Conceptual Model of Digital Storytelling (DST)

Digital storytelling (DST) is an evolution of the age-old traditional storytelling, by augmenting the power of storytelling via the latest technology. In order for a digital storyteller to construct a digital story, there are sets of guided elements to be followed. However, these experts-proposed elements vary; while some are repetitive others do not cater for interactivity. Therefore, the main aim of this study is to identify the commonality of the diverse elements used by the different experts to eliminate their redundancy. By doing so, this study can identify the DST core elements and present them in the form of a conceptual model. In achieving the main aim, three sub-objectives were constructed; (1) to identify the core elements of digital storytelling that represent interactive and non-interactive forms, (2) to construct a conceptual model of the identified DST core elements, (3) to evaluate the proposed conceptual model by DST experts and potential users. In ensuring that the study is guided and focused, four phases of methodology were followed through: (1) groundwork, (2) induction, (3) iteration, and (4) conclusion. Eventually, the conceptual model was reviewed by five international experts and evaluated by 62 potential users. The evaluation on the quality of the model encompassed the following constructs: Perceived Ease of Understanding, Perceived Usefulness, User Satisfaction, and Perceived Semantic Quality. The findings indicated that the respondents perceived the conceptual model as having quality (mean score of 4.936 over a scale of 7.000). T-Test also revealed that there is no significant difference between the perception of those with experience in developing DST and those without experience. This suggests that the conceptual model consisting of the DST core elements, which is the main contribution of the study, could guide digital storytellers in developing digital story

A Review on the Methods of Evaluating the New Approaches Proposed in the Agile Context

In the recent years, Agile is being one of the emerging technologies adopted by numerous organizations.  The Agile methods have not received a wide acceptance within the software development organizations (SDOs), but they are also being extensively employed in different fields and environments. Accordingly, new approaches have been proposed by researchers and practitioners based on the Agile context, however, there is scarce and – sometimes - absence of describing the evaluation process of these approaches. Therefore, this paper reports the findings of an extensive literature search on how the new proposed approaches are being evaluated. The narrative review methodology was employed to criticize and summarize a body of literature retrieved from various scientific sources. The results reveal that there are various methods used for evaluating the proposed Agile approaches. Nevertheless, this review focuses on explaining the five common methods, which are: (1) case study, (2) survey, (3) interview, (3) focus group, and (5) expert review. Thereafter, the authors discuss the key findings and highlight directions for future researches. This study tends to help researchers and practitioners to select the suitable evaluation methods when constructing new Agile approaches.

Evaluating the usability and usefulness of a digital library

Purpose - System usability and system usefulness are interdependent properties of system interaction, which in combination, determine system satisfaction and usage. Often approached separately, or in the case of digital libraries, often focused upon usability, there is emerging consensus among the research community for their unified treatment and research attention. However, a key challenge is to identify, both respectively and relatively, what to measure and how, compounded by concerns regarding common understanding of usability measures, and associated calls for more valid and complete measures within integrated and comprehensive models. The purpose of this paper is to address this challenge. Design/methodology/approach - Identified key usability and usefulness attributes and associated measures, compiled an integrated measurement framework, identified a suitable methodological approach for application of the framework, and conducted a pilot study on an interactive search system developed by a Health Service as part of their e-library service. Findings - Effectiveness, efficiency, aesthetic appearance, terminology, navigation, and learnability are key attributes of system usability; and relevance, reliability, and currency key attributes of system usefulness. There are shared aspects to several of these attributes, but each is also sufficiently unique to preserve its respective validity. They can be combined as part of a multi-method approach to system evaluation. Research limitations/implications - Pilot study has demonstrated that usability and usefulness can be readily combined, and that questionnaire and observation are valid multi-method approaches, but further research is called for under a variety of conditions, with further combinations of methods, and larger samples. Originality/value - This paper provides an integrated measurement framework, derived from the goal, question, metric paradigm, which provides a relatively comprehensive and representative set of system usability and system usefulness attributes and associated measures, which could be adapted and further refined on a case-by-case basis

