardi; Michele Nappi; Luca Paolino; Monica Sebillo; Giuliana Vitiello; Gabriella Gigante; Domenico Pascarella; Lidia Travascio; Angela Vozella | |||
| Dependability of a system is commonly referred to its reliability, its
availability and its maintenability (RAM), but when this concept is applied to
user interfaces there is no common agreement on what aspects of user-system
interaction are related to a satisfactory RAM level for the whole system. In
particular, when dealing with haptic systems, interface dependability may
become a crucial issue in medical and in military domains when life-critical
systems are to be manipulated or where costly remote control operations are to
be performed, like in industrial processes control or in aerospace/automotive
engineering and manufacturing. This paper discusses the role of dependability
in haptic user interfaces, aiming to the definition of a framework for the
assessment of the usability and dependability properties of haptic systems and
their possible correlations. The research is based on the analysis of a
visual-haptic-based simulator targeted to maintenance activity training for
aerospace industry which is taken as a case study. As a result, we propose a
novel framework able to collect and then process relevant interaction data
during the execution of haptic tasks, enabling to analyze dependability vs.
usability correlations. Keywords: Visual-haptic interfaces; Multimodal interaction; Usability; Dependability | |||
| A system for visual role-based policy modelling | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 41-64 | |
| Massimiliano Giordano; Giuseppe Polese; Giuseppe Scanniello; Genoveffa Tortora | |||
| The definition of security policies in information systems and programming
applications is often accomplished through traditional low level languages that
are difficult to use. This is a remarkable drawback if we consider that
security policies are often specified and maintained by top level enterprise
managers who would probably prefer to use simplified, metaphor oriented policy
management tools.
To support all the different kinds of users we propose a suite of visual languages to specify access and security policies according to the role based access control (RBAC) model. Moreover, a system implementing the proposed visual languages is proposed. The system provides a set of tools to enable a user to visually edit security policies and to successively translate them into (eXtensible Access Control Markup Language) code, which can be managed by a Policy Based Management System supporting such policy language. The system and the visual approach have been assessed by means of usability studies and of several case studies. The one presented in this paper regards the configuration of access policies for a multimedia content management platform providing video streaming services also accessible through mobile devices. Keywords: RBAC; Role-based security policy; Visual languages; XACML; Eclipse IDE | |||
| JVLC special issue on sketch computation | | BIB | Full-Text | 67-68 | |
| Gennaro Costagliola; Tracy Hammond; Beryl Plimmer | |||
| Sketch-based retrieval of drawings using spatial proximity | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 69-80 | |
| Pedro Sousa; Manuel J. Fonseca | |||
| Currently, there are large collections of drawings from which users can
select the desired ones to insert in their documents. However, to locate a
particular drawing among thousands is not easy. In our prior work we proposed
an approach to index and retrieve vector drawings by content, using topological
and geometric information automatically extracted from figures. In this paper,
we present a new approach to enrich the topological information by integrating
spatial proximity in the topology graph, through the use of weights in
adjacency links. Additionally, we developed a web search engine for clip art
drawings, where we included the new technique. Experimental evaluation reveals
that the use of topological proximity results in better retrieval results than
topology alone. However, the increase in precision was not as high as we
expected. To understand why, we analyzed sketched queries performed by users in
previous experimental sessions and we present here the achieved conclusions. Keywords: Sketch-based retrieval; Vector drawing retrieval; Spatial proximity; Topology | |||
| A model-based recognition engine for sketched diagrams | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 81-97 | |
| Florian Brieler; Mark Minas | |||
| Many of today's recognition approaches for hand-drawn sketches are
feature-based, which is conceptually similar to the recognition of hand-written
text. While very suitable for the latter (and more tasks, e.g., for entering
gestures as commands), such approaches do not easily allow for clustering and
segmentation of strokes, which is crucial to their recognition. This results in
applications which do not feel natural but impose artificial restrictions on
the user regarding how sketches and single components (shapes) are to be drawn.
