A persona-based modelling for contextual requirements

[Context & Motivation] Personas are a technique used to guide developing products accommodating people diversity. They are archetypes reflecting common combinations of users’ characteristics, needs and goals. Persons can add a human-centred facet to requirements engineering practice which is often revolving around the concept of business roles. [Question/Problem] Goal modelling is an example of mainstream requirements engineering approach driven by business roles and their responsibilities and needs represented as goals. Personnel in the system are expected to act according to this prescriptive specification. Personnel diversity is often seen as a customization and design issue. [Principal idea/Results]. In this paper we propose to consider such diversity as a conditional context in requirements modelling and, as an approach, augment Contextual Goal Model (CGM) with personas as a new contextual dimension. Additionally, we propose an algorithm to analyse the achievability of CGM goals in the presence of the personas contexts variation. We evaluate our approach using a Mobile Personal Emergency Response System (MPERS) implemented as a prototype. [Contribution] Our persona-based modelling approach paves the way to augment requirements with a consideration of people diversity and enrich the business perspective with a more user-centred design facet

Desbloquear a forma como as empresas estão aplicando gamificação ao longo do ciclo de vida inovação

This thesis complements an emergent body of literature on gamification of innovation by exploring how gamification, i.e. the use of game elements in non-gaming contexts, can support the management of the complex, messy and unclear Early Stage of Innovation Process (ESoIP), and therefore help firms to drive innovation forward. Thus, the goal of this thesis is threefold: Firstly to conceptualize gamification approaches to the early stage of innovation; secondly to examine by empirical research studies how the ESoIP can be supported by gamification approaches and thirdly to explore the way gamification approaches support and enhance design thinking. In fact, this thesis argues that gamification can contribute to improving the management of firms’ ESoIP by complementing design thinking practices. Since the potential value of design thinking is sometimes overhyped among academics and practitioners it is fundamental to acknowledge its main obstacles and discuss better ways to overcome the difficulties of managing the ESoIP, such the unpredictable and unstructured nature of activities and the need for more coordination and alignment of teams. Given the explorative type of goals and the need to achieve a deeper understanding of the linkages between gamification and the ESoIP, the thesis follows a qualitative research approach. Findings show that gamification approaches encourage the involvement and engagement of teams in the innovation process, improving aspects like team spirit, dialogue and consensus building, creative experience sharing, goals setting, coordination of activities and concept development as well as the overall management of the ESoIP. Finally, it also suggests that gamification complements and enhances design thinking practices by making people more engaged and delivering a more structured approach to the ESoIP.Esta tese complementa uma linha de investigação emergente na área da gamificação da inovação, explorando como é que a gamificação (utilização de elementos de jogos em contextos não lúdicos) pode apoiar a gestão da fase inicial do processo de inovação, que é mais complexa, confusa e obscura e desta forma ajudar as empresas a inovar. Os principais objetivos desta tese são em primeiro lugar conceptualizar a utilização da gamificação na fase inicial do processo de inovação, em segundo lugar investigar através de estudos empíricos como é que o processo de inovação pode ser melhorado através desta abordagem e em terceiro lugar explorar de que forma é que a gamificação pode apoiar e melhorar o design thinking. Isto porque esta tese defende que a gamificação pode contribuir para melhorar a gestão da fase inicial do processo de inovação, complementando as práticas de design thinking. Como o valor potencial do design thinking está por vezes sobreavaliado entre académicos e gestores, é fundamental reconhecer os seus principais obstáculos e discutir melhor as maneiras de ultrapassar as dificuldades de gestão da inovação, tais como a natureza das atividades pouco estruturadas e não previstas e a necessidade de maior coordenação e alinhamento das equipas. Dado o caráter exploratório dos objetivos e a necessidade de se chegar a um melhor conhecimento das ligações entre a gamificação e a fase inicial do processo de inovação, esta tese segue uma abordagem qualitativa. Os resultados mostram que a gamificação promove o envolvimento das equipas no processo de inovação, melhorando aspetos como o espírito de equipa, diálogo e consenso, partilha de experiência de forma mais criativa, definição de objetivos, coordenação de atividades, desenvolvimento de conceitos e, de uma forma geral, toda a gestão da fase inicial deste processo. Finalmente, esta tese também sugere que a gamificação complementa e melhora as práticas de design thinking aumentando o envolvimento das pessoas e proporcionando uma abordagem mais estruturada do processo de inovação.Programa Doutoral em Marketing e Estratégi

