Improving Online Access for People with Disabilities

This paper reports on a consumer-focused research and development project aimed at investigating the online communication requirements of people with disabilities in Australia. Results are informing the development of an accessible email software package with word prediction

User Interface Challenges of Banking ATM Systems in Nigeria

The use of banking automated teller machine (ATM) technological innovations have significant importance and benefits in Nigeria, but numerous investigations have shown that illiterate and semiliterate Nigerians do not perceive them as useful or easy-to-use. Developing easy-to-use banking ATM system interfaces is essential to accommodate over 40% illiterate and semiliterate Nigerians, who are potential users of banking ATM systems. The purpose of this study was to identify strategies software developers of banking ATM systems in Nigeria use to create easy-to-use banking ATM system interfaces for a variety of people with varying abilities and literacy levels. The technology acceptance model was adopted as the conceptual framework. The study\u27s population consisted of qualified and experienced developers of banking ATM system interfaces chosen from 1 organization in Enugu, Nigeria. The data collection process included semistructured, in-depth face-to-face interviews with 9 banking ATM system interface developers and the analysis of 11 documents: 5 from participant case organizations and 6 from nonparticipant case organizations. Member checking was used to increase the validity of the findings from the participants. Through methodological triangulation, 4 major themes emerged from the study: importance of user-centered design strategies, importance of user feedback as essential interface design, value of pictorial images and voice prompts, and importance of well-defined interface development process. The findings in this study may be beneficial for the future development of strategies to create easy-to-use ATM system interfaces for a variety of people with varying abilities and literacy levels and for other information technology systems that are user interface technology dependent

Abstracts: HASTAC 2017: The Possible Worlds of Digital Humanities

The document contains abstracts for HASTAC 2017

The relationship between students' e-skills competencies and the usability problems they experience when using a learning management system

Computer literacy or e-Skills is one of the recommended competencies for graduateness besides analytical, problem solving, writing, social awareness and responsibility skills. As Learning Management Systems become ubiquitous at universities around the world, electronic skills are increasingly becoming more important for students. Identifying usability problems experienced by students with varying e-Skills in an Open Distance Learning (ODL) higher education institution can contribute to an understanding of the learning challenges that students face. This research used a simulated, competence-based assessment to evaluate the e-Skills competencies of first year university students at a South African open distance learning university, the University of South Africa. Based on their performance in the assessment, students were categorised according to an e-Skills proficiency framework consisting of four levels: Digital Awareness, Digital Literacy, Digital Competence and Digital Expertise. The research then investigated the relationship between the usability problems experienced by participants with varying e-Skills competence levels when using a Learning Management System, and their e-Skills proficiency through usability testing and eye tracking. Eye tracking visualisations, heat maps and gaze plots, used with usability testing showed differences in the search patterns and the efficiency with which students with different e-Skills levels use the learning management system. Although more usability problems were encountered by students with lower levels of e-Skills proficiency, some usability problems were faced by students across all four levels. The study shows that it is necessary to consider the differences in learners’ digital proficiency levels when designing learning management systems in order to minimise usability problems. This is very critical in a distance learning environment where there is very little physical contact, if any, between the institution and the student.School of ComputingM. Sc. (Information Systems

Playful E-textile Sonic Interaction for Socially Engaged and Open-Ended Play Between Autistic Children

Research on the potential benefits of technology for autistic children is an emergent field in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), especially within the Child-Computer Interaction Community. This thesis contributes a design approach grounded in theories of play, cognitive development, and autism to expand the discourse on methodological guidelines for performing empirical studies with non-verbal autistic children and to extend the design space to cater to the socio-emotional and sensory needs of this population. The thesis reveals how sonic e-textile Tangible User Interfaces (TUIs) can be used effectively to mediate children’s social participation in playful activities. This is demonstrated through developing three explorative field-studies conducted at a specialist school based in North-East London where two sonic e-textile playful TUIs, namely Mazi and Olly, have been created and tested with three groups of autistic children aged between 5-10. The three studies ran over the period of three years and were designed to investigate the potentials of TUIs as shareable toys during leisure and recreational activities to a) support social and playful interactions among peers and b) provide opportunities for self-regulation. The key contributions of this thesis are the designs of two tangible user interfaces, which offer a set of design approaches to guide researchers through creating shareable and playful tangibles for non-verbal autistic children; a framework for analysis and a thorough evaluation process that other researchers could use to assess the efficacy of playful TUI designs for nonverbal autistic children; and an in-depth discussion about the research process, which offers a new perspective about holistic designs and evaluation of technologies that aim to scaffold play in groups non-verbal autistic children

Computational Experiments for Science and Engineering Education

How to integrate simulation-based engineering and science (SBES) into the science curriculum smoothly is a challenging question. For the importance of SBES to be appreciated, the core value of simulations-that they help people understand natural phenomena and solve engineering problems-must be taught. A strategy to achieve this goal is to introduce computational experiments to the science curriculum to replace or supplement textbook illustrations and exercises and to complement or frame hands-on or wet lab experiments. In this way, students will have an opportunity to learn about SBES without compromising other learning goals required by the standards and teachers will welcome these tools as they strengthen what they are already teaching. This paper demonstrates this idea using a number of examples in physics, chemistry, and engineering. These exemplary computational experiments show that it is possible to create a curriculum that is both deeper and wider