Cognitive load in hypermedia reading comprehension: Influence of text type and linearity

In this paper the assumption of cognitive overhead in hypermedia learning is specified by cognitive load theory. This analysis is based on different types of cognitive load, the dimension of linearity/non-linearity as well as text characteristics. We propose a model stating that extraneous cognitive load in hypermedia learning is basically determined by the interaction of text presentation format (linear/non-linear) with text type (text with and without narrative structures). This assumption was tested by means of a 2 × 2 experimental design. Sixty participants completed a computer-based learning program that contained a narrative text or an encyclopaedia text in either linear or non-linear presentation format. Results confirm the suggested interaction hypothesis postulating that non-linear information presentation of narrative text structure increases cognitive load and decreases knowledge acquisition. However, for encyclopaedia text participants’ knowledge acquisition was not affected by linear or non-linear presentation format. Furthermore, results suggest a cross-validation of cognitive load measures and propositional analysis.     

Supporting problem-solving performance in a hypermedia learning environment: The role of students’ prior knowledge and metacognitive skills

This study investigated how students with different prior knowledge and metacognitive skills benefited from continuous and faded domain-general and domain-specific scaffolds. Students’ scores on a multiple-choice pretest, inventory of metacognitive self-regulation, and solution forms were analyzed. Results indicated that while students with lower regulation of cognition and objectivity benefited more from the domain-general scaffolds than the domain-specific ones, students with lower prior knowledge, knowledge of cognition, and problem representation took advantage of both domain-general and domain-specific conditions. Moreover, while students with lower prior knowledge, regulation of cognition, and problem representation took advantage of both continuous and faded domain-general scaffolds, students with lower knowledge of cognition and objectivity benefited more from the domain-general continuous conditions. In addition, students with lower prior knowledge, knowledge of cognition, and objectivity might have difficulties when the domain-specific conditions are faded. On the other hand, results of the study suggested that scaffolds did not substantially benefit the students with higher prior knowledge and higher metacognitive skills.     

Usability and acceptance of truck dashboards designed by drivers: Two participatory design approaches compared to a user-centered design

Previous literature reported that Participatory Design (PD) results in satisfying products and presents other subjective benefits. PD implies an active involvement of users during all steps of the design process, including during concepts specification (contrary to user-centered design, UCD). This study compared the usability and acceptance of truck dashboards resulting either from a PD or from a UCD design processes. Moreover, design concepts from two PD approaches were compared: a collective versus an individual design session. Results showed that concepts resulting from user-centered design and individual design sessions were perceived as more useable and accepted than the concept resulting from the participatory workshop. These findings question PD benefits and encourage to further explore the different PD approaches in the industrial development of truck dashboards.     

Bridging the gap between analysis and design: improving existing driver interfaces with tools from the framework of cognitive work analysis

Two studies of train driving are presented, both within the framework of cognitive work analysis. In the first study, the modelling tool abstraction–decomposition space is adapted to routine conditions, making the analysis more representative for normal procedures. A major contribution to these analyses was the use of the method for ‘collegial verbalisation’. One particular advantage with this method over other verbalisation methods is that it supplies the analysts with data that contain much more information, but not at the expense of being more subjective. On the contrary, this method produces think-aloud protocols from video-recordings that do not have to be interpreted by the researcher. From these analyses, it was possible to distinguish information that is an intrinsic part of the train driver task from information that is dependent on the configuration and design of the current support system. The analyses show that the driver works in three rather separate time intervals with a long-range, a short-term and an immediate sense of perspective. The driver switches between these while travelling between two stations. Based on these behaviour-shaping constraints, a prototype of a planning area of a driver interface was developed, making feed-forward planning possible for the driver. Four design iterations were completed, using a user-centred system design (UCSD) approach. Early tests show that the planning area of the interface supports the feed-forward decision strategy used by drivers who prefer an active driving style. However, the driver group also made substantial changes in the design, indicating that UCSD is an efficient tool in order to capture user competencies, and to bridge the gap between analysis and design.     

An investigation into the use of CAL and the dialogue strategy in a tutorial context

This article describes the use of CAL and the dialogue strategy as a basis for tutorial work. The sample (11 = 164) consists of staff, teachers and students in a College of Education. It is an attitudinal study and serves to emphasize the importance in certain subject areas of an open-ended approach based on an analysis of the knowledge structure inherent in the discipline itself. It emphasizes the need for models using different levels of teaching, as well as different approaches according to individual learning needs. Such models should be pursued regardless of the constraints imposed by the limitations of computer languages currently available. Reference is made to logic programming (PROLOG) and its relevance for this area of work, as well as the authoring language PLOT for tutorial programs.     

