What's skill got to do with it? Vehicle automation and driver mental workload

Previous research has found that vehicle automation systems can reduce driver mental workload, with implications for attentional resources that can be detrimental to performance. The present paper considers how the development of automaticity within the driving task may influence performance in underload situations. Driver skill and vehicle automation were manipulated in a driving simulator, with four levels of each variable. Mental workload was assessed using a secondary task measure and eye movements were recorded to infer attentional capacity. The effects of automation on driver mental workload were quite robust across skill levels, but the most intriguing findings were from the eye movement data. It was found that, with little exception, attentional capacity and mental workload were directly related at all levels of driver skill, consistent with earlier studies. The results are discussed with reference to applied theories of cognition and the design of automation.     

STS in a time of economic change: What's love got to do with it? 1

Abstract

Although science, technology, and society (STS) has been widely accepted as part of science curriculum policy, there is little evidence that it has made much impact on classroom practice, particularly in the academic stream of secondary schools. A variety of pressures encourage strong links between school science and an academic version of science designed to prepare future scientists. In the context of structural economic changes and calls for strengthening links between science education and the workplace, I argue that supporters of STS should consider placing STS in occupational contexts in ways that would integrate academic and occupational education. Such an integration might lead to alliances with powerful sections of industry interested in challenging narrow academic versions of school science. These new contexts, though, must also encourage critical engagement with workplace issues.     

What have examinations got to do with computers in education?

Abstract   Courseware, i.e. computer based learning materials, usually includes some self-assessment for formative assessment. Insufficient attention has been paid, however, to the link between formal assessment and use of courseware: teachers and learners focus on examination syllabuses. Examinations bodies can use only the simplest forms of ICT-based assessment (objective or multiple choice tests) until learners are familiar with newer styles. This problem can be addressed on several fronts: with new ICT styles of tests, by developing websites supporting learners and teachers, by conducting field trials using computers under examination conditions and by commissioning new types of examination questions built around online interactive simulations.     

You’ve got mail: does workplace telepressure relate to email communication?

Cognition, Technology & Work - Email is ubiquitous at the workplace. However, only few studies have empirically investigated the cognitive underpinning of computer-mediated business...     

How to improve snap-stabilizing point-to-point communication space complexity?

A snap-stabilizing protocol, starting from any configuration, always behaves according to its specification. In this paper, we are interested in the message forwarding problem in a message-switched network in which the system resources must be managed in order to deliver messages to any processor of the network. To this end, we use the information provided by a routing algorithm. In the context of an arbitrary initialization (due to stabilization), this information may be corrupted. In Cournier et al. (2009) [1], we show that there exist snap-stabilizing algorithms for this problem (in the state model). This implies that we can request the system to begin forwarding messages without losses even if routing information is initially corrupted.In this paper, we propose another snap-stabilizing algorithm for this problem which improves the space complexity of the one in Cournier et al. (2009) [1].     

What's Cool?

这个月哪个软件给你的帮助最大?印象最深?真的让你觉得最酷?无论是商业软件、共享软件还是免费软件,无论是新软件还是旧软件,都没有关系,请将你的选择告诉大家,只是一定要记得给出一个理由!     

What's cool?

这个月哪个软件给你的帮助最大?印象最深?真的让你觉得最酷?无论是商业软件、共享软件还是免费软件,无论是新软件还是旧软件,都没有关系,请将你的选择告诉大家,只是一定要记得给出一个理由! 本栏目长期征稿,参与本栏目的读者将优先获得赠送给幸运读者的礼品(超过500字的文章一经采用将得到稿费)!通过电子邮件参与者请在信件标题(subject)中注明“What's cool”字样,谢谢合作! 以下内容来自12月份的读者调查问卷和E-mail,谢谢大家的参与,由于版面所限不能一一收录,请多多原谅。     

What's cool?

这个月哪个软件给你的帮助最大?印象最深?真的让你觉得最酷?无论是商业软件、共享软件还是免费软件,无论是新软件还是旧软件,都没有关系,请将你的选择告诉大家,只是一定要记得给出一个理由! 本栏目长期征稿,参与本栏目的读者将优先获得赠送给幸运读者的礼品(超过500字的文章一经采用将得到稿费)!通过电子邮件参与者请在信件标题     

How do we inspire people to contact aboriginal culture with Web2.0 technology?

Culture right have become a newly emerging human rights around the world after 1980. From a long term perspective of culture protection, it is very important to focus on culture propagation and preservation. Under the erosion of mainstream culture, the preservation issue of aboriginal culture has become a particular important issue. For the sake, this study explores how information technology can be used to effectively help preserve, promote and revitalize traditional Formosan aboriginal cultures through the implementation of digital archives, which can make a culture to be more readily accessible to the general public. To have a better understand about what factors prompt users to continually access the digital culture archive. This paper first presents an adaptation of ‘Web 2.0’ to build a digital archive for the Atayal Culture Museum in Taiwan. Then, explores correlations between constructs such as Web 2.0 site characteristics, media richness, para-social presence, user experience, user satisfaction and user intention. The results could be useful in developing integrated platforms or tools for educational purposes, allowing teachers and students to effectively share and apply cultural and educational resources. Another objective is to revitalize and commercialize the cultural industry, using the digital archive's content as the basis for collaboration with teachers and other relevant professionals to achieve maximum creativity and create practical and innovative digital learning products.     

