Measuring and assessing typing skills in writing research

In keyboard writing, typing skills are considered an important prerequisite of proficient text production. We describe the design, implementation, and application of a standardized copy-typing task in order to measure and assess individual typing fluency. A test-retest analysis indicates the instrument’s reliability. While the task has been developed across eleven different languages and the related keyboard layouts, we here refer to a corpus of Dutch copy tasks (n = 1682). Analyses show that copying speed non-linearly varies with age. Bayesian analyses reveal differences in the typing performance and the underlying distributions of inter-key intervals between the different task components (e.g., lexical vs. non-lexical materials; high-frequent vs. lowfrequent bigrams). Based on these findings it is strongly recommended to include copy-task measures in the analysis of keystroke logging data in writing studies. This supports a better comparability and interpretability of keystroke data from more complex or communicatively-embedded writing tasks across individuals. Further potential applications of the copy task for writing research are explained and discussed

‘killer Products’ In The New Market Ecosystem: An Analogical Approach Inspiring Novel Ideas In The Field Of Design

Tez (Yüksek Lisans) -- İstanbul Teknik Üniversitesi, Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü, 2008Thesis (M.Sc.) -- İstanbul Technical University, Institute of Science and Technology, 2008Piyasa ve biyolojik ekosistem arasında belirgin bir benzerlik vardır. Bu benzerliğe göre ürünler canlılarla, piyasa başarısı da doğal seçilim ile ilişkilendirilebilmektedir. Bu benzerliğin etkisinde, çalışmanın amacı ‘katil ürünler’i incelemektir. Bunu yaparken de Akdeniz’de yaşayan “katil yosun”dan ilham almaktadır. Caulerpa taxifolia, bir çeşit yosundur; aslında bir akvaryum süsüdür, yanlışlıkla 1984 yılında Akdeniz’e salınmıştır. Bu yosun etrafında bulunan diğer yosunlara yaşama alanı bırakmaması nedeniyle ‘katil yosun’ takma adını almıştır. Bu canlının ‘başarısı’ ekosisteme ve diğer canlılara tehdit oluşturmaktadır. Bu özelliklerde ürünler piyasada yer alır mı sorusu tezin başlangıç noktası olmuştur. Bu çalışmada, katil ürün kavramı ortaya atılmış ve bu yeni kavram araştırılmıştır. Net, açık ve akıcı bir tanıma ulaşmak araştımanın ana hedeflerinden biridir. Temel araştırma yöntemi olarak analoji- benzerlik ilişkisi- kullanılmıştır. Caulerpa taxifolia ile çeşitli ürünler arasında benzerlikler kurularak tanım ve özelliklere varmak hedeflenmiştir. Katil ürün terimine ulaşırken Caulerpa taxifolia örüntüsünün kavramlaştırılması ve benzetmenin araştırılması yeni pazar kavramı ve modern kullanıcı dinamikleri gözetilerek yapılmıştır. Katil ürün tanım ve özellikler doğrultusunda iPod, QWERTY, MS Windows, Nokia cep telefonu gibi çeşitli ürünler ve teknolojileri incelenmiştir. Bu ürünlerin arasından Apple iPod tekil vaka çalışması olarak seçilmiş ve incelenmiştir. Analojiden faydalanarak ulaşılan tanım ve özellikler vaka çalışması ile soruşturulmuş ve doğrulanmıştır. Tasarımcıların katil ürün yaratım sürecindeki rolü sorgulanmıştır.Katil ürünlerin tasarım ve ürün geliştirme sürecine etkileri,katil ürün kullanıcı ilişkileri araştırılmıştır.Kısaca bu çalışmada bir ürünü katil yapan özelliklerin neler olduğuve bu süreçte tasarımın rolü ve etkisinin olup olmadığı,incelenmiştir.There is an obvious analogy between market space and biological ecosystem. In this analogy, products might be regarded as species, market success as natural selection, etc. From this fertile analogy, this paper proposes to examine ‘killer products’, making comparison with “killer weed” (Caulerpa taxifolia) in the Mediterranean; a type of algae, generally used as aquarium ornamentation, accidentally released to the Mediterranean Sea in 1984. This seaweed prevents other plants from growing and gets the nickname “killer algae”. Its “success” might be harmful to the ecosystem as a whole. The question of whether there are products like killer weed is considered as a starting point in this research. In this study, the concept of ‘killer product is introduced. This novel concept is investigated through drawing an analogy between Caulerpa taxifolia and killer products. The aim is to reach a clear and coherent definition and describe properties of killer products as a term. Investigation thorough reaching the idea of killer products; metaphors and concepts are considered by the patterns of Caulerpa taxifolia along with the dynamics of new market economy and contemporary customers. According to the definition and characteristics of a killer product, various killer products and technologies including iPod, QWERTY, MS Windows, Nokia Cell phone and some others are investigated. The role of design in creating killer products and whether killer species-products are unpredictable and uncontrollable are questioned. In short, this thesis attempts to summarize what makes a product ‘killer and the role of design in this process.Yüksek LisansM.Sc