Assessing the Interaction and Interactivity in OUT MOODLE LMS:: The Outlook of Content Design Patterns, System Configurations and User’s Access Rates

Despite the wide spread adoption of MOODLE by Higher Learning Institutions (HLIs) in Tanzania, there is still lack of maximum utilization of the software by learners. This is due to lack of interactivity in the system caused by poor MOODLE customization and configuration, improper content design and integration with add-on multimedia files. On the other hand, instructors consider that uploading learning materials in MOODLE is enough without putting down the interactivity facilities. This paper assesses the interactivity in MOODLE from both design and usage. The paper discloses the extent of poor MOODLE customization that can likely hinder the inclusion of the multimedia facilities, extent of poor online course design and lack of virtual interactivity among learners. To undertake this study, a case study methodology was opted by investigating the MOODLE platform of the Open University of Tanzania. The respondents to this study were categorized as MOODLE Learners (MLs), MOODLE Instructors (MIs) and MOODLE Administrators (MA). In addition to interview, an intensive documentary review together with screening the design and configurations of MOODLE servers has been done. The study focused on four aspects of interactivity which are learner interaction to learner, instructor, content, and interface. The study reveals that there is a critical lack of interactivity between learners themselves enrolled in the same course, between learners and their respective tutors and between learners and system contents and interfaces. The synchronous interaction is less practiced compared to asynchronous interaction. This has been due to less insertion of real time multimedia and interactivity features. Generally, uncoordinated operations and ad hoc performance among key MOODLE stakeholders during interface design, software implementation, system configuration, and onsite content development form the basis of this

Heuristic evaluation: Comparing ways of finding and reporting usability problems

Research on heuristic evaluation in recent years has focused on improving its effectiveness and efficiency with respect to user testing. The aim of this paper is to refine a research agenda for comparing and contrasting evaluation methods. To reach this goal, a framework is presented to evaluate the effectiveness of different types of support for structured usability problem reporting. This paper reports on an empirical study of this framework that compares two sets of heuristics, Nielsen's heuristics and the cognitive principles of Gerhardt-Powals, and two media of reporting a usability problem, i.e. either using a web tool or paper. The study found that there were no significant differences between any of the four groups in effectiveness, efficiency and inter-evaluator reliability. A more significant contribution of this research is that the framework used for the experiments proved successful and should be reusable by other researchers because of its thorough structur

Design of a scrutable learning system

Personal Learning Environments (PLEs) refer to systems that allow individual learners to manage and control their own learning in their own space and at their own pace. In this work we explore the different ways in which a learning experience can be informal, and propose a 4D model of informal learning to characterise the informal aspects of a learning experience.The model includes dimensions for learning objectives, the learning environment, learning activities and learning tools, and reveals how much of the experience is really under the control of the learner. In an analysis of mobile tools presented in the mLearn 2008 conference we show that many emerging m-learning systems focused on informality in the environment dimension but not in the others.To solve this problem this report proposes a scrutable learning model approach that allows personal learners to take control of their learning objectives while still allowing the system to intelligently support them with appropriate learning activities and resources. In addition an experimental design is described based around a prototype of a scrutable learning system for mobile devices

SDK development for bridging heterogeneous data sources through connect bridge platform