Towards a learning networked organisation: human capital, compatibility and usability in e-learning systems

In all parts of organisations there flourish developments of different new subsystems in areas of knowledge and learning. Over recent decades, new systems for classification of jobs have emerged both at the level of organisations and at a macro-labour market level. Recent developments in job evaluation systems make it possible to cope with the new demands for equity at work (between, for example, genders, races, physical abilities). Other systems have emerged to describe job requirements in terms of skills, knowledge and competence. Systems for learning at work and web-based learning have created a demand for new ways to classify and to understand the process of learning. Often these new systems have been taken from other areas of the organisation not directly concerned with facilitating workplace learning. All these new systems are of course closely interrelated but, in most organisations, a major problem is the severe lack of cohesion and compatibility between the different subsystems. The aim of this paper is to propose a basis for how different human resource systems can be integrated into the business development of an organisation. We discuss this problem and develop proposals alternative to integrated macro-systems. A key element in our proposition is a structure for classification of knowledge and skill to be used in all parts of the process. This structure should be used as an added dimension or an overlay on all other subsystems of the total process. This will facilitate a continued use of all existing systems within different organisations. We develop Burge's (personal communication) model for learning to show that learning is not a successive linear process, but rather an iterative process. In this way we emphasise the need for greater involvement of learners in the development of learning systems towards increased usability in a networked system. This paper is divided into two parts which are closely related. The first part gives an overview of the lack of compatibility between the different subsystems. In this first part we note two paradoxes which impact learning and for which we propose solutions. The second part deals with 'usability' aspects of these competency-related systems; in particular, usability in e-learning systems. In this second part we describe an example of a new organisational structure. We conclude by discussing four key concepts that are necessary conditions for organisations to address when developing their human capital. Establishing these conditions helps ensure compatibility and usability in e-learning systems.     

Supporting the use of guidelines and style guides in professional user interface design

The use of user-interface design knowledge such as general guidelines and environment-specific style guides can be valuable, and is increasingly required in professional user-interface design. However, conventional guidelines and style guides ( and ) in the form of documents are consistently found hard to use. We have earlier demonstrated knowledge-based critiquing to be a technically feasible way of delivering relevant and knowledge. The purpose of this study was to investigate the need and acceptability of such techniques for professional user-interface designers.

An experiment was carried out where four professional designers developed user-interface prototypes to a functional specification. The designs were evaluated using our and -based critiquing system, which identified a total of 17 deviations from style-guide requirements or design recommendations. Interviews were conducted with the designers to find the reasons for the deviations and to identify important requirements for a critiquing design-support tool. The deviation analysis points to an existing need for better ways of accessing and knowledge. The interviews indicate that the designers would find a critiquing tool valuable, provided that it leaves them in control of their work and indicates the severity of the detected deviations.     

Learning performance with interactive simulations in medical education: Lessons learned from results of learning complex physiological models with the HAEMOdynamics SIMulator

Objective

Since simulations are often accepted uncritically, with excessive emphasis being placed on technological sophistication at the expense of underlying psychological and educational theories, we evaluated the learning performance of simulation software, in order to gain insight into the proper use of simulations for application in medical education.

Design

The authors designed and evaluated a software packet, following of user-centered development, which they call Haemodynamics Simulator (HAEMOSIM), for the simulation of complex physiological models, e.g., the modeling of arterial blood flow dependent on the pressure gradient, radius and bifurcations; shear–stress and blood flow profiles depending on viscosity and radius.

Measurements

In a quasi-experimental real-life setup, the authors compared the learning performance of 96 medical students for three conditions: (1) conventional text-based lesson; (2) HAEMOSIM alone and (3) HAEMOSIM with a combination of additional material and support, found necessary during user-centered development. The individual student’s learning time was unvarying in all three conditions.

Results

While the first two settings produced equivalent results, the combination of additional support and HAEMOSIM yielded a significantly higher learning performance. These results are discussed regarding Mayer’s multimedia learning theory, Sweller’s cognitive load theory, and claims of prior research on utilizing interactive simulations for learning.

Conclusion

The results showed that simulations can be beneficial for learning complex concepts, however, interacting with sophisticated simulations strain the limitation of cognitive processes; therefore successful application of simulations require careful additional guidance from medical professionals and a certain amount of previous knowledge on the part of the learners. The inclusion of pedagogical and psychological expertise into the design and development of educational software is essential.     

The interactive use of a video database in teacher education: Creating a knowledge base for teaching through a learning community

This study explores how pre-service student teachers acquired knowledge of good teaching practices through the interactive use of a video database and an online discussion forum, where the student teachers shared their teaching videos and received comments or suggestions from members of a learning community. A small group of student teachers was involved in this collaborative learning community during their teaching practicum in their third and fourth years of study. Content analysis of the sharing in the discussion forum and individual student teacher reflections provides insight into the use of a collaborative learning community to create a knowledge base for teaching. Suggestions regarding how this new technology can support teacher education are discussed.     