This paper proposes a concept and architecture for a generic geometry-based recognizer. It is designed for the mentioned issue of clustering and segmentation. All strokes are fed into independent preprocessors called transformers that process and abstract the strokes. The result of the transformers is stored in models. Each model is responsible for a certain type of primitive, e.g., a line or an arc. The advantage of models is that different interpretations of a stroke exist in parallel, and there is no need to rate or sort these interpretations. The recognition of a component in the drawing is then decomposed into the recognition of its primitives that can be directly queried for in the models. Finally, the identified primitives are assembled to the complete component. This process is directed by an automatically computed search plan, which exhibits shape characteristics in order to ensure an efficient recognition. Keywords: Sketching; Sketch recognition; Geometry-based recognition | |||
| Generating systems from multiple sketched models | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 98-108 | |
| Paul Schmieder; Beryl Plimmer; Jean Vanderdonckt | |||
| Diagrams are often used to model complex systems: in many cases several
different types of diagrams are used to model different aspects of the system.
These diagrams, perhaps from multiple stakeholders of different specialties,
must be combined to achieve a full abstract representation of the system. Many
CAD tools offer multi-diagram integration; however, sketch-based diagramming
tools are yet to tackle this difficult integration problem. We extend the
diagram sketching tool InkKit to combine software engineering sketches of
different types. Our extensions support software design processes by providing
a sketch-based approach that allows the iterative creation of multiple outputs
interacting with one another from the inter-linked models. We demonstrate that
InkKit can generate a functional system consisting of a user interface with
processes to submit and retrieve data from a database from sketched user
interfaces designs and sketched entity relationship diagrams. Keywords: Sketch tools; Sketch recognition; Software modeling | |||
| LAMPS: A sketch recognition-based teaching tool for Mandarin Phonetic Symbols I | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 109-120 | |
| Paul Taele; Tracy Hammond | |||
| The non-Romanized Mandarin Phonetic Symbols I (MPS1) system is a highly
advantageous phonetic system for native English users studying Chinese Mandarin
to learn, yet its steep initial learning curve discourages language programs to
instead adopt Romanized phonetic systems. Computer-assisted language
instruction (CALI) can greatly reduce this learning curve, in order to enable
students to sooner benefit from the long-term advantages presented in MPS1
usage during the course of Chinese Mandarin study. Unfortunately, the
technologies surrounding existing online handwriting recognition algorithms and
CALI applications are insufficient in providing a "dynamic" counterpart to
traditional paper-based workbooks employed in the classroom setting. In this
paper, we describe our sketch recognition-based LAMPS system for teaching MPS1
by emulating the naturalness and realism of paper-based workbooks, while
extending their functionality with human instructor-level critique and
assessment at an automated level. Keywords: Sketch recognition; Chinese; Bopomofo | |||
| IssuePlayer: An extensible framework for visual assessment of issue management in software development projects | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 121-135 | |
| Vahid Garousi; James Leitch | |||
| This article presents a software visualization framework which can help
project managers and team leaders in overseeing issues and their management in
software development. To automate the framework, a dashboard tool called
IssuePlayer is developed. The tool is used to study the trends in which
different types of issues (e.g., bugs, support requests) are submitted, handled
and piled up in software projects and use that information to identify process
symptoms, e.g., the times when the code maintenance team is not responsive
enough. The interactive nature of the tool enables identification of the team
members who have not been as active as they were expected to be in such cases.
The user can play, pause, rewind and forward the issue management histories
using the tool. The tool is empirically evaluated by two industrial partners in
North America and Europe. The survey and qualitative feedback support the
usefulness and effectiveness of the tool in assessing the issue management
processes and the performance of team members. The tool can be used
complementarily in parallel with textual information provided by issue
management tools (e.g., BugZilla) to enable team leaders to conduct effective
and successful monitoring of issue management in software development projects. Keywords: Software development projects; Software visualization tools; Issue management | |||
| A methodology to specify three-dimensional interaction using Petri Nets | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 136-156 | |
| Rafael Rieder; Alberto Barbosa Raposo; Márcio Sarroglia Pinho | |||
| This work presents a methodology to formally model and to build
three-dimensional interaction tasks in virtual environments using three
different tools: Petri Nets, the Interaction Technique Decomposition taxonomy,
and Object-Oriented techniques. User operations in the virtual environment are
represented as Petri Net nodes; these nodes, when linked, represent the
interaction process stages. In our methodology, places represent all the states
an application can reach, transitions define the conditions to start an action,
and tokens embody the data manipulated by the application. As a result of this
modeling process we automatically generate the core of the application's source
code. We also use a Petri Net execution library to run the application code. In
order to facilitate the application modeling, we have adapted Dia, a well-known
graphical diagram editor, to support Petri Nets creation and code generation.
