Infrastructuring and Ordering Devices in Health Care: Medication Plans and Practices on a Hospital Ward

In this paper, we analyse physicians’ and nurses’ practices of prescribing and administering medication through the use of paper-based, and digitalized medication plans. Our point of departure is an ethnographic study of the implications of upgrading an electronic medication module (EMM) that is part of an electronic health record (EHR), carried out at an endocrinology department. The upgrade led to a temporary breakdown of the EMM, and a return to paper-based medication plans. The breakdown made visible and noticeable the taken-for-granted capabilities of medication plans in their paper-based and digital versions, and the distribution of functionalities between medication plans and clinicians. We see the case as an opportunity to analyse infrastructuring in health care, the process by which medical practices and artefacts become parts of social and technological networks with longer reaches and more channels through which coordination among distributed actors is enabled and formed. In this case, infrastructuring means an extended scope and intensity of the coordinative capabilities of medication plans, and an increased vulnerability to, and dependency on events outside the immediate loci of interaction. We particularly note the capacity of the EMM to facilitate different kinds of ordering of information and practices, and propose the conceptualizing of such digitalized artefacts as ‘ordering devices’. Ordering devices order information, stipulate action, and coordinate interaction across and within social worlds, and achieve this through the flexible support of different kinds of ordering.     

Augmenting paper-based learning with mobile phones

Paper and traditional books have been serving as useful tools in supporting knowledge-intensive tasks and school learning. Although learning strategies such as selective verbatim note-taking or question-asking may foster intentional recall or resolve comprehension difficulties in paper-based learning practice, improvement in learning may depend on the opportunity and quality of which students apply note-taking, review notes, or enhance comprehension through questioning. This study aims to complement a paper textbook with a mobile phone and to treat the combination as a whole to facilitate verbatim note-taking, resolving comprehension questions, and receiving reading recommendations. The textbook paragraphs were augmented with line numbers to facilitate coordination between the mobile phone and the paper textbook. An eight-week comparative study was conducted to explore the use of two reading vehicles. The results and findings show that using a mobile phone to augment paper-based learning is technically feasible and seems to promote the application of verbatim note-taking and posting comprehension questions for discussion. However, the results of two course tests indicate that consequent learning improvement seemed inconsistent among the students. A six-week case study was also conducted to explore the implications of the augmented support to students’ learning practice. The findings show that mobile phones as learning supportive tools to augment paper-based learning could support students’ planning and management of learning strategies or activities. The portability of mobile phones and paper textbooks and the ubiquitous connection of paper-based learning with an online learning community may provide the flexibility in planning ahead for suitable learning strategies or activities and may enhance students’ assessment for management of students’ learning goals.     

Supporting information access in a hospital ward by a context-aware mobile electronic patient record

Context-awareness holds promise for improving the utility of software products. Context-aware mobile systems encompass the ability to automatically discover and react to changes in an environment. Most contemporary context-aware mobile systems aim to support users in private situations, for example, as tourist guides. Thus, we still lack an understanding of the impact of context-awareness in professional work situations. In this paper, we explore context-awareness for mobile electronic patient records through the design of a context-aware mobile prototype called MobileWard. The aim of MobileWard is to support nurses in conducting morning procedures in a hospital ward. MobileWard is context-aware as it is able to discover and react autonomously according to changes in the environment and since it integrates the ability to provide information and services to the user where the relevancy depends on the user’s task. We evaluate MobileWard in two usability evaluations to assess the usefulness of the system and we find that context-awareness holds some promising opportunities, but that it also introduces some potential interaction problems when users are mobile and working in a professional environment. Implications and limitations of the proposed solution are further discussed.     

The support of mobile-awareness in collaborative groupware

This paper explores the need for mobile-awareness in groupware designed for use in a mobile environment. The motivation for providing this additional form of awareness is that current groupware tends to assume a reliable and constant quality of communications that does not exist in a mobile environemt. The implications of making this false assumption are twofold: first, systems that enforce certain ordering and reliability semantics across all operations can suffer drastic performance penalties; second, users are given insufficient awareness of (and control over) the effect of the unreliable communications environment on their collaboration. The support of mobile-awareness implies providing users with appropriate and sufficient information to adapt their behaviour (and the behaviour of the system) in response to changes in the quality of group communications available. To support the development of mobile-aware groupware we have built a flexible Quality of Service (QoS)-based group service capable of providing group-oriented feedback to application level services.     