Nesta dissertação apresentou-se um SDK para a criação de conectores a integrar com o CB Server, que pretende: acelerar o desenvolvimento, garantir melhores práticas e simplificar as diversas atividades e tarefas no processo de desenvolvimento. O SDK fornece uma API pública e simples, suportada por um conjunto de ferramentas, que facilitam o processo de desenvolvimento, explorando as facilidades disponibilizadas através da API. Para analisar a exatidão, viabilidade, integridade e acessibilidade da solução apresentam-se dois exemplos e casos de estudo. Através dos casos de estudo foi possível identificar uma lista de problemas, de pontos sensíveis e melhorias na solução proposta. Para avaliar a usabilidade da API, uma metodologia baseada em vários métodos de avaliação de usabilidade foi estabelecida. O múltiplo caso de estudo funciona como o principal método de avaliação, combinando vários métodos de pesquisa. O caso de estudo consiste em três fases de avaliação: um workshop, uma avaliação heurística e uma análise subjetiva. O caso de estudo envolveu três engenheiros de software (incluindo programadores e avaliadores). A metodologia aplicada gerou resultados com base num método de inspeção, testes de utilizador e entrevistas. Identificou-se não só pontos sensíveis e falhas no código-fonte, mas também problemas estruturais, de documentação e em tempo de execução, bem como problemas relacionados com a experiência do utilizador. O contexto do estudo é apresentado de modo a tirar conclusões acerca dos resultados obtidos. O trabalho futuro incluirá o desenvolvimento de novas funcionalidades. Adicionalmente, pretende-se resolver problemas encontrados na metodologia aplicada para avaliar a usabilidade da API, nomeadamente problemas e falhas no código fonte (por exemplo, validações) e problemas estruturais.In this dissertation, we present an SDK for the creation of connectors to integrate with CB Server which accelerates deployment, ensures best practices and simplifies the various activities and tasks in the development process. The SDK provides a public and simple API leveraged by a set of tools around the API developed which facilitate the development process by exploiting the API facilities. To analyse the correctness, feasibility, completeness, and accessibility of our solution, we presented two examples and case studies. From the case studies, we derived a list of issues found in our solution and a set of proposals for improvement. To evaluate the usability of the API, a methodology based on several usability evaluation methods has been established. Multiple case study works as the main evaluation method, combining several research methods. The case study consists of three evaluation phases – a hands-on workshop, a heuristic evaluation and subjective analysis. The case study involved three computer science engineers (including novice and expert developers and evaluators). The applied methodology generated insights based on an inspection method, a user test, and interviews. We identify not only problems and flaws in the source code, but also runtime, structural and documentation problems, as well as problems related to user experience. To help us draw conclusion from the results, we point out the context of the study. Future work will include the development of new functionalities. Additionally, we aim to solve problems found in the applied methodology to evaluate the usability of the API, namely problems and flaws in the source code (e.g. validations) and structural problems

Open source software development process for the development of open source e-learning systems

Over the last decade, numerous educational institutions and corporate world have employed various kinds of e-learning software solutions. One of the major components of end-to-end e-learning solution is the learning management system (LMS). These LMS are either developed as open source software (OSS) or close source software (CSS) product. In this regard, CSS for e-learning systems has a major drawback of being expensive and this hinders its widespread use. On the other hand, OSS is virtually free and not restricted by the licensing costs. The benefits of OSS can be completely realized only if there is an effective contribution from OSS community towards its development. It is clear from the literature that the OSS development community does not follow an explicitly defined and documented software development process. This in turn results in lack of detailed information in the literature about the problems arising due to the absence of a defined process. Nevertheless, some of the major issues with regard to OSS development for LMS that have been identified include software design issues, week user Interface, lack of complete and accessible documentation, lack of co-ordination between unknown developers, etc. This research develops a generalized OSSD process that could be used for the development of an open source (OS) e-learning system. To begin, in order to understand the current development practises of the existing OS e-learning systems, a detailed analysis was carried out for three different and popular OS e-learning systems (Moodle, ILIAS and Dokeos). The result of this analysis was represented as an Activity Flow Diagram which enabled precise identification of the implicit software development stages. In the next stage, in order to identify the output produced for each and every stage of development, a DEMO methodology was applied and DEMO models were built for three e-learning systems (Moodle, ILIAS and Dokeos). This is a particularly novel contribution that helps enable the development of the generalized OSSD process. In order to select the different stages of development for the proposed process, the output resulting from each stage of the DEMO model was compared with the outputs prescribed by the ISO/IEC 12207:2008 standard. Further, in order to validate the proposed process, an expert review method was employed by preparing a web-based questionnaire and circulating it along with the proposed process to three different and geographically separated OS experts. The proposed process was subsequently refined based on the feedback received from these experts. It is anticipated that the proposed OSSD process had the potential to streamline the future development of OS e-learning systems

