Groupwork with computers

Abstract The researchers will develop a programme of computer-based groupwork in two clusters of four-six primary/middle schools. This will be improved and modified in the light of the first year's experience. Research techniques will also be piloted during this developmental phase. A series of studies will then be planned over 2 years as a coherent programme, involving both teacher researchers and university-based researchers. These will investigate relationships between context variables, group processes and pupil attitudes and learning. Special attention will be given to the effects of varying the computing environment and the learning task, to pupils' psychological characteristics and their variance or invariance, to group size and competition, to gender effects, to teacher intervention strategies, and to the effect of prior training in cooperative groupwork and/or experience of groupwork off the computer.     

Towards a practical method of user interface evaluation

This paper describes a practical method for evaluating the usability of human-computer interfaces. The paper specifies the requirements of such a method, and then outlines our work in developing a method to meet this specification. The method is based on the conduct of realistic tasks with an interactive system and the subsequent systematic elicitation of end-users' and designers' reactions to the interface using a criterion-based evaluation checklist.

Two practical examples are used to illustrate development of the method: (a) evaluation of a prototype production scheduling system, and (b) comparative assessment of the usability of three prototype user interfaces to a public-access database. The paper discusses some issues raised by the method and considers how it can be furthe developed.     

The evolution of the Computers and Writing Conference, the second decade

This article, written for the twentieth anniversary of the Computers and Writing Conference, is the sequel to “The Evolution of the Computers and Writing Conference” (Computers and Composition, 12(3), November, 1995). The earlier article analyzed many of the intellectual concerns, values, and language expressed in presentations at the Computers and Writing Conference from 1982 to 1994. This article does the same for the second ten conferences, 1995-2004. Throughout the second decade, we have developed a new comfort with computers, expanded our idea of “writing” beyond the traditional essay, and gained a respected place in the academy. Computers and writing has become an institution. At the same time, we sometimes worry about losing control over our teaching and can feel overwhelmed by the size of the task we undertake. Many of our values have stayed the same; however, we are optimistic about the place of technology in our work and in the culture at large, we love to experiment, and we routinely weave ideas from other disciplines and other areas of our lives into our computers and writing research.     

Let's talk: anthropomorphization as means to cope with stress of interacting with technical devices

This study is concerned with the anthropomorphization of technical devices and the resulting influence on human-machine interaction; a special focus is on the verbal interaction between human and machine. Questions included: why do people regard technical devices as humans, when do they do so and how do they perceive their own dialogue and other persons' dialogues with technical devices? Correlation coefficients were calculated between the amount of displayed anthropomorphism and subjects' personality structure, fear of technical devices and self-rated technical competency. A subsequent regression analysis revealed that extraversion and gender of the respondents significantly predicted the amount of interaction with technical devices. Regression analysis showed that neuroticism and agreeableness significantly predicted self-rated technical competency. Technical devices that were seen as helpers or friends were generally treated less unfriendly than devices perceived as merely tools. The findings are discussed in the context of emotion and stress at work and the usability of technical devices.     

Basic program for determining the best identification scores possible from the most typical examples when compared with an identification matrix of percent positive characters

A BASIC program entitled MOSTTYP is given for evaluation of the quality of identification matrices by calculating the best identification scores that an entirely typical example of each group could achieve. The program is intended to supplement the method of identification of unknowns with presence-absence properties by comparison with a matrix of percent positive characters.     

Basic program for printing a coding sheet for unknowns that are to be identified against an identification matrix of percent positive characters

A BASIC program is given, entitled IDEFORM, that prints a coding sheet for use in computer-assisted identification. The coding sheet is intended for use with the program MATIDEN by which unknowns scored for presence-absence properties or characters are compared with an identification matrix of percent positive characters of a number of groups or taxa. The coding sheet is prepared from the particular identification matrix for use with that matrix.     

Reflecting upon the Past,Sitting with the Present,and Charting our Future: Gail Hawisher and Cynthia,Selfe Discussing the Community of Computers & Composition

This interview with Gail Hawisher and Cynthia Selfe highlights themes of collaboration and access, in addition to the importance of the work people in the community of computers and writing contribute nationally and internationally to the field, to rhetoric and composition, and to other disciplines. Both Hawisher and Self reflect upon thirty years of scholarship in Computers and Composition as well as discuss present initiatives with the Digital Archives of Literacy Narratives and Computers and Composition Digital Press, in addition to charting our future with a turn to the global.     