Mediacups: experience with design and use of computer-augmented everyday artefacts

Our view of ubiquitous computing is artefact-centred: in this view, computers are considered as secondary artefacts that enable items of everyday use to communicate as networked digital artefacts. This view is expressed in an artefact computing model and investigated in the Mediacup project, an evolving artefact computing environment. The Mediacup project provides insights into the augmentation of artefacts with sensing, processing, and communication capabilities, and into the provision of an open infrastructure for information exchange among artefacts. One of the artefacts studied is the Mediacup itself, an ordinary coffee cup invisibly augmented with computing and context-awareness. The Mediacup and other computer-augmented everyday artefacts are connected through a network infrastructure supporting loosely coupled spatially defined communication.     

A family of experiments to investigate the effects of groupware for software inspection

It is widely accepted that the inspection of software artifacts can find defects early in the development process and gather information on the quality of the evolving product. However, the inspection process is resource-intensive and involves tedious tasks, such as searching, sorting, and checking. Tool support for inspections can help accelerating these tasks and allows inspectors to concentrate on tasks particularly needing human attention. Only few tools are available for inspections. We have thus developed a set of groupware tools for both individual defect detection and inspection meetings to lower the effort of inspections and to increase their efficiency. This paper presents the Groupware-supported Inspection Process (GrIP) and describes tools for inspecting software requirements. As only little empirical work exists that directly compares paper-based and tool-based software inspection, we conducted a family of experiments in an academic environment to empirically investigate the effect of tool support regarding defect detection and inspection meetings. The main results of our family of experiments regarding individual defect detection are promising: The effectiveness of inspectors and teams is comparable to paper-based inspection without tool support; the inspection effort and defect overlap decreases significantly with tool support, while the efficiency of inspection teams increases considerably. Regarding tool support for inspection meetings the main findings of the experiments are that tool support considerably lowers the meeting effort, supports inspectors in identifying false positives, and reduces the number of true defects lost during a meeting. The number of unidentified false positives is still quite high.     

Puzzle: A mobile application development environment using a jigsaw metaphor

ObjectiveCreate a visual mobile end user development framework, named Puzzle, which allows end users without IT background to create, modify and execute applications, and provides support for interaction with smart things, phone functions and web services.MethodsDesign of an intuitive visual metaphor and associated interaction techniques for supporting end user development in mobile devices with iterative empirical validation.ResultsOur results show that the jigsaw is an intuitive metaphor for development in a mobile environment and our interaction techniques required a limited cognitive effort to use and learn the framework. Integration of different modalities and usage of smart things was relevant for users.ConclusionPuzzle has addressed the main objective. The framework further contributes to the research on mobile end user development in order to create an incentive for users to go beyond consuming content and applications to start creating their own applications.PracticeUsage of a mobile end user development environment has the potential to create a shift from the conventional few-to-many distribution model of software to a many-to-many distribution model. Users will be able to create applications that fit their requirements and share their achievements with peers.ImplicationsThis study has indicated that the Puzzle visual environment has the potential to enable users to easily create applications and stimulate exploration of innovative scenarios through smartphones.     

An empirical study of the cross-channel effects between web and mobile shopping channels

With the increasing popularity of mobile applications, increasingly more e-commerce websites are providing mobile shopping services that enable their consumers to access their products and services through an additional mobile channel. The question arises here as to whether the new channel brings new sales or merely shifts consumers from the web to the mobile channel. Using the 2½-year transaction data obtained from an e-commerce company that expanded its web service onto a mobile platform, we investigated the impact of the newly introduced mobile channel on the sales of the incumbent web channel, and whether it could stimulate new consumption from consumers. Our empirical results indicate that after the adoption of the mobile channel, the purchases on the web channel were slightly cannibalized; however, the consumers’ purchases increased overall, suggesting that the positive synergy effect of the new channel overrode the negative cannibalization effect. Our investigation contributes to multichannel e-commerce literature by empirically testing the cross-channel effects of a new mobile channel and also providing insights for e-retailers interested in introducing a new mobile channel.     

Innovative wearable interfaces: an exploratory analysis of paper-based interfaces with camera-glasses device unit

The new ubiquitous interaction methods change people’s life and facilitate their tasks in everyday life and in the workplace, enabling people to access their personal data as well as public resources at any time and in any place. We found two solutions to enable ubiquitous interaction and put a stop to the limits imposed by the desktop mode: namely nomadism and mobility. Based on these two solutions, we have proposed three interfaces (Zhou et al. in HCI international 2011: human–computer interaction. Interaction techniques and environments, Springer, Berlin, pp 500–509, 2011): in-environment interface (IEI), environment dependent interface (EDI), and environment independent interface (EII). In this paper, we first discuss an overview of IEI, EDI, and EII, before excluding IEI and focusing on EDI and EII, their background, and distinct characteristics. We also propose a continuum from physical paper-based interface to digital projected interface in relation with EDI and EII. Then, to validate EDI and EII concepts, we design and implement a MobilePaperAccess system, which is a wearable camera-glasses system with paper-based interface and original input techniques allowing mobile interaction. Furthermore, we discuss the evaluation of the MobilePaperAccess system; we compare two interfaces (EDI and EII) and three input techniques (finger input, mask input, and page input) to test the feasibility and usability of this system. Both the quantitative and qualitative results are reported and discussed. Finally, we provide the prospects and our future work for improving the current approaches.     