What do we owe to intelligent robots?

AI & SOCIETY - Great technological advances in such areas as computer science, artificial intelligence, and robotics have brought the advent of artificially intelligent robots within our reach...     

What do cyclists need to see to avoid single-bicycle crashes?

The number of single-bicycle crash victims is substantial in countries with high levels of cycling. To study the role of visual characteristics of the infrastructure, such as pavement markings, in single-bicycle crashes, a study in two steps was conducted. In Study 1, a questionnaire study was conducted among bicycle crash victims (n = 734). Logistic regression was used to study the relationship between the crashes and age, light condition, alcohol use, gaze direction and familiarity with the crash scene. In Study 2, the image degrading and edge detection method (IDED-method) was used to investigate the visual characteristics of 21 of the crash scenes. The results of the studies indicate that crashes, in which the cyclist collided with a bollard or road narrowing or rode off the road, were related to the visual characteristics of bicycle facilities. Edge markings, especially in curves of bicycle tracks, and improved conspicuity of bollards are recommended. STATEMENT OF RELEVANCE: Elevated single-bicycle crash numbers are common in countries with high levels of cycling. No research has been conducted on what cyclists need to see to avoid this type of crash. The IDED-method to investigate crash scenes is new and proves to be a powerful tool to quantify 'visual accessibility'.     

Can I connect with both you and my social network? Access to network-salient communication technology and get-acquainted interactions

Although recent research has found evidence that the mere presence of a cell phone or other communication device has negative effects on the reported quality of face-to-face interactions (e.g., Misra, Cheng, Genevie, & Yuan, 2014; Przybylski & Weinstein, 2013), no prior study has examined how individuals' actual access to communication devices during an interaction may affect that interaction, either negatively or positively. This was the focus of our study. Seventy-five previously unacquainted dyads engaged in a get-acquainted interaction over Skype. In the experimental dyads, one member unobtrusively (out of the view of his or her interaction partner) checked his or her cell phone and Facebook while interacting with the other. In the control dyads, neither partner had cell phone or Facebook access. Regardless of condition, participants rated the interaction positively. Generally, being connected to one's social network had no effect on the interaction. A comparison of our results with those of recent studies (e.g., Przybylski & Weinstein) led to the conclusion that divided attention from the presence of a communication device may be detrimental for an interaction only when the network members cannot be accessed.     

Does IT outsourcing deliver economic value to firms?

The question of whether or not IT outsourcing initiatives deliver economic value to firms is an important yet under examined one. This study extends extant outsourcing literature by evaluating how firm value is created through IT outsourcing. Using Porter’s Value Chain Model as the theoretical framework, the study systematically traces and measures the value added through IT outsourcing for firms in the manufacturing and retail industries. The results indicate that the effect of IT outsourcing is better detected at the intermediate process level rather than at the firm-level. Firms are able to realize economic benefits of cost savings, but less so in efficiency. Improved cost is observed in inbound logistics and supporting activities. With the exception of inbound logistics, no efficiency improvements are observed in operating activities and outbound logistics, suggesting that the positive impact of IT outsourcing is limited.     

What do students do on-line? Modeling students' interactions to improve their learning experience

In this work, we present an approach to model and analyze students interactions, within a gamified on-line learning environment, in order to assist teachers and tutors (education professionals) decision-making, regarding their students learning experience. We noticed that asking students this information might not bring precise and dynamic results for all students. This way, we characterize the educational resources available in the studied environment, and collected data from students interactions with these resources. Our objective was to generate the students’ interactional profile (a model of their interactions). The information, then, is presented to teachers and tutors, who should use it to guide their pedagogical decision-making process. In this study, the types of interactions were used to personalize gamification elements named missions. We experimented the approach with two groups of users from the studied environment (MeuTutor). The data analysis showed differences in the way these groups were performing, where group B was considerably above group A. We sent the personalized missions (following our approach) to every student from group A, and waited some time for them to interact with it. In the end we checked the effect of this treatment, which, according to the results, promoted relevant improvement in group A interactions.     

Software: What's In It and What's It In?

IEEE Software's new series of Impact columns intends to get a better quantitative insight into the impact of software on various businesses. This introduction describes the reasoning behind the columns. All contributors will be asked to quantify the size (in lines of code or another size measure) and volume (number of copies sold per year or another measure) of their projects. This should allow the software developers to position and compare the experiences coming out of the different industries. We hope to publish three to six columns a year and to solicit submissions as momentum grows. Both engineering managers and business managers are encouraged to submit a column. We've already lined up the first columns with submissions from the mobile phone, computer and automotive industries. Our proposal's wide scope should let us accept contributions from large or small programs, low or high volume projects, open or closed source projects, embedded or commercial-off-the-shelf software, and in-house or outsourced software development.     

How do designers represent to themselves the users' needs?

This paper reports on an ergonomic study carried out during the design of a cutting machine-tool for the composite material in carbody parts casting. During this design process, the users’ needs were inferred by the designers on the basis of their own mental representations of the use of the new device. These representations of the users’ needs, correct or false, play a decisive role in the choice of a solution. The aim of the study is to identify their particularity. Analyzing the design meetings, we have highlighted that users are considered either as subsystems or basic design principles or elements of an imagined scenario. We have shown that these representations are linked to the types of meetings held during the design process. Accordingly, a diversification of the types of meetings should be promoted by the project leader, so that designers extend their points of view of the operators.