Evaluation of a workplace technology for mental health assessment: A meaning-making process

This paper describes the results of a summative evaluation conducted to explore the usability and acceptability of an automated telephone-based technology, designed and developed as a screening tool for mental health disorders in the workplace. The system screens employees for symptoms and subsequently provides educational information and referrals to improve mental health and enhance productivity. The qualitative evaluation was a sub-study of a larger randomized controlled trial (RCT). We conducted in-depth interviews with 15 individuals who participated in the RCT and had used the system. A phenomenological theoretical framework was utilized to analyze the narrative data. Results indicated that participants had mostly positive experience with the system and perceived it as a confidential program that allowed them to reflect on their symptoms without inhibition, fear of judgment or embarrassment. We also learned that asking mere questions about mental health symptoms can be a positive, instructive and possibly a restorative experience. There is a likelihood that for many participants, exposure to questions about their emotional and mental distress validated their feelings about their symptoms and was sufficiently compelling to promote help-seeking behavior. This evaluation study demonstrates that computers can be utilized in the workplace as effective screening and educational tools to improve employees’ mental health.     

Reducing computer operating costs

This paper presents a cost reduction strategy for computer operating expenses. Different ratios are proposed to help decision makers in understanding the impact of computer operating cost on productivity and profitability. Computer Operating Cost Self-Assessment Checklist is provided.     

CASA,WASA, and the dimensions of us

In this paper we replicate and extend the work of the Computers are Social Actors (CASA) researchers who repeatedly found evidence that humans treat computers with typical social norms as if they were humans. We performed a between-subjects 2 × 2 factorial experiment to test our hypotheses as well as an exploratory factor analysis to further refine and validate a construct which measures politeness. We retest the CASA hypothesis and found that our new hypothesis – Websites are Social Actors (WASA) reduces the CASA effect in contexts where individuals form a social attachment to websites instead of computers. We found evidence that suggests humans can exhibit politeness toward websites and literally (not virtually) treat them as social actors. Finally, we tease out the elements of politeness as a construct and identify the key items in the instrument for data reduction, and initiate efforts towards establishing reliability and construct validity. As we shall see, the results of an exploratory factor analysis are quite consistent to recent research in social cognition, and suggest that the politeness construct may be tapping similar and fundamental components of how humans engage with others in their social world.     

计算机科学与技术专业实践教学研究

目前,高校计算机科学与技术专业的教学还存在着很多的问题和漏洞,这些问题和漏洞如果得不到很好的改正和填补,就会使计算机科学与技术的教学质量得不到提高。本文就高校计算机科学与技术专业的教学现状进行阐述,根据自身经验和研究总结改革教学方式,从而进一步推进计算机科学与技术教学的发展。     

Basic program for character separation indices from an identification matrix of percent positive characters

A BASIC program termed CHARSEP is given for calculating the usefulness of different properties (or characters) for separating groups in which the percentage of positive values have been tabulated for these properties. For each character the following separation indices are calculated: Gyllenberg's Sum of C, Gyllenberg's R, Niemeläs index, and the VSP index, and the CSP index. Additional quantities that are useful in evaluating the identification matrix are the numbers of groups to which an unknown can be allocated reliably if it is scored positive or negative for a character, the character consistency within taxa, and the separation potential of each character. Characters of poor diagnostic value can be determined readily by the program.     

Basic program for the most diagnostic properties of groups from an identification matrix of percent positive characters

A BASIC program, DIACHAR, is given for determining the most diagnostic properties of groups or taxa scored for the percentage of presence—absence variables or characters. The program uses an identification matrix containing the percentages of positive values of characters in the groups. The most diagnostic states are those which have the majority state in the characters with the highest diagnostic scores, and these are listed for all the groups in the matrix.     