Computational support to record and re-experience visits

Information technology research has mainly focussed on supporting visitors with guides, whilst a lot of opportunities for the development of technology for collecting, manipulating and re-travelling through material from the visits remain unexplored. On the basis of observations from a specific setting, we have developed prototype technology to combine multimedia content with position information. In particular, we developed mobile support to record and organise multimedia using the walked path in order to preserve more of the experience of the visit. We created tools to edit and store multimedia paths. Additional components make it possible to configure a mixed-media environment to navigate a multimedia path, using such physical interfaces as gesturing, and link the recorded media to other artefacts. When discussing field observations of current practices and prototype trials, we investigate what kind of functionality is needed to support the whole activity of collecting, manipulating and playing multimedia content in combination with position information.     

Algorithms for validating E-tickets in mobile computing environment

E-tickets issued online can be used by different vendors to provide services such as discount coupons for E-shopping, or an entrance for a football game. One major issue associated with E-tickets is the problem of validation, which becomes more severe in a mobile environment due to mobility of a mobile host (MH) and frequent failure/disconnection of validation servers known as mobile support stations (MSSs). Some additional problems include the identification of duplicate submissions of an E-ticket by a MH. Thus, this paper proposes two protocols using the Flat and Hierarchical schemes for E-ticket processing and validation in a mobile environment that guarantee at least and at most once property (each E-ticket is validated at least and at most once). The protocols have been validated and compared through complexity analysis and experiments.     

A comparative analysis of the effects of computer and paper-based personalization on student achievement

The aim of this study is to investigate whether personalization of mathematical word problems affects student achievement; and if it does, to find out whether the outcomes vary depending on computer and class environment in the teaching of mathematics. The sample of the research, conducted in the 2006–2007 fall semester, consists of 90 seventh grade in four sub-groups. During the application in the classroom, paper-based personalized and paper-based non-personalized problems were given. As to the computer environment, web-based personalized and web-based non-personalized problems were presented. After the application, an achievement test was performed as an achievement post-test parallel to the pre-test. The results show no significant difference between the scores of the groups who used personalized materials and the groups who used non-personalized materials. The results also indicate that no significant difference exists between those who studied in the computer-based environment and those in the paper-based environment.     

FM-Que移动事务模型

在移动计算环境中,传统数据系统的事务处理模型不能较好地支持移动事务的处理,故有必要研究支持移动计算环境的移动事务模型及事务处理协议。针对移动计算环境的特点,提出了FM-Que移动事务处理模型及其处理协议。FM-Que模型通过采用事务队列机制,固定子事务和移动子事务思想来支持事务移动性和频繁断接性,采用多版本预提交方式来维护数据一致性。     

Designing mobile technologies to support co-present collaboration

Mobile technologies offer new opportunities for childrens educational activities in that they can be used across different locations and times. Naturally, some instances of mobile technology use will necessitate, or be enhanced by, the sharing of information. Social interaction is important for sharing ideas, constructing and shaping understanding and fundamental for educational development. However the physical size of mobile technologies presents interesting challenges when designing for collaborative activities. When designing mobile technologies the importance of collaborative tasks has often been overlooked. The replacement of low-tech artefacts with digital devices, for supporting multiple users, can inhibit the shareability of information. We present three projects where mobile technologies have been used as part of a larger mixed reality experience. Novel technologies were used to support childrens collaborative activities in storytelling, an adventure game and during an outdoor field trip. Interaction with mobile devices within each project is reviewed and the authors highlight important considerations for their design and use across multiple contexts.     

A comparative analysis of the effects of computer and paper-based personalization on student achievement

The aim of this study is to investigate whether personalization of mathematical word problems affects student achievement; and if it does, to find out whether the outcomes vary depending on computer and class environment in the teaching of mathematics. The sample of the research, conducted in the 2006–2007 fall semester, consists of 90 seventh grade in four sub-groups. During the application in the classroom, paper-based personalized and paper-based non-personalized problems were given. As to the computer environment, web-based personalized and web-based non-personalized problems were presented. After the application, an achievement test was performed as an achievement post-test parallel to the pre-test. The results show no significant difference between the scores of the groups who used personalized materials and the groups who used non-personalized materials. The results also indicate that no significant difference exists between those who studied in the computer-based environment and those in the paper-based environment.     