Three Fundamental Trade-offs in Expanding Sustainable Distributions of Manufacturing

The background of the research is the trend towards more inclusive manufacturing. This includes all levels of technologies to enable more diverse geographic and demographic distributions of manufacturing, which can improve ecological and social sustainability. Expanding distributions of manufacturing is of interest to governments, companies, communities and individuals. Interest among government and companies relates to manufacturing being re-shored and redistributed. Interest among communities and individuals is in people having more involvement in the production of what they consume: i.e. prosumption. Expansion of geographic distributions has potential to increase ecological sustainability, for example, by reducing long-distance transportation. Expansion of demographic distributions has potential to increase social sustainability, for example, by increasing the diversity of people involved in manufacturing. The dissertation addresses three research gaps concerned with sustainable distributed manufacturing. In particular, the fundamental challenges of three manufacturing trade-offs are addressed as follows: product originality, product complexity, and product unsustainability versus sustainable distributed manufacturing. There are three main findings from the research. First, technological advances enable expansion of sustainable distributed manufacturing of original products, if the products are small simple original products rather than large complicated original products. Second, technological advances enable sustainable distributed manufacturing of products that are more complex than could otherwise be made far from manufacturing infrastructures, but which nonetheless are not the most complex products. Third, technological advances enable more sustainable distributed production of products with unsustainable features, if technological advances are applied also to some existing distributions of manufacturing. Consideration of these three main findings and three further findings, suggests two complementary strategies for expanding sustainable manufacturing distributions: trade-off reduction and trade-off avoidance. Overall, the research is novel through its inclusion of diverse technologies and distributions of manufacturing in order to determine their relative potential to improve the production of physical goods at more diverse locations by more diverse people

Criação de música baseada na proporção áurea: abordagem teórica e prática à escala de 34 tons de igual temperamento

The sensory phenomena of music perception are considered to be highly non-linear. The golden ratio plays a key role in nonlinear dynamic systems and has been recognized as an aesthetic element in many places over time. This research develops the 34-note equal tempered scale (34-TET). A microtonal model based on the golden ratio, containing the harmonic musical intervals, and permitting a consistent approach that embraces the different temperaments throughout history, as well as other music cultures. These theoretical properties are practically exposed in two portfolios, including compositional samples of art music with European roots (from the Renaissance to the twentieth century), popular music (bossa nova, tango, swing), maqãm, and Indian music. The second portfolio, created within the scope of this thesis, contains the artistic work “The Asian Garden” combining the equal tempered scales of 34 and 12 notes (12-TET), and provides additional cultural references from China and Japan. The 34-TET scale offers an overall approach to just intonation scale more than twice as good as that of 12-TET, with all consonant intervals well below the differential threshold. If a maximum impurity value was accepted, not appreciably different from that agreed upon when the equal-tempered 12- tone scale was standardized (17.65 cents vs. 15.67 cents), then the 34-TET scale would become, additionally, a useful tool for approaching different cultures.Os fenómenos sensoriais de perceção musical são considerados substancialmente não lineares. A proporção áurea desempenha um papel fundamental em sistemas dinâmicos não lineares e tem sido reconhecida como um elemento estético em vários contextos ao longo do tempo. Esta investigação desenvolve a escala de 34 notas de temperamento igual (34- TET). Trata-se de um modelo microtonal baseado na proporção áurea, contendo os intervalos harmónicos musicais, e permitindo uma abordagem consistente que abrange os distintos temperamentos ao longo da história, assim como outras culturas musicais. Estas propriedades teóricas estão praticamente expostas em dois portefólios, incluindo exemplos de composição erudita com raízes europeias (desde o Renascimento ao século XX), música popular (bossa nova, tango, swing), maqãm e música indiana. O segundo portefólio contém o trabalho artístico “The Asian Garden,” criado no âmbito desta tese, que combina escalas de temperamento igual de 34 e de 12 notas (12-TET), e fornece referências culturais adicionais da China e Japão. A escala 34-TET oferece uma abordagem global à escala de entonação justa que é mais de duas vezes melhor do que a da escala 12-TET, com todos os intervalos consonantes consideravelmente abaixo do limiar diferencial. Se fosse aceite um valor máximo de impureza não muito diferente do valor acordado quando a escala de 12 tons igualmente temperados foi padronizada (17,65 cents em vez de 15,67 cents), a escala 34-TET tornar-se-ia, adicionalmente, uma ferramenta útil para a aproximação de culturas diferentes.Programa Doutoral em Músic

Comparative analysis on the cognition of designer's identity through digital presentation drawings

Cataloged from PDF version of article.In parallel to the developments in computer technology and the broad use of computers in the design domain, computer media presentations are widely used today in architecture. Architectural presentation drawings are means of externalization the internal world, thoughts and identity of architects. However, the issue of the cognition of designer’s identity in computer media presentations is rarely addressed in the researches as compared to studies on traditional media presentations. On the contrary, computers are mainly regarded as reflecting their own identity rather than providing designers potentials to express themselves and to achieve differences and variations. In this study, a comparative analysis of the cognition of designer’s identity in architectural presentation drawings is carried out. The analysis provided enough evidence that similar to architectural presentation drawings of traditional media, computer media presentations hold potentials for the reflection of designer’s identityAkalın, GencoM.S

Proceedings of the 9th Arab Society for Computer Aided Architectural Design (ASCAAD) international conference 2021 (ASCAAD 2021): architecture in the age of disruptive technologies: transformation and challenges.