Collegial verbalisation-a case study on a new method on information acquisition

The purpose of this paper is to propose and discuss a new method for information acquisition called collegial verbalisation. The method is explored in an empirical case study, and it consists of vehicle operators being videotaped while driving, followed by some of their colleagues making verbal reports while watching the video data. These colleagues have previously experienced exactly the same driving task as the operators, that is, they have travelled the same route, with the same craft, and used the same instrumentation. Thus, they are very familiar with the driving task and the driver environment. The empirical study is carried out on a high-speed ferry. The method is explored in relation to three rather open hypotheses: the amount of information provided in general; the reliability of the data; and how it contributes to the detection of 'buggy mental models' within the operators. The method is discussed in relation to the more traditional forms of verbal reports: concurrent and retrospective verbalisations, respectively. From the results of the empirical exploration, it is suggested that the method of collegial verbalisation may have combinatorial advantages that makes it more powerful as an analytical tool than the traditional forms of verbalisation, specifically if one wants to analyse work tasks that are dynamic and where the operators' behaviours are highly automated. However, more elaborate and systematic investigations must be conducted on the topic, and the paper therefore ends with a suggestion on an experimental design for this purpose.     

Basic program for identification of an unknown with presence-absence data against an identification matrix of percent positive characters

A program named MATIDEN in BASIC is given for online computer-assisted identification of an unknown sample scored for presence-absence properties. The properties of the unknown are input at a terminal. They then are compared with a previously prepared identification matrix that contains the percentage of positives for each property in each of the groups to which the unknown might belong. It is not necessary to enter all properties: the program will determine the best identities of a sample with incomplete data.The program calculates the identification scores of the unknown against the groups, and offers a choice of five polythetic identification coefficients: (1) Willcox probability, (2) taxonomic distance, (3) standard error of this distance, (4) the Gaussian integral corresponding to this standard error, and (5) pattern distance.The best identifications are printed with their scores, followed by properties in which the unknown is atypical. These are followed by additional properties (that have not been scored for the unknown) which assist in separating the best identification from the next best alternatives, thus permitting rerunning with additional properties scored.Brief discussion of interpretation of the results also is given.     

Collegial verbalisation – a case study on a new method on information acquisition

The purpose of this paper is to propose and discuss a new method for information acquisition called collegial verbalisation. The method is explored in an empirical case study, and it consists of vehicle operators being videotaped while driving, followed by some of their colleagues making verbal reports while watching the video data. These colleagues have previously experienced exactly the same driving task as the operators, that is, they have travelled the same route, with the same craft, and used the same instrumentation. Thus, they are very familiar with the driving task and the driver environment. The empirical study is carried out on a high-speed ferry. The method is explored in relation to three rather open hypotheses: the amount of information provided in general; the reliability of the data; and how it contributes to the detection of ‘buggy mental models’ within the operators. The method is discussed in relation to the more traditional forms of verbal reports: concurrent and retrospective verbalisations, respectively. From the results of the empirical exploration, it is suggested that the method of collegial verbalisation may have combinatorial advantages that makes it more powerful as an analytical tool than the traditional forms of verbalisation, specifically if one wants to analyse work tasks that are dynamic and where the operators' behaviours are highly automated. However, more elaborate and systematic investigations must be conducted on the topic, and the paper therefore ends with a suggestion on an experimental design for this purpose.     

Are computers good or bad for business? How mediated customer–computer interaction alters emotions,impressions, and patronage toward organizations

Are computers good or bad for business? Although computers are social actors research finds that people react to computers and humans with similar tendencies, little research directly compares human–computer interaction to human–human interaction. I ask how mediated transactions with a company’s human or computer representatives alter customers’ reactions toward that company. I conduct an experiment where subjects in the role of customers received products (low or high quality) from a representative (human or computer). I measure the customer’s emotions, impressions, and patronage toward both the representative and the organization. The data indicate few differences in reactions toward the representative and the organization, however, customers perceive the organization as more responsible and in control when they have employed human, not computer, representatives. A hypothesized statistical interaction effect (a moderation effect) on several emotions indicates that computer representatives decrease the strength of the relationship between receiving low or high quality products and customer’s emotions. Although many customer reactions indicate no human/computer differences, I discuss how the statistical moderation effect of computer identity on several emotions may relate to computers are social actors and other research.