The integration of these approaches results in a modular application, based on
Petri Nets formalism that allows for the specification of an interaction task
and for the reuse of developed blocks in new virtual environment projects. Keywords: Interaction tasks; Petri Nets; Specification; Code generation | |||
| Concept and pragmatics of an intuitive visualization-oriented metamodeling tool | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 157-170 | |
| Dirk Draheim; Melanie Himsl; Daniel Jabornig; Josef Küng; Werner Leithner; Peter Regner; Thomas Wiesinger | |||
| In this article we present a metamodeling tool that is strictly oriented
towards the needs of the working domain expert. The working domain expert looks
for intuitive metamodeling features. In particular, these features include rich
capabilities for specifying the visual appearance of models. Our research has
identified an important design rationale for metamodeling tools that we call
visual reification, which is the notion that metamodels are visualized the same
way as their instances. Our tool supports both standard and innovative
metamodeling features oriented towards the principle of visual reification. In
this paper we present an unbiased discussion of the pragmatics of metamodeling
tools against the background of this design rationale. Keywords: Visual modeling; Visual modeling languages; Business process modeling; CASE tools; Model-driven architecture | |||
| Mental imagery and software visualization in high-performance software development teams | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 171-183 | |
| Marian Petre | |||
| This paper considers the relationship between mental imagery and software
visualization in professional, high-performance software development. It
presents overviews of four empirical studies of professional software
developers in high-performing teams: (1) expert programmers' mental imagery,
(2) how experts externalize their mental imagery as part of teamwork, (3)
experts' use of commercially available visualization software, and (4) what
tools experts build themselves, how they use the tools they build for
themselves, and why they build tools for themselves. Through this series of
studies, the paper provides insight into a relationship between how experts
reason about and imagine solutions, and their use of and requirements for
external representations and software visualization. In particular, it provides
insight into how experts use visualization in reasoning about software design,
and how their requirements for the support of design tasks differ from those
for the support of other software development tasks. The paper draws on theory
from other disciplines to explicate issues in this area, and it discusses
implications for future work in this field. Keywords: Software visualization; Empirical studies; High-performance programming; Teamwork | |||
| Visual software tools for multimedia authoring | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 184-191 | |
| Timothy Arndt; Ethan Katz | |||
| Multimedia authoring tools were originally developed more than 20 years ago
to help non-programmers construct multimedia presentations, especially in the
area of primary education. Since then, both the application scope and the
target audience have broadened. In this paper, we review several of the more
popular visual tools for multimedia authoring. Keywords: Multimedia authoring; Software tools; Reviews | |||
| Introduction to the special issue on graph visualization | | BIB | Full-Text | 193 | |
| Kang Zhang | |||
| A new concentric-circle visualization of multi-dimensional data and its application in network security | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 194-208 | |
| Liang Fu Lu; Jia Wan Zhang; Mao Lin Huang; Lei Fu | |||
| With the rapid growth of networked data communications in size and
complexity, network administrators today are facing more challenges to protect
their networked computers and devices from all kinds of attacks. This paper
proposes a new concentric-circle visualization method for visualizing
multi-dimensional network data. This method can be used to identify the main
features of network attacks, such as DDoS attack, by displaying their
recognizable visual patterns. To reduce the edge overlaps and crossings, we
arrange multiple axes displayed as concentric circles rather than the
traditional parallel lines. In our method, we use polycurves to link values
(vertexes) rather than polylines used in parallel coordinate approach. Some
heuristics are applied in our new method in order to improve the readability of
views. We discuss the advantages as well as the limitations of our new method.