Development plans for a remote control laboratory demonstrating the Faraday effect

Master's Project (M.Ed.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2015This project presents the design o f a physics lab where the Faraday Effect is studied by students in a Remote Control Laboratory (RCL). Background conceptual material for students, equipment lists, lab procedures, and a proposed web interface to the equipment are offered with the design choices supported by research. The final product is a workable demonstration that could be used in face-to-face classrooms or as a laboratory exercise. This project could also serve as a blue print for a future engineering project where the final computer-mechanical-robotic interface could be crafted so that this would indeed become a fully online RCL

Live Well Springfield – A Community Transformation Movement: Evaluation of the Live Well Springfield Website

The Live Well Springfield (LWS) movement is a collaborative effort of partner organizations in Springfield, Massachusetts. The project promotes healthy living by increasing knowledge and awareness of food and physical activity. A key LWS strategy was the creation of a website to function as an information hub. In addition to local event and health information, the website features 16 narratives depicting residents practicing healthy lifestyle choices, designed to encourage community engagement. To date, there has been no evaluation of the website’s reach and effect. A mixed methods approach, surveys and focus group discussions, was designed to collect data from people who live, work, or attend school in Springfield. Focus group participants were recruited in person at Springfield Community College, via recruitment posters (distributed at STCC), and through email requests from a previously compiled list of residents willing to be contacted. A website evaluation survey was developed using eHealth research constructs and the Expectation-Confirmation Model (ECM). This survey measured users’ perceived quality and satisfaction with the website. The survey was accessible via the livewellspringfield.org homepage, the LWS Facebook page, and emailed directly to potential respondents. The validated eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS) was incorporated into the survey and focus group sessions to assess self-reported skills for using eHealth resources. Each hour-long focus group (n=5 and n=6, respectively) was video/audio recorded and fully transcribed. Focus group transcripts were analyzed to thematically organize responses to narratives and fact-based health messages and assess the appeal, relevance, effectiveness, perceived purpose, and appropriateness. Survey data was analyzed to produce frequencies, descriptive statistics, and correlations. A mean eHEALS score of 4.22 of 5.00 (SD=0.83) was calculated from 36 responses, suggesting this sample felt very knowledgeable and confident using eHealth resources. Health Literacy Advisor (HLA) software was used to analyze an aggregate of all narratives, resulting in a Fry-based reading grade level of 8.4. On a five-point Likert scale, mean satisfaction with the website was 4.71 (SD=0.53), and mean likelihood to return was 4.76 (SD=0.51). Content analysis of focus group transcripts resulted in 184 responses coded for one or more themes. The largest proportion of responses (40.2%) related to effectiveness. One third of these effectiveness-related responses were negative toward the fact-based examples. Although the narratives were greatly preferred in both groups, all respondents made comments or agreed with suggestions to have both affective narratives and strictly fact-based health messages accessible, regardless of initial preferences. Results and interpretations will be reported to LWS partners to inform potential revisions of the website revisions and contribute to ongoing activities of the LWS initiative

Principles of Security and Trust

This open access book constitutes the proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Principles of Security and Trust, POST 2019, which took place in Prague, Czech Republic, in April 2019, held as part of the European Joint Conference on Theory and Practice of Software, ETAPS 2019. The 10 papers presented in this volume were carefully reviewed and selected from 27 submissions. They deal with theoretical and foundational aspects of security and trust, including on new theoretical results, practical applications of existing foundational ideas, and innovative approaches stimulated by pressing practical problems

Everyday shopping : an exploration of the information behaviors of grocery shoppers