Effects of technical and social design on virtual community identification: a comparison approach

We investigated how virtual community (VC) design, both technical and social decisions adopted by VC management teams, might affect the development of members’ identification with the VC. Adopting a comparison approach developed in studying formal organisational identification, we develop the research model explaining the effects of VC design on VC identification. A survey study involving 412 members from seven VCs revealed that identified VC design factors (community presentation and community empowerment) have significant impacts on identification by making the perceived VC identities attractive. We concluded with a discussion of the key managerial and research implications of our findings.     

Anticipating the use of future things: Towards a framework for prospective use analysis in innovation design projects

Anticipation of future product use is a persistent issue in User-Centered Design. In this paper, we argue that one obstacle to early integration of use analysis in innovation design is overreliance on retrospective use analysis, i.e. that which is based on clear references to existing products or activities. In contrast, innovation design projects are full of uncertainty, leading to a need for prospective analysis. After having described some limitations of prospective use analysis, we contend that creativity tools may be used to assist the anticipation of future product use, by allowing designers to approach the variability of situations of future use in a structured manner rather than by “muddling through”. We illustrate the expected benefits of this approach with two case studies, and describe some prospects for future research and practice in ergonomics.     

Mobile computers in a community NHS trust: Is this a relevant context and environment for their use?

This paper describes a case study in which mobile computers were used by a UK National Health Service (NHS) Trust. The intention was to give clinicians access to up-to-date patient data, enabling them to be more clinically effective in their jobs. Since the majority of their work was performed in the community, it was perceived that the use of hand-held computers would give the flexibility needed to allow this clinical effectiveness to occur. This paper will attempt to demonstrate what happened in reality and point to various factors that had not been considered prior to the introduction of the system. Had these factors been considered, a different system would have been designed with a better fit between the organisation, the needs of the user and their work environment.     

Understanding the role of ICT and study circles in enabling economic opportunities: Lessons learned from an educational project in Kenya

In this paper, we explore how the combination of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and self‐organised study circles improves rural communities' ability to enhance their economic opportunities. We present the case study of an adult study‐circle project in the Kwale County of Kenya with the objective of providing rural communities with viable and sustainable livelihoods. Study circles can be seen as a democratic and emancipatory method for learning, where community groups regularly meet for participatory discussions to educate themselves on a variety of topics of their own interest. The main goal of the study‐circle members was to increase economic opportunities using ICT and, more specifically, to start micro‐businesses, improve production efficacy and methods, and obtain employment. Using the capability approach and affordances as theoretical lenses, our analysis of the explorative case study shows that the outcomes of the study circle were dependent on various conversion factors and facilitating conditions, such as resources, skills, socio‐cultural norms, and infrastructure. The main contributions from our work are represented by the five practical lessons learned from the study‐circle members' goals (starting micro‐businesses, product efficiency, and obtaining employment) from the self‐organised training approach (study circles) and from our theoretical approach (combining the capability approach and affordances).     

Development of a stakeholder identification and analysis method for human factors integration in work system design interventions – Change Agent Infrastructure

In any work system design intervention—for example, a physical workplace re-design, a work process change, or an equipment upgrade—it is often emphasized how important it is to involve stakeholders in the process of analysis and design, to gain their perspectives as input to the development, and ensure their future acceptance of the solution. While the users of an artifact or workplace are most often regarded as being the most important stakeholders in a design intervention, in a work-system context there may be additional influential stakeholders who influence and negotiate the design intervention's outcomes, resource allocation, requirements, and implementation. Literature shows that it is uncommon for empirical ergonomics and human factors (EHF) research to apply and report the use of any structured stakeholder identification method at all, leading to ad-hoc selections of whom to consider important. Conversely, other research fields offer a plethora of stakeholder identification and analysis methods, few of which seem to have been adopted in the EHF context. This article presents the development of a structured method for identification, classification, and qualitative analysis of stakeholders in EHF-related work system design intervention. It describes the method's EHF-related theoretical underpinnings, lessons learned from four use cases, and the incremental development of the method that has resulted in the current method procedure and visualization aids. The method, called Change Agent Infrastructure (abbreviated CHAI), has a mainly macroergonomic purpose, set on increasing the understanding of sociotechnical interactions that create the conditions for work system design intervention, and facilitating participative efforts.     