The ASCAAD 2021 conference theme is Architecture in the age of disruptive technologies: transformation and challenges. The theme addresses the gradual shift in computational design from prototypical morphogenetic-centered associations in the architectural discourse. This imminent shift of focus is increasingly stirring a debate in the architectural community and is provoking a much needed critical questioning of the role of computation in architecture as a sole embodiment and enactment of technical dimensions, into one that rather deliberately pursues and embraces the humanities as an ultimate aspiration

An aesthetics of touch: investigating the language of design relating to form

How well can designers communicate qualities of touch? This paper presents evidence that they have some capability to do so, much of which appears to have been learned, but at present make limited use of such language. Interviews with graduate designer-makers suggest that they are aware of and value the importance of touch and materiality in their work, but lack a vocabulary to fully relate to their detailed explanations of other aspects such as their intent or selection of materials. We believe that more attention should be paid to the verbal dialogue that happens in the design process, particularly as other researchers show that even making-based learning also has a strong verbal element to it. However, verbal language alone does not appear to be adequate for a comprehensive language of touch. Graduate designers-makers’ descriptive practices combined non-verbal manipulation within verbal accounts. We thus argue that haptic vocabularies do not simply describe material qualities, but rather are situated competences that physically demonstrate the presence of haptic qualities. Such competencies are more important than groups of verbal vocabularies in isolation. Design support for developing and extending haptic competences must take this wide range of considerations into account to comprehensively improve designers’ capabilities

A COMPARISON BETWEEN MOTIVATIONS AND PERSONALITY TRAITS IN RELIGIOUS TOURISTS AND CRUISE SHIP TOURISTS

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the motivations and the personality traits that characterize tourists who choose religious travels versus cruises. Participating in the research were 683 Italian tourists (345 males and 338 females, age range 18–63 years); 483 who went to a pilgrimage travel and 200 who chose a cruise ship in the Mediterranean Sea. Both groups of tourists completed the Travel Motivation Scale and the Big Five Questionnaire. Results show that different motivations and personality traits characterize the different types of tourists and, further, that motivations for traveling are predicted by specific —some similar, other divergent— personality trait

A Formal Approach to Computer Aided 2D Graphical Design for Blind People

The growth of computer aided drawing systems for blind people (CADB) has long been recognised and has increased in interest within the assistive technology research area. The representation of pictorial data by blind and visually impaired (BVI) people has recently gathered momentum with research and development; however, a survey of published literature on CADB reveals that only marginal research has been focused on the use of a formal approach for on screen spatial orientation, creation and reuse of graphics artefacts. To realise the full potential of CADB, such systems should possess attributes of usability, spatial navigation and shape creation features without which blind users drawing activities are less likely to be achieved. As a result of this, usable, effective and self-reliant CADB have arisen from new assistive Technology (AT) research. This thesis contributes a novel, abstract, formal approach that facilitates BVI users to navigate on the screen, create computer graphics/diagrams using 2D shapes and user-defined images. Moreover, the research addresses the specific issues involved with user language by formulating specific rules that make BVI user interaction with the drawing effective and easier. The formal approach proposed here is descriptive and it is specified at a level of abstraction above the concrete level of system technologies. The proposed approach is unique in problem modelling and syntheses of an abstract computer-based graphics/drawings using a formal set of user interaction commands. This technology has been applied to enable blind users to independently construct drawings to satisfy their specific needs without recourse to a specific technology and without the intervention of support workers. The specification aims to be the foundation for a system scope, investigation guidelines and user-initiated command-driven interaction. Such an approach will allow system designers and developers to proceed with greater conceptual clarity than it is possible with current technologies that is built on concrete system-driven prototypes. In addition to the scope of the research the proposed model has been verified by various types of blind users who have independently constructed drawings to satisfy their specific needs without the intervention of support workers. The effectiveness and usability of the proposed approach has been compared against conventional non-command driven drawing systems by different types of blind users. The results confirm that the abstract formal approach proposed here using command-driven means in the context of CADB enables greater comprehension by BVI users. The innovation can be used for both educational and training purposes. The research, thereby sustaining the claim that the abstract formal approach taken allows for the greater comprehension of the command-driven means in the context of CADB, and how the specification aid the design of such a system