The field of everyday information behavior addresses how individuals interact with information in their everyday life. Previous research in the field has largely ignored the banal and quotidian portion of everyday life that scholars of the critical and cultural theory of the everyday emphasize. This dissertation seeks to enhance the scholarly knowledge of everyday information behavior by demonstrating that critical and cultural theory offers concepts and theories that enable the field to more thoroughly explore the everyday. Through two empirical studies using qualitative methods inspired by institutional ethnography, this dissertation shows how everyday information scholars can investigate the mundane everyday activity of grocery shopping to gain a deeper understanding of the information behaviors involved. The first empirical study addresses the nurturer persona, a concept based on the role of the food provider. The second empirical study addresses the creative persona, a concept based on the creativity a recreational grocery shopper can enact in the grocery store. The data from the empirical studies is analyzed using three different perspectives (grocery shopping perspective, information behavior perspective, and critical and cultural theory perspective) drawn from distinct but related research literatures to highlight the complexity of grocery shoppers’ information behavior. The findings from the grocery shopping perspective show a strong presence of the nurturer and creative personas that impact a grocery shoppers’ experience in the grocery store. The findings from the information behavior perspective show the process of grocery shopping as information-rich and consisting of many different information behaviors. They also show how aspects of the nurturer and creative personas influence the information behaviors of grocery shopping. Finally, the findings from the critical and cultural theory perspective show that grocery shopping engages in an intensive and active way in ‘everyday’ information behavior. This finding is demonstrated through concepts developed by combining critical and cultural theory with concepts and concerns from everyday information behavior research.Informatio

Economic and environmental viability of central solar heating plants with seasonal storage in the European residential sector: A systematic multi-objective optimization approach

Alineant-se amb l'ambiciós paquet de mesures de la UE per 2030 que pretén reduir les emissions de gasos d'efecte hivernacle i reemplaçar les fonts de calor convencionals amb fonts renovables dins de nuclis urbans, les plantes centralitzades de calefacció solar amb emmagatzemament estacional (CSHPSS) es troben entre les tecnologies més prometedores per estalviar energia en els sectors industrial i residencial-comercial. Aquest treball presenta una avaluació exhaustiva de la possibilitat d'integrar CSHPSS al sector residencial de diversos estats membres de la UE a través d'un enfocament sistemàtic d'optimització d'aquests sistemes tenint en compte els criteris econòmics i ambientals. Aquest enfocament incorpora simultàniament les anàlisis de cicle de vida econòmic i mediambiental al mateix temps que procura satisfer tècnicament tant la demanda de calefacció com els serveis domèstics d'aigua calenta. La metodologia s'aplica a una comunitat residencial de 1120 habitatges en diverses zones de la UE, amb Barcelona, Madrid, Atenes, Berlín i Hèlsinki com a exemples de diferents tipus climàtics europeus. L'avaluació ambiental mostra una millora significativa comparant la CSHPSS amb un sistema de calefacció de gas natural, arribant en alguns casos fins a un 87% de reduccions. D'altra banda, una àmplia millora econòmica és especialment limitada a la zona climàtica mediterrània (Atenes) a causa de les baixes demandes de calefacció i els preus dels recursos no renovables, el cost econòmic total de la CSHPSS pot superar fins a un 50.8% un sistema de calefacció de gas natural. No obstant això, tenint en compte l'actual tendència creixent en els preus del gas natural a tota la UE, l'estudi dels costos futurs de la planta confirma la seva viabilitat econòmica a llarg termini. En general, la nostra eina pot guiar els enginyers i arquitectes en la transició cap a un sector residencial més sostenible.Alineándose con el ambicioso paquete de medidas de la UE para 2030 que pretende reducir las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero y reemplazar las fuentes de calor convencionales con fuentes renovables dentro de núcleos urbanos, las plantas centralizadas de calefacción solar con almacenamiento estacional (CSHPSS) se encuentran entre las tecnologías más prometedoras para ahorrar energía en los sectores industrial y residencial-comercial. Este trabajo presenta una evaluación exhaustiva de la posibilidad de integrar CSHPSS en el sector residencial de varios estados miembros de la UE a través de un enfoque sistemático de optimización de estos sistemas teniendo en cuenta los criterios económicos y ambientales. Este enfoque incorpora simultáneamente los análisis de ciclo de vida económico y medioambiental al mismo tiempo que procura satisfacer técnicamente tanto la demanda de calefacción como los servicios domésticos de agua caliente. La metodología se aplica a una comunidad residencial de 1120 viviendas en diversas zonas de la UE, con Barcelona, Madrid, Atenas, Berlín y Helsinki como ejemplos de diferentes tipos climáticos europeos. La evaluación ambiental muestra una mejora significativa comparando la CSHPSS con un sistema de calefacción de gas natural, llegando en algunos casos hasta un 87% de reducciones. Por otro lado, una amplia mejora económica es especialmente limitada en la zona climática mediterránea (Atenas) debido a las bajas demandas de calefacción y los precios de los recursos no renovables, el costo económico total de la CSHPSS puede superar hasta un 50.8% un sistema de calefacción de gas natural. Sin embargo, teniendo en cuenta la actual tendencia creciente en los precios del gas natural en toda la UE, el estudio de los costos futuros de la planta confirma su viabilidad económica a largo plazo. En general, nuestra herramienta puede guiar a los ingenieros y arquitectos en la transición hacia un sector residencial más sostenible.Aligning with the ambitious EU 2030 climate and energy package for cutting the greenhouse emissions and replacing conventional heat sources through the presence of renewable energy share inside efficient district heating fields, central solar heating plants coupled with seasonal storage (CSHPSS) are among the most promising technologies to save energy in the industrial and residential-commercial building sectors. This work presents a comprehensive evaluation for the possibility of integrating CSHPSS in the residential sector in various EU member states through the introduction of a systematic approach to optimize these systems according to economic and environmental criteria. This approach comprises simultaneously the life cycle cost analysis for the economic evaluation and the life cycle assessment for the environmental impact estimation while technically satisfying both the space heating demand and the domestic hot water services. The methodology framework is applied to a residential neighborhood community of 1120 dwellings in various EU zones with Barcelona, Madrid, Athens, Berlin, and Helsinki acting as proxy for different European climate types. The environmental assessment shows a significant improvement when using the CSHPSS in comparison to a natural gas heating system, arriving in some cases up to 87% reductions. On the other hand, an extensive economic improvement is especially limited in the Mediterranean climate zone (Athens) due to low heating demands and the prices of the non-renewable resources, there the total economic cost of the CSHPSS can increase up to 50.8% compared to a natural gas heating system. However, considering the incremental tendency in natural gas prices all over EU nowadays, the study of future plant costs confirms its favorable long term economic feasibility. Overall, our tool can guide engineers and architects in the transition towards a more sustainable residential sector

Business concept plan for profesh talent & employment in the consulting industry

The Post economic crisis in Denmark and the stabilization hereafter, the labor force is on rising demand for specialized and qualified talent in certain industries, such as the consulting industry and extended sub-branches. The political situation in Denmark as of now is specifically highlighting the issues that the economy is facing regarding the lack of availability and qualified workforce to keep a competitive landscape, on both the domestic and international scale. The consulting industry is growing at a fast pace as disruptive times are in effect and the demand for acquiring the right talent and retaining it, is a constant issue for the industry as a whole. This business concept plan is an innovative way to respond to the gap that the Danish labor force is currently experiencing. This start-up will be aiming to create value for candidates and companies that are exclusive to the industry. The project is structured as an online platform, which is to be a solution for those candidates and companies in “pain”, to offer a transparent service that brings value to all targets involved, through a broader and focused perspective, promotion and exposure. This concept is a new take on conservative strategies constraining the industry to gain the full potential of candidates and minimize the costs and risks affiliated with recruitment.Após a crise económica e findo o período de estabilização que se seguiu, surgiu, no mercado de trabalho Dinamarquês, uma necessidade crescente de talento qualificado e especializado em certas indústrias, tais como a indústria da Consultadoria e ramos associados. A situação política na Dinamarca é hoje em dia, um reflexo das dificuldades que a economia Dinamarquesa enfrenta, face à escassez de mão-de-obra qualificada, capaz de manter a competitividade tanto a nível doméstico como internacional. A indústria da Consultadoria cresce a um ritmo acelerado, envolta num ambiente de disrupção, tendo como um dos seus principais desafios a atracção e retenção de profissionais com as qualificações certas. O conceito de modelo de negócio em análise é um forma inovadora de dar resposta aos desafios que o mercado de trabalho Dinamarquês enfrenta. A start-up apresentada tem como objetivo a criação de valor para candidatos e empresas, exclusivo para indústria em estudo. O projeto está estruturado como uma plataforma online, que pretende solucionar os problemas de empresas e candidatos do setor, através de um serviço transparente que acrescenta valor para todos os visados, através de uma perspectiva, comunicação e exposição alargadas. Pretende-se que este conceito seja uma alternativa aos modelos e estratégias vigentes, capaz de extrair o máximo potencial de cada candidato, enquanto ajuda as empresas a reduzir os custos e riscos associados ao recrutamento

The Essence of Software Engineering

Software Engineering; Software Development; Software Processes; Software Architectures; Software Managemen