Passphrase and keystroke dynamics authentication: security and usability

It was found that employees spend a total 2.25 days within a 60 day period on password related activities. Another study found that over 85 days an average user will create 25 accounts with an average of 6.5 unique passwords. These numbers are expected to increase over time as more systems become available. In addition, the use of 6.5 unique passwords highlight that passwords are being reused which creates security concerns as multiple systems will be accessible by an unauthorised party if one of these passwords is leaked. Current user authentication solutions either increase security or usability. When security increases, usability decreases, or vice versa. To add to this, stringent security protocols encourage unsecure behaviours by the user such as writing the password down on a piece of paper to remember it. It was found that passphrases require less cognitive effort than passwords and because passphrases are stronger than passwords, they don’t need to be changed as frequently as passwords. This study aimed to assess a two-tier user authentication solution that increases security and usability. The proposed solution uses passphrases in conjunction with keystroke dynamics to address this research problem. The design science research approach was used to guide this study. The study’s theoretical foundation includes three theories. The Shannon entropy formula was used to calculate the strength of passwords, passphrases and keystroke dynamics. The chunking theory assisted in assessing password and passphrase memorisation issues and the keystroke-level model was used to assess password and passphrase typing issues. Two primary data collection methods were used to evaluate the findings and to ensure that gaps in the research were filled. A login assessment experiment collected data on user authentication and user-system interaction for passwords and passphrases. Plus, an expert review was conducted to verify findings and assess the research artefact in the form of a model. The model can be used to assist with the implementation of a two-tier user authentication solution which involves passphrases and keystroke dynamics. There are a number of components that need to be considered to realise the benefits of this solution and ensure successful implementation

Usability issues and design principles for visual programming languages

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University.Despite two decades of empirical studies focusing on programmers and the problems with programming, usability of textual programming languages is still hard to achieve. Its younger relation, visual programming languages (VPLs) also share the same problem of poor usability. This research explores and investigates the usability issues relating to VPLs in order to suggest a set of design principles that emphasise usability. The approach adopted focuses on issues arising from the interaction and communication between the human (programmers), the computer (user interface), and the program. Being exploratory in nature, this PhD reviews the literature as a starting point for stimulating and developing research questions and hypotheses that experimental studies were conducted to investigate. However, the literature alone cannot provide a fully comprehensive list of possible usability problems in VPLs so that design principles can be confidently recommended. A commercial VPL was, therefore, holistically evaluated and a comprehensive list of usability problems was obtained from the research. Six empirical studies employing both quantitative and qualitative methodology were undertaken as dictated by the nature of the research. Five of these were controlled experiments and one was qualitative-naturalistic. The experiments studied the effect of a programming paradigm and of representation of program flow on novices' performances. The results indicated superiority of control-flow programs in relation to data-flow programs; a control-flow preference among novices; and in addition that directional representation does not affect performance while traversal direction does - due to cognitive demands imposed upon programmers. Results of the qualitative study included a list of 145 usability problems and these were further categorised into ten problem areas. These findings were integrated with other analytical work based upon the review of the literature in a structured fashion to form a checklist and a set of design principles for VPLs that are empirically grounded and evaluated against existing research in the literature. Furthermore, an extended framework for Cognitive Dimensions of Notations is also discussed and proposed as an evaluation method for diagrammatic VPLs on the basis of the qualitative study. The above consists of the major findings and deliverables of this research. Nevertheless, there are several other findings identified on the basis of the substantial amount of data obtained in the series of experiments carried out, which have made a novel contribution to knowledge in the fields of Human-Computer Interaction, Psychology of Programming, and Visual Programming Languages