A Petri-Net Based Approach to Measure the Learnability of Interactive Systems

We propose an approach to measure the learnability of an interactive system. Our approach relies on recording in a user log all the user actions that take place during a run of the system and on replaying them over one or more interaction models of the system. Each interaction model describes the expected way of executing a relevant task provided by the system. The proposed approach is able to identify deviations between the interaction models and the user log and to assess the weight of such deviations through a fitness value, which estimates how much a log adheres to the models. Our thesis is that by measuring the rate of such a fitness value for subsequent executions of the system we can not only understand if the system is learnable with respect to its relevant tasks, but also to identify potential learning issues. © 2016 Copyright held by the owner/author(s)

Measuring Learnability in Human-Computer Interaction

It is well accepted that learnability is a crucial attribute of usability that should be considered in almost every software system. A good learnability leads within a short time and with minimal effort to a high level of proficiency of the user. Therefore, expensive training time of complex systems is reduced. However, there is only few consensus on how to define and evaluate learnability. In addition, gathering detailed information on learnability is quite difficult. In todays books on usability evaluation, learnability gets only few attention, research publications are spread to several other fields and the term learnability is also used in other context. The objective of this thesis is to give an structured overview of learnability and methods for evaluation and additionally assist in the evaluator’s individual choice of an appropriate method. First of all, several definitions of learnability are discussed. For a deeper understanding psychological background knowledge is provided. Afterwards, methods to asses learnability are presented. This comprises nine methods that seem particularly appropriate to measure learnability. As this methods are very diverse, a framework based on analytical hierarchy process is provided. This framework aims to classify presented methods with respect to certain criteria and assess practitioners in selecting an appropriate method to measure learnability

An Interactive Approach to Software Visualization for Customization

The Software Product Line (SPL) provides software customization by composing several different web services together. When further supported by Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA), SPL offers unprecedented advantages for reusing software artifacts in mass customization of software applications, leading to radically reduced time, cost, and effort of software development. A Petri-Net based visualization system for the software customization has been developed in our research group. This thesis works on enhancement of the prior work by introducing an interactive approach of software visualization for software customization. The proposed approach segregates the users based on their interaction with the system and the best suited visualizations are selected and displayed for the users. In this thesis an interactive framework based on Contextual Control Model has been proposed. A usability study has been conducted to validate the improvements in the usability of the proposed system compared to the existing system

Transaction design standards for the operationalisation of fairness and empowerment in proactive contracting

Peer reviewe

The evaluation of a novel haptic machining VR-based process planning system using an original process planning usability method

This thesis provides an original piece of work and contribution to knowledge by creating a new process planning system; Haptic Aided Process Planning (HAPP). This system is based on the combination of haptics and virtual reality (VR). HAPP creates a simulative machining environment where Process plans are automatically generated from the real time logging of a user’s interaction. Further, through the application of a novel usability test methodology, a deeper study of how this approach compares to conventional process planning was undertaken. An abductive research approach was selected and an iterative and incremental development methodology chosen. Three development cycles were undertaken with evaluation studies carried out at the end of each. Each study, the pre-pilot, pilot and industrial, identified progressive refinements to both the usability of HAPP and the usability evaluation method itself. HAPP provided process planners with an environment similar to which they are already familiar. Visual images were used to represent tools and material whilst a haptic interface enabled their movement and positioning by an operator in a manner comparable to their native setting. In this way an intuitive interface was developed that allowed users to plan the machining of parts consisting of features that can be machined on a pillar drill, 21/2D axis milling machine or centre lathe. The planning activities included single or multiple set ups, fixturing and sequencing of cutting operations. The logged information was parsed and output to a process plan including route sheets, operation sheets, tool lists and costing information, in a human readable format. The system evaluation revealed that HAPP, from an expert planners perspective is perceived to be 70% more satisfying to use, 66% more efficient in completing process plans, primarily due to the reduced cognitive load, is more effective producing a higher quality output of information and is 20% more learnable than a traditional process planning approach

A Petri-Net Based Approach of Software Visualization for Software Customization

Different from the traditional approach of software development from scratch, Software Product Line (SPL) allows software customization. When further supported by Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA), SPL offers unprecedented advantages for reusing software artifacts in mass customization of software applications, leading to radically reduced time, cost, and effort of software development. Accordingly, an interactive dialogue-based system for ontology-based requirement elicitation has been developed previously, in our research group, by Zhang. This thesis works on enhancement of the prior work by introducing software visualization to the process of interactive requirement elicitation. A research was conducted for choosing the most suitable visualization method for the existing text-based software. For this purpose, a layered structure for SOA visualization with support of Petri Nets is chosen. Accordingly, this method was implemented and a usability study was done to validate improvements in comprehension of the end-user in visualized version comparing to the previous version of requirement elicitation system

Supporting adaptiveness of cyber-physical processes through action-based formalisms

Cyber Physical Processes (CPPs) refer to a new generation of business processes enacted in many application environments (e.g., emergency management, smart manufacturing, etc.), in which the presence of Internet-of-Things devices and embedded ICT systems (e.g., smartphones, sensors, actuators) strongly influences the coordination of the real-world entities (e.g., humans, robots, etc.) inhabitating such environments. A Process Management System (PMS) employed for executing CPPs is required to automatically adapt its running processes to anomalous situations and exogenous events by minimising any human intervention. In this paper, we tackle this issue by introducing an approach and an adaptive Cognitive PMS, called SmartPM, which combines process execution monitoring, unanticipated exception detection and automated resolution strategies leveraging on three well-established action-based formalisms developed for reasoning about actions in Artificial Intelligence (AI), including the situation calculus, IndiGolog and automated planning. Interestingly, the use of SmartPM does not require any expertise of the internal working of the AI tools involved in the system

GIS in Healthcare

The landscape of healthcare is dynamic, gradually becoming more complicated with factors beyond simple supply and demand. Similar to the diversity of social, political and economic contexts, the practical utilization of healthcare resources also varies around the world. However, the spatial components of these contexts, along with aspects of supply and demand, can reveal a common theme among these factors. This book presents advancements in GIS applications that reveal the complexity of and solutions for a dynamic healthcare landscape

Automated specification-based testing of graphical user interfaces

Tese de doutoramento. Engenharia Electrónica e de Computadores. 2006. Faculdade de Engenharia. Universidade do Porto, Departamento de Informática, Escola de Engenharia. Universidade do Minh