Participatory design in interactive media design education for the solution of unfamiliar design problems: a case study on a disabling environment and an emerging technology

This paper investigates the effectiveness of participatory design study in rendering the students' capability of producing innovative design solutions to problems with uncertainties with which the students have no prior experience. At the project, the students were given a case to work on augmented reality technology with which they had no previous experience and design a tactical interface for sailing boats, a field they had no competence in. While the students were asked to develop proposals for this design problem with which they were inexperienced, a two-stage study was conducted to enable them to produce ideas on the topic. This paper discusses the impacts of such a participatory method in terms of design education. At the end of our study, it was observed that the students were positively influenced by the process in which they worked collaboratively with an expert user group.     

Professional development to enhance teachers' practices in using information and communication technologies (ICTs) as cognitive tools: Lessons learned from a design-based research study

Technology integration in K-12 classrooms is usually overly teacher-centered and has insufficient impact on students' learning, especially in enhancing students' higher-order cognitive skills. The purpose of this project is to facilitate science teachers' use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) as cognitive tools to shift their practices from traditional teacher-centered methods to constructivist, student-centered ones. This paper describes the outcomes and lessons learned from an application of design-based research (DBR) in the implementation and refinement of a teacher professional development (PD) program that is a key component of the overall project. This DBR study involved 25 middle-school science teachers from 24 schools whose implementation of cognitive tools with their students in science classrooms and virtually through a social networking site were observed over four years. A mixed-methodology was utilized to examine the impact of the cognitive tools intervention on teachers' classroom practices and students' development of new literacy skills. Identifying reusable design principles related to technology integration was another focus of the DBR study. The results revealed teachers' positive changes in their classroom practices by gradually allowing students to take control over the use of technology, and positive impact on students' ICT skills and science learning. Design principles for future professional development programs aimed at preparing teachers to adopt a cognitive tools approach are described.     

Supporting groups in sorting decisions: Methodology and use of a multi-criteria aggregation/disaggregation DSS

This paper addresses the situation where a group wishes to cooperatively develop a common multicriteria evaluation model to sort actions (projects, candidates) into classes. It is based on an aggregation/disaggregation approach for the ELECTRE TRI method, implemented on the Decision Support System IRIS. We provide a methodology in which the group discusses how to sort some exemplary actions (possibly fictitious ones), instead of discussing what values the model parameters should take. This paper shows how IRIS may be used to help the group to iteratively reach an agreement on how to sort one or a few actions at a time, preserving the consistency of these sorting examples both at the individual level and at the collective level. The computation of information that may guide the discussion among the group members is also suggested. We provide an illustrative example and discuss some paths for future research motivated by this work.     

Code and its image: the functions of text and visualisation in a code-based design studio

Abstract

Traditionally, design learning in the architecture studio has taken place through a combination of individual work and joint projects. The introduction of code-based design practices in the design studio has altered this balance, introducing new models of joint authorship and new ways for individuals to contribute to co-authored projects. This paper presents a case study describing four design studios in a higher education setting that used code as a tool for generating architectural geometry. The format of the studios encouraged the students to reflect critically on their role as authors and to creatively address the multiple opportunities for shared authorship available with code-based production. The research question addressed in this study involved the role of code-based practices in altering the model of architectural education in the design studio, in particular the role of visual representations of a code-based design process in the production of shared knowledge.     

The coordination of work activities: Cooperation and conflict in a hospital context

An understanding of the ways in which work coordination is achieved in practice is essential to the development of effective CSCW technologies. However, previous studies are limited in their focus on small, self-contained work groups. In this analysis of work coordination in a hospital context, a broader perspective was adopted, allowing examination of activities across time, group and location. The use of a relevant structured methodology and a focus on deviations from formal procedures enabled the consideration of a range of contextual factors in interaction: Important aspects of work coordination to emerge included: status influences on the effectiveness of working practices; the social and political uses of information; conflicts between work goals and between motivations for coordinating activities; the role of informal practices; and the use of formal procedures to regulate inter-group relations. The implications of these issues for CSCW design in the hospital context are illustrated.     

Online university students' satisfaction and persistence: Examining perceived level of presence, usefulness and ease of use as predictors in a structural model

Learners’ satisfaction and persistence are considered critical success factors in online universities where all of the teaching and learning activities are carried out online. This study aims to investigate the structural relationships among perceived level of presence, perceived usefulness and ease of use of the online learning tools, learner satisfaction and persistence in an online university located in South Korea. The specific predictors were teaching presence, social presence, cognitive presence, and perceived usefulness and ease of use. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to provide cause-and-effect inferences. The study participants were 709 learners who enrolled in a Korean online university in 2009 and responded to online surveys. The results indicated that teaching presence, cognitive presence, and perceived usefulness and ease of use were significant predictors of learner satisfaction, which was found to be a significant mediator of predictors and persistence. The findings provided substantial implications for designing and implementing teaching and learning strategies in online university environments.