In comparison with the parallel coordinate visualization, our approach can
reduce more than 15% of the edge overlaps and crossings. In the second stage of
the method, we have further enhanced the readability of views by increasing the
edge crossing angle. Finally, we introduce our prototype system: a visual
interactive network scan detection system called CCScanViewer. It is based on
our new visualization approach and the experiments have showed that the new
approach is effective in detecting attack features from a variety of networking
patterns, such as the features of network scans and DDoS attacks. Keywords: Concentric-circle coordinate; Multi-dimensional data visualization; Crossing reduction; Network visualization; Security visualization; Network intrusion detection; Polycurve | |||
| DaisyViz: A model-based user interface toolkit for interactive information visualization systems | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 209-229 | |
| Lei Ren; Feng Tian; Xiaolong (Luke) Zhang; Lin Zhang | |||
| While information visualization technologies have transformed our life and
work, designing information visualization systems still faces challenges.
Non-expert users or end-users need toolkits that allow for rapid design and
prototyping, along with supporting unified data structures suitable for
different data types (e.g., tree, network, temporal, and multi-dimensional
data), various visualization, interaction tasks. To address these issues, we
designed DaisyViz, a model-based user interface toolkit, which enables
end-users to rapidly develop domain-specific information visualization
applications without traditional programming. DaisyViz is based on a user
interface model for information (UIMI), which includes three declarative
models: data model, visualization model, and control model. In the development
process, a user first constructs a UIMI with interactive visual tools. The
results of the UIMI are then parsed to generate a prototype system
automatically. In this paper, we discuss the concept of UIMI, describe the
architecture of DaisyViz, and show how to use DaisyViz to build an information
visualization system. We also present a usability study of DaisyViz we
conducted. Our findings indicate DaisyViz is an effective toolkit to help
end-users build interactive information visualization systems. Keywords: User interface; Information visualization; Toolkit; Multiple coordinated views; Model-based interface development | |||
| Sharing, finding and reusing end-user code for reformatting and validating data | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 230-245 | |
| Christopher Scaffidi | |||
| To help users with automatically reformatting and validating spreadsheets
and other datasets, prior work introduced a user-extensible data model called
"topes" and a supporting visual programming language. However, no support has
existed to date for users to exchange and reuse topes. This functional gap
results in wasteful duplication of work as users implement topes that other
people have already created.
In this paper, a design for a new repository system is presented that supports sharing and finding of topes for reuse. This repository tightly integrates traditional keyword-based search with two additional search methods whose usefulness in repositories of end-user code has gone unexplored to date. The first method is "search-by-match", where a user specifies examples of data, and the repository retrieves topes that can reformat and validate that data. The second method is collaborative filtering, which has played a vital role in repositories of non-code artifacts. The repository's search functionality was empirically tested on a prototype repository implementation by simulating queries generated from real user spreadsheets. This experiment reveals that search-by-match and collaborative filtering greatly improve the accuracy of search over the traditional keyword-based approach, to a recall as high as 95%. These results show that search-by-match and collaborative filtering are useful approaches for helping users to publish, find, and reuse visual programs similar to topes. Keywords: End-user programming; End-user software engineering; Data; Reuse; Spreadsheets | |||
| Special issue on selected papers from VL/HCC'09 | | BIB | Full-Text | 247-248 | |
| Robert DeLine; Mark Minas | |||
| Reasoning about spreadsheets with labels and dimensions | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 249-262 | |
| Chris Chambers; Martin Erwig | |||
| Labels in spreadsheets can be exploited for finding formula errors in two
principally different ways. First, the spatial relationships between labels and
other cells express simple constraints on the cells usage in formulas. Second,
labels can be interpreted as units of measurements to provide semantic
information about the data being combined in formulas, which results in
different kinds of constraints.
