ENHANCING THE ACCENTUATED FACTOR FRAMEWORK: DEPENDENCIES BETWEEN FACTORS

Handheld computing and mobile information systems are continuously breaking new ground, with an increased importance for business. However, there is evidence that we still have lessons to learn concerning the design of handheld information systems. Handheld information system poses challenges to the designer in the unique properties of handheld technologies and the conditions of use of handheld technologies. Hence, this paper is based on the assumption that handheld information systems has unique properties, and dependencies between properties, that should to be considered in the design of such a system in order to design appropriate information systems for the mobile workforce. The purpose in this paper is to further enhance the usefulness of the Accentuated Factor Framework by describing dependencies between factors in the framework and by this enhance the efficacy in the design process. The theoretical foundation for the paper is the Accentuated Factor Framework, illustrating the unique properties of handheld information systems whereas the expected use settings are the mobile workforce. The empirical data collection was performed via interviews with experienced practitioners, case studies, workshops and studies of software. The Accentuated Factor Framework enhanced with explanatory dependencies between factors provides the opportunity to enhance the design process by reducing the risk of reengineering in design

Staging Transformations for Multimodal Web Interaction Management

Multimodal interfaces are becoming increasingly ubiquitous with the advent of mobile devices, accessibility considerations, and novel software technologies that combine diverse interaction media. In addition to improving access and delivery capabilities, such interfaces enable flexible and personalized dialogs with websites, much like a conversation between humans. In this paper, we present a software framework for multimodal web interaction management that supports mixed-initiative dialogs between users and websites. A mixed-initiative dialog is one where the user and the website take turns changing the flow of interaction. The framework supports the functional specification and realization of such dialogs using staging transformations -- a theory for representing and reasoning about dialogs based on partial input. It supports multiple interaction interfaces, and offers sessioning, caching, and co-ordination functions through the use of an interaction manager. Two case studies are presented to illustrate the promise of this approach.Comment: Describes framework and software architecture for multimodal web interaction managemen

The Implementation of G2B Inter-Organizational Information Systems: A Dialectical Design Perspective

Although the interactions between information technology and the context of government-to-business relations challenge the implementation of information systems, the challenges are currently under-researched. Therefore, this paper analyzes the mutual shaping between technology integration and the context. Based on an empirical study of the deployment of electronic cash registers for value-added tax administration, the analysis explains how government-business dialectics inform the design of relations between institutional, technological and organizational factors. The explanations lead to the argument for a dialectical design perspective on implementation that facilitates a systematic comprehension of (1) the inducements of design; (2) the relationships between the factors as design qualities; (3) the real and perceptual characteristics that define the soundness of the system; and (4) the paradigmatic distinctions between institution-organization design, organization-technology redesign, and functionality design of technology. This perspective leads the conceptualization of implementation in this context, and overcomes the limitations associated with the notable existing perspectives

Developing Mobile Information Systems: Managing Additional Aspects

Despite the numerous stories in academic journals and the business press of systems that fail to deliver anticipated benefits, mobile information systems (IS) are still gaining ground. The nature of mobile IS introduces additional aspects that require attention during the development process, compared to more traditional information systems built for stationary computers. The underlying assumption in this paper is that successful management of these aspects is crucial in order to harness the possibilities of mobility. This paper presents the AUDE- (Application, User, Device, Environment) framework; an analytical framework that addresses the additional aspect of mobile IS. The framework integrates previous research on mobile IS and is tested retrospectively on a case with mobile service technicians. Of the 19 attributes covered by the AUDE framework 2 attributes were not applicable in the investigated case. Of the remaining 17 attributes only 6 were actively handled (3 of them only partly), 8 were not taken into account, and for 3 we were not able to retrieve data. With the ignorance of specific attributes for mobile IS development it was possible to explain why the developed IS did not meet expectations and was considered a failure by its users

Mobile Music Store M-Muze

The introduction of the mobile devices into the electronic commerce arena has allowed the user to go on the Web as well as shopping on the Web using their cell phones, Personals Digital Assistants (PDAs) or combo devices without needing a wired Internet connection and stationary desktop or a laptop computer. In order to give customer's convenience, service providers and also value-added services include easy, timely access to information in a way enable customer to make purchase from whenever they are whenever they are ready. The author here will develop an instant music CD purchasing via mobile phone application by using Wireless Markup Language (WML) as a programming tool. The technique that has been adopted is based on Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) as global standards for mobile solutions. The result of the study has proven that in order to captivate users' attention towards legal music CD purchasing through the web via mobile, design of the interface has given an impact towards the adaptation of content presentation by implementing HCI elements. Therefore, the design of the interface and content according to one's preference plays an important role in enhancing users' "browse and buy" experience at any desired time and needs. The study done towards the implementation of design guidelines for wireless application which is in general, interface design flaws are platform independent has also proven that the design best applied depends on the form factors of the wireless mobile phones. The system URL: http://www.ideashoppe.com I

Investigating Social Presence and Communication with Embodied Avatars in Room-Scale Virtual Reality

Submission includes video.Room-scale virtual reality (VR) holds great potential as a medium for communication and collaboration in remote and same-time, same-place settings. Related work has established that movement realism can create a strong sense of social presence, even in the absence of photorealism. Here, we explore the noteworthy attributes of communicative interaction using embodied minimal avatars in room-scale VR in the same-time, same-place setting. Our system is the first in the research community to enable this kind of interaction, as far as we are aware. We carried out an experiment in which pairs of users performed two activities in contrasting variants: VR vs. face-to-face (F2F), and 2D vs. 3D. Objective and subjective measures were used to compare these, including motion analysis, electrodermal activity, questionnaires, retrospective think-aloud protocol, and interviews. On the whole, participants communicated effectively in VR to complete their tasks, and reported a strong sense of social presence. The system's high fidelity capture and display of movement seems to have been a key factor in supporting this. Our results confirm some expected shortcomings of VR compared to F2F, but also some non-obvious advantages. The limited anthropomorphic properties of the avatars presented some difficulties, but the impact of these varied widely between the activities. In the 2D vs. 3D comparison, the basic affordance of freehand drawing in 3D was new to most participants, resulting in novel observations and open questions. We also present methodological observations across all conditions concerning the measures that did and did not reveal differences between conditions, including unanticipated properties of the think-aloud protocol applied to VR

Usability Definitions in a Dynamically Changing Information Environment

The authors compared Web usability definitions, collected from library professionals at academic institutions of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) through online surveys in 2007 and 2012, to determine whether library practitioners’ perspectives had altered as information technologies evolved during this time. The authors applied three techniques of statistical data analysis— t-tests, cluster analyses, and the Mantel test—for comparisons. The results indicated significant increased emphases on the Interface/Design and Effectiveness attributes in the 2012 data set. This increase may be due to the rise in the use of mobile devices for information access, driving practitioners to place a stronger emphasis on these attributes

Towards memory supporting personal information management tools

In this article we discuss re-retrieving personal information objects and relate the task to recovering from lapse(s) in memory. We propose that fundamentally it is lapses in memory that impede users from successfully re-finding the information they need. Our hypothesis is that by learning more about memory lapses in non-computing contexts and how people cope and recover from these lapses, we can better inform the design of PIM tools and improve the user's ability to re-access and re-use objects. We describe a diary study that investigates the everyday memory problems of 25 people from a wide range of backgrounds. Based on the findings, we present a series of principles that we hypothesize will improve the design of personal information management tools. This hypothesis is validated by an evaluation of a tool for managing personal photographs, which was designed with respect to our findings. The evaluation suggests that users' performance when re-finding objects can be improved by building personal information management tools to support characteristics of human memory