Understanding children's collaborative interactions in shared environments

  Traditional computer technology offers limited support for face-to-face, synchronous collaboration. Consequently, children who wish to collaborate while using computers must adapt their interactions to the single-user paradigm of most personal computers. Recent technological advances have enabled the development of co-located groupware systems offering support for concurrent, multi–user interactions around a shared display. These systems provide a unique collaboration environment in which users share both the physical and the virtual workspace. This paper examines how such technology impacts children's collaboration. Findings from this research show that when concurrent, multi–user interaction is supported on a shared display, children exhibit collaborative behaviour similar to their interactions during paper-based activities. The findings also suggest strengths and weaknesses of various mechanisms for supporting synchronous interactions that have implications for the design of computer systems to support children's face-to-face collaboration.     

Look, Ma, My homepage is Mobile!

Much of the ongoing research in ubiquitous computing has concentrated on providing context information, e.g. location information, to the level of services and applications. Typically, mobile clients obtain location information from their environment which is used to provide “locally optimal” services. In contrast, it may be of interest to obtain information about the current context a mobile user or device is in, from a client somewhere on the Web, i.e. to use the mobile device as an information provider for Internet clients. As an instance of such services we propose the metaphor of a “location-aware” Web homepage of mobile users providing information about, e.g. the current location a mobile user is at. Requesting this homepage can be as easy as typing a URL containing the mobile user's phone number such ashttp://mhp.net/+49123456789 in an off-the-shelf browser. The homepage is dynamically constructed as Web users access it and it can be configured in various ways that are controlled by the mobile user. We present the architecture and implementation and discuss issues around this example of “inverse” ubiquitous computing.     

Lovers' box: Designing for reflection within romantic relationships

We present the Lovers' box, a digital artefact designed to engage romantic couples in reflections on their relationship. By adopting perspectives from social psychology and interaction design, the work examines the role of reflection through the use of a non-traditional digital artefact that acts as a site for enduring attachments of personal emotional significance. To this end, we respond to previous research work on reflection through design, in the development of four Lovers' boxes whose purposes and meanings are completed through reflections both by romantic couples and their integration in everyday lives. A field study was conducted involving five couples in new relationships who were asked to exchange video messages (co-created with a digital media artist) using the Lovers' box over a period of five weeks. Our findings demonstrated: (1) that the creation, exchange and display of messages embedded in the digital artefact served as both mirrors and sources for reflection concerning couples' relationships; (2) the rich manner in which the Lovers' box became meaningful to participants, as they perceived it as keepsake or digital storybook of their meaningful experiences, experienced it as an enjoyable shared hobby with their partner and saw it as providing them a snapshot into the beloved person's mind and thoughts; and (3) how the potential for new castings of digital artefacts might support our personal and emotional lives.     

Understanding Situated Social Interactions: A Case Study of Public Places in the City

Ubiquitous and mobile computer technologies are increasingly being appropriated to facilitate people’s social life outside the work domain. Designing such social and collaborative technologies requires an understanding of peoples’ physical and social context, and the interplay between these and their situated interactions. In response, this paper addresses the challenge of informing design of mobile services for fostering social connections by using the concept of place for studying and understanding peoples’ social activities in a public built environment. We present a case study of social experience of a physical place providing an understanding of peoples’ situated social interactions in public places of the city derived through a grounded analysis of small groups of friends socialising out on the town. Informed by this, we describe the design and evaluation of a mobile prototype system facilitating sociality in the city by (1) allowing people to share places, (2) indexing to places, and (3) augmenting places.     

Combining visual natural markers and IMU for improved AR based indoor navigation

The operation and maintenance phase is the longest and most expensive life-cycle period of buildings and facilities. Operators need to carry out activities to maintain equipment to prevent functionality failures. Although some software tools have already been introduced, research studies have concluded that (1) facility handover data is still predominantly dispersed, unformatted and paper-based and (2) hence operators still spend 50% of their on-site work on target localization and navigation. To improve these procedures, the authors previously presented a natural marker-based Augmented Reality (AR) framework that digitally supports facility maintenance operators when navigating indoors. Although previous results showed the practical potential, this framework fails if no visual marker is available, if identical markers are at multiple locations, and if markers are light emitting signs. To overcome these shortcomings, this paper presents an improved method that combines an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) based step counter and visual live video feed for AR based indoor navigation support. In addition, the AR based marker detection procedure is improved by learning camera exposure times in case of light emitting markers. A case study and experimental results in a controlled environment reveal the improvements and advantages of the enhanced framework.