In this paper we demonstrate how both approaches can be combined into an integrated analysis, which is able to find significantly more errors in spreadsheets than each of the individual approaches. In particular, the integrated system is able to detect errors that cannot be found by either of the individual approaches alone, which shows that the integrated system provides an added value beyond the mere combination of its parts. We also compare the effectiveness of this combined approach with several other conceivable combinations of the involved components and identify a system that seems most effective to find spreadsheet formula errors based on label and unit-of-measurement information. Keywords: Spreadsheet; Dimension; Unit of measurement; Static analysis; Inference rule; Error detection | |||
| Non-programmers identifying functionality in unfamiliar code: strategies and barriers | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 263-276 | |
| Paul Gross; Caitlin Kelleher | |||
| Source code on the web is a widely available and potentially rich learning
resource for non-programmers. However, unfamiliar code can be daunting to
end-users without programming experience. This paper describes the results of
an exploratory study in which we asked non-programmers to find and modify the
code responsible for specific functionality within unfamiliar programs. We
present two interacting models of how non-programmers approach this problem:
the Task Process Model and the Landmark-Mapping model. Using these models, we
describe code search strategies non-programmers employed and the barriers they
encountered. Finally, we propose guidelines for future programming environments
that support non-programmers in finding functionality in unfamiliar programs. Keywords: Non-programmer; End-user; Code search; Strategy; Barrier; Comprehension; Navigation; Graphic output; Storytelling alice | |||
| Using traits of web macro scripts to predict reuse | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 277-291 | |
| Chris Scaffidi; Chris Bogart; Margaret Burnett; Allen Cypher; Brad Myers; Mary Shaw | |||
| To help people find a code that they might want to reuse, repositories of
end-user code typically sort scripts by number of downloads, ratings, or other
information based on prior uses of the code. However, this information is
unavailable when the code is new or when it has not yet been reused. Addressing
this problem requires identifying reusable code based solely on information
that exists when a script is created. To provide such a model for web macro
scripts, we identified script traits that might plausibly predict reuse, then
used IBM CoScripter repository logs to statistically test how well each
corresponded to actual reuse. These tests confirmed that the traits generally
did correspond to higher levels of reuse as anticipated. We then developed a
machine learning model that uses these traits as features to predict reuse of
macros. Evaluating this model on repository logs showed that its accuracy is
comparable to that of existing machine learning models for predicting reuse --
but with a much simpler structure. Sensitivity analysis revealed that our model
is quite robust; its quality is greatly reduced only when parameters are set to
such extreme values that the model becomes inordinately selective. Testing the
model with individual traits revealed those that provided the best predictions
on their own. Based on these results, we outline opportunities for using our
model to improve repositories of end-user code. Keywords: End-user programming; End-user software engineering; Repositories; Reuse; Web macros | |||
| Route instructions in map-based human-human and human-computer dialogue: A comparative analysis | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 292-309 | |
| Thora Tenbrink; Robert J. Ross; Kavita E. Thomas; Nina Dethlefs; Elena Andonova | |||
| When conveying information about spatial situations and goals, speakers
adapt flexibly to their addressee in order to reach the communicative goal
efficiently and effortlessly. Our aim is to equip a dialogue system with the
abilities required for such a natural, adaptive dialogue. In this paper we
investigate the strategies people use to convey route information in relation
to a map by presenting two parallel studies involving human-human and
human-computer interaction. We compare the instructions given to a human
interaction partner with those given to a dialogue system which reacts by basic
verbal responses and dynamic visualization of the route in the map. The
language produced by human route givers is analyzed with respect to a range of
communicative as well as cognitively crucial features, particularly perspective
choice and references to locations across levels of granularity. Results reveal
that speakers produce systematically different instructions with respect to
these features, depending on the nature of the interaction partner, human or
dialogue system. Our further analysis of clarification and reference resolution
strategies produced by human route followers provides insights into dialogue
strategies that future systems should be equipped with. Keywords: Perspective; Granularity; Human-computer interaction; Communicative strategies | |||
| Visual instructional design languages | | BIB | Full-Text | 311-312 | |
| Manuel Caeiro Rogriguez; Michael Derntl; Luca Botturi | |||
| A multicase study for the evaluation of a pattern-based visual design process for collaborative learning | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 313-331 | |
| Davinia Hernández-Leo; Ivan M. Jorrín-Abellán; Eloy D. Villasclaras-Fernández; Juan I. Asensio-Pérez; Yannis Dimitriadis | |||
| Collage is a pattern-based visual design authoring tool for the creation of
collaborative learning scripts computationally modelled with IMS Learning
Design (LD). The pattern-based visual approach aims to provide teachers with
design ideas that are based on broadly accepted practices. Besides, it seeks
hiding the LD notation so that teachers can easily create their own designs.
The use of visual representations supports both the understanding of the design
ideas and the usability of the authoring tool. This paper presents a multicase
study comprising three different cases that evaluate the approach from
different perspectives. The first case includes workshops where teachers use
Collage. A second case implies the design of a scenario proposed by a
third-party using related approaches. The third case analyzes a situation where
students follow a design created with Collage. The cross-case analysis provides
a global understanding of the possibilities and limitations of the
pattern-based visual design approach. Keywords: Learning design; Computer-supported collaborative learning Visual design process; Patterns; Authoring tool; Case study | |||
| An extensible approach to visually editing adaptive learning activities and designs based on services | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 332-346 | |
| Juan Manuel Dodero; Álvaro Martínez del Val; Jorge Torres | |||
| Learning management systems (LMS) provide an operational environment in
which an online course can be created and later executed. Inter-operation
between creators and their authoring facilities, and the LMS execution engine
are based on defining standards and specifications, such as the IMS Learning
Design (LD). Because an LMS better serves as a course player than as a course
creator, a large number of approaches and environments for standards-compliant
course authoring have been developed. These approaches and environments propose
a number of issues that deal with how adaptations are edited and how to define
the connection of learning activities with external learning applications and
services. These questions have raised concern, mostly because of the excessive
commitment of the creators' methods and tools used with an educational modeling
language, as well as the isolation of the language used to describe the course
from the host LMS. This work describes an abstract, extendible language used to
specify the learning design of a course, which can be transformed into any LD
language as required by the execution environment. The language is used from a
generative authoring environment that offers the possibility of editing web
services as an additional resource to assess learning activities. Keywords: Domain-specific languages; Learning design; Learning management systems | |||
| A Domain-Specific Modeling approach for supporting the specification of Visual Instructional Design Languages and the building of dedicated editors | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 347-358 | |
| Pierre Laforcade | |||
| This paper presents, illustrates and discusses theories and practices about
the application of a domain-specific modeling (DSM) approach to facilitate the
specification of Visual Instructional Design Languages (VIDLs) and the
development of dedicated graphical editors. Although this approach still
requires software engineering skills, it tackles the need of building VIDLs
allowing both visual models for human-interpretation purposes (explicit
designs, communication, thinking, etc.) and machine-readable notations for
deployment or other instructional design activities. This article proposes a
theoretical application and a categorization, based on a domain-oriented
separation of concerns of instructional design. It also presents some practical
illustrations from experiments of specific DSM tooling. Key lessons learned as
well as observed obstacles and challenges to deal with are discussed in order
to further develop such an approach. Keywords: Visual Instructional Design Languages Domain Specific Modeling; Visual and executable models | |||
| Cognitive effectiveness of visual instructional design languages | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 359-373 | |
| Kathrin Figl; Michael Derntl; Manuel Caeiro Rodriguez; Luca Botturi | |||
| The introduction of learning technologies into education is making the
design of courses and instructional materials an increasingly complex task.
Instructional design languages are identified as conceptual tools for achieving
more standardized and, at the same time, more creative design solutions, as
well as enhancing communication and transparency in the design process. In this
article we discuss differences in cognitive aspects of three visual
instructional design languages (E2ML, PoEML, coUML), based on user evaluation.
Cognitive aspects are of relevance for learning a design language, creating
models with it, and understanding models created using it. The findings should
enable language constructors to improve the usability of visual instructional
design languages in the future. The paper concludes with directions with regard
to how future research on visual instructional design languages could
strengthen their value and enhance their actual use by educators and designers
by synthesizing existing efforts into a unified modeling approach for VIDLs. Keywords: Visual design languages; Cognitive effectiveness; Instructional design; Visual notations; E2ML; PoEML; CoUML | |||