939 research outputs found

    Music education software : an HCI evaluation of existing software and prototype implementation of an ear training programme based on a proposed approach

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    Includes bibliographical references.This research paper uses Human Computer Interaction(HCI) evaluation methods, namely questionnaires and interviews, to obtain information about the kind of music software currently in common use in music departments, and the level of satisfaction of the students with this software. The evaluation results are then used to examine the possibilities for some improvement of this software. The evaluation reveals that certain software, such as that used for the area of aural (ear) training in music study, may not be used to its fullest extent as a result of a lack of student interest in the software. This research considers one possible reason for the lack of interest, namely that students find no relevance or meaning in the content of such software

    A protocol study of novice interaction design behaviour in Botswana: solution-driven interaction design

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    Think aloud studies and protocol analysis are well-known in the field of HCI, but most often these studies focus on usability evaluations, or on the use of technology. Rarely are they used to investigate the behaviour of interaction designers. In this paper, we report on a protocol study with novice interaction designers in Botswana. Participants had just completed the design section of an undergraduate module on Interaction Design that actively promotes a problem-driven approach to the design of interactive products, yet the participants behaved in a way that is closer to a solution-driven approach. The module emphasizes user-centred design, prototyping methods to support design development, and evaluating design detail. Yet participants suggest solutions before exploring the context of use, use prototyping methods to capture, rather than to develop, designs, and do not produce detailed designs. In a problem-solving context, some of these behaviours are typical of novices, but in a design context they are also seen in experienced designers. The results presented here reveal the detail of the approach adopted by these students, and contribute to the wider debate concerning the internationalization of HCI education

    An Investigation Into The Use Of E-Learning Resources Within An Environmental Context For Schools

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    The premise of this study was to take a game-based learning and investigate whether pupil engagement was enhanced through an environmental context and a competitive environment. Despite game-based learning being an active research area, there appears to be a relatively slow uptake by teachers (Axe & Routledge, 2011) which perhaps gives light to a certain pragmatism amongst teachers to adopt games in education. However, credibility is given to this body of research by a number of prominent authors (Becta, 2001; Kirriemuir & McFarlane, 2003; Shaffer, Squire, Halverson & Gee, 2004). Research has shown the most effective way of integrating game-based learning is to firstly identify the pedagogy for the learning tool and then wrap this with gamified elements (Gee 2003; Gee 2004). What this study aimed to do was provide a system where pupils could learn about environmental topics through a series of educational activities during a prescribed set of trials in school but also have the opportunity to use the system as much or as little as they liked outside of school hours. In addition, this study introduced a contextualised scenario which challenged participants to make decisions based on both moral and competitive judgement in order to determine whether there was an underlying pattern of competitive behaviour or whether users were motivated by more than just winning, a suggestion made by Deen & Schouten 2011). As a concept, gaming strategies are ways that participants utilise an educational tool to win or succeed at the game-based element without explicitly fulfilling the pedagogical purpose. Literature suggests mixed results with previous studies as to the demographic profiles of participants who employ gaming strategies and also their motivations behind those strategies (Baker et al, 2004; Baker et al, 2005). This study aimed to identify basic demographic information for participants who used gaming strategies throughout the usage of this contextual e-learning system as well as the ways in which various strategies were used. One of the fundamental parts of this study was a feature designed to test whether participants were more likely to exhibit selfish or morally responsible behaviour when posed with a number of environmental disaster scenarios. The questions took the form of Environmental Decision Points and provided users with an environmental disaster scenario and three options carrying different points values. The decision participants had to make was whether they chose the more selfish option (and progressed further up their class league table) or whether they took the socially responsible option (where they could perhaps feel better inside but had nothing tangible to show). Overall, this study was designed to further learning in the areas of game-based learning, contextualised learning and gaming strategies within a cohort of Primary and Secondary school pupils

    Principles in Patterns (PiP) : Institutional Approaches to Curriculum Design Institutional Story

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    The principal outputs of the PiP Project surround the Course and Class Approval (C-CAP) system. This web-based system built on Microsoft SharePoint addresses and resolves many of the issues identified by the project. Generally well received by both academic and support staff, the system provides personalised views, adaptive forms and contextualised support for all phases of the approval process. Although the system deliberately encapsulates and facilitates existing approval processes thus achieving buy-in, it is already achieving significant improvements over the previous processes, not only in reducing the administrative overheads but also in supporting curriculum design and academic quality. The system is now embedded across three faculties and is now considered by the University of Strathclyde to be a "core institutional service". Alongside the C-CAP system the PiP Project also cultivated a suite of approaches: an incremental systems development methodology; a structured and replicable evaluation approach, and; Strathclyde's Lean Approach to Efficiencies in Education Kit (SLEEK) business process improvement methodology Each is based on recognised formal techniques, providing the basis for a rigorous approach. This is contextualised within and adapted to the HE institutional context thus building the foundation not only for the project but ultimately for institution wide process improvement. This "institutional story" report summarises the principal outcomes of the Project

    A brief critique on the future of learning (Assessing the potential for research)

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    Recent advances in computer and communications technologies are opening up new opportunities for learning design requiring a thorough (perhaps revolutionary) reappraisal of the goals and purpose of education. The potential of the Internet and the technologies it inspires makes it feasible to not only access and manage information in productive and efficient ways, but also to deliver dynamically interactive, personalised solutions tailored to the needs and preferences of all learners. Therefore, it is important to extend our understanding of how computer technologies can enhance student learning whilst providing some insight into the future of learning.If we accept for the moment that graduates are not adequately equipped to cope with current skill requirements, and combine this view with the complexity of devising suitable electronic delivery methods, there is cause for concern as to the capacity of current learning design models to cater for the diverse skill demands of a technologically driven world. Such concern for the future is not new, but certain emerging factors suggest there is merit in constructing advanced learning models that take advantage of the growing sophistication of computer technologies. The challenge will be to harness technological innovations in ways that will assist to deliver high quality learning outcomes relevant to the changing needs of learners

    MOODs: Building massive open online diaries for researchers, teachers and contributors

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    Internet-based research conducted in partnership with paid crowdworkers and volunteer citizen scientists is an increasingly common method for collecting data from large, diverse populations. We wanted to leverage web-based citizen science to gain insights into phenomena that are part of people’s everyday lives. To do this, we developed the concept of a Massive Open Online Diary (MOOD). A MOOD is a tool for capturing, storing and presenting short updates from multiple contributors on a particular topic. These updates are aggregated into public corpora that can be viewed, analysed and shared. MOODs offer a novel method for crowdsourcing diary-like data in a way that provides value for researchers, teachers and contributors. MOODs also come with unique community-building and ethical challenges. We describe the benefits and challenges of MOODs in relation to Errordiary.org, a MOOD we created to aid our exploration of human error

    Investigating situated cultural practices through cross-sectoral digital collaborations: policies, processes, insights

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    The (Belfast) Good Friday Agreement represents a major milestone in Northern Ireland's recent political history, with complex conditions allowing for formation of a ‘cross-community’ system of government enabling power sharing between parties representing Protestant/loyalist and Catholic/nationalist constituencies. This article examines the apparent flourishing of community-focused digital practices over the subsequent ‘post-conflict’ decade, galvanised by Northern Irish and EU policy initiatives armed with consolidating the peace process. Numerous digital heritage and storytelling projects have been catalysed within programmes aiming to foster social processes, community cohesion and cross-community exchange. The article outlines two projects—‘digital memory boxes’ and ‘interactive galleon’—developed during 2007–2008 within practice-led PhD enquiry conducted in collaboration with the Nerve Centre, a third-sector media education organisation. The article goes on to critically examine the processes involved in practically realising, and creatively and theoretically reconciling, community-engaged digital production in a particular socio-political context of academic-community collaboration

    Enhancing learning with technology

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    Specht, M., & Klemke, R. (2013, 26-27 September). Enhancing Learning with Technology. In D. Milosevic (Ed.), Proceedings of the fourth international conference on eLearning (eLearning 2013) (pp. 37-45). Belgrade Metropolitan University, Belgrade, Serbia. http://econference.metropolitan.ac.rs/We are living in a technology-enhanced world. Also learning is affected by recent, upcoming, and foreseen technological changes. This paper gives a bird’s eye view to technological trends and reflects how learning